The Washington herald., 1920-11-06
SAYING OF EYES
HER LIFE WORK
New York Woman Made
Crusader by Cases Of
Needless Blindness.
SHE TALKS 10 MOTHERS
Lays Much Of Trouble With
Vision to Ignorance Of
Parents.
SHE TALKS 10 MOTHERS

NEW YORK. Nov. ST was hor-
rified TO ind that she need not have
been blind"
That Is how Mrs. winifred Hath
away describes the awakening OF
her interest in the prevention. OF
blindness. The sight Of a poor lit
tie Massachusetts, baby who ''nsed
not have been blind set Mrs. Hath
away's feet In the path which she
has been following for four years.
1t led her to the post of exec
utive secretary of the national COM
nafttee for the prevention OF blind
ness. in which she works with brain
and voice and pen for the con-
servation of the eyesight of Amer
ica's babies and children and men
and women. Gradually. but in ever
widening circles. Americans. in OFF,
eial positions and out, are begin
ming to know-largely through the
efforts of the committee-that too
many. babies are permitted to "go
blind" and that too many work
fngmen lose their eyesight through
their own carelessness or that OF
their mates.
7 became interested in prevent
ing needless blindness and deteriora-
tion of sight" said Mrs. Hathaway,
when / was doing some research
work for the State of Massachu-
sets. In order to get required
information it was necessary for me
to visit O home. There I found
a most appealing little blind child.
became very much attached to
her. and was horrif1ed to learn upon
Investigation that she need not have
been blind.
Studied Unnecessary Blindness.
I Immediately began a study OF
the subject, the causes of unneces-
sary blindness. the terrible results
of carelessness. ignorance and neg
lect. and determined to take the
first opportunity of putting my
greatest effort into preventing the
repetition OF such tragedies"
Saving babies eyes from the
dreadful disease that is called
babies sore eyes" by the layman
and "ophthalmia neonatorum" by
the physician is a phase of Mrs.
Hathaway's work to which she de-
votes much of her time. 1t makes
an especial appeal to her; she be-
lieves the most pitiable thing In
the whole world is a tiny. sightless
baby whose eyes might have been
saved IL the parents had been pos
sessed of a little simple knowledge.
It is to spread this knowledge
that Mrs. Hathaway addresses
mothers meetings. often among the
poorest Of mothers in the cities.
1t is difficult sometimes to reach
the mothers directly, she says; so
she pro' ,eds first to interest the
school Snildren. This she does by
means N story telling and jingles
with a point. She writes the sto-
ries and the jingles herself; some
of them are original, and some are
adaptations of the old-timers,' but
all drive home in interesting ways
the necessity for taking care of the
eyes.
Writes Many Articles.
DO / devote all my time to talk
ling to children and parents?" Mrs.
Hathaway asked and answered the
question herself. No. she said. There
are articles to be written for popu-
lar as well as for technical maga-
mines on certain phases of the care
Of the eyes; there are Investigations
to be made and bulletins to be pre-
pared on the results. One very in
teresting study was made in Buffalo
&c show what a city can do to pro-
tect the eyes of its future citizens.
Mrs Hathaway labors in every field
Of blindness prevention, from the
saving ok babies eyes to the safe
guarding of the sight of working
men in mills and factories There.
are the medical inspection of chill
aren's eyes in schools and working
places; the war on trachoma and the
common roller towel which does so
much to spread eye disease; the op-
position to the exhibition of rainy
films in moving picture theaters and
to inadequate ventilation in such
places. the unceasing effort to
educate the ignorant to a knowledge
OF the peril to the eye that lies in
wood alcohol: the advocacy of the
use of goggles wherever needed to
shield the vision of laborers.