The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-03-11

More Lighthouses.

dvity blind people were of,..
ana seemed to lack animation - al
-ollnd boys 90 swimming ana Y
come boy scouts At the Ns~ - y
lighthouse. Special plavin. IN
ana checkerboards enable N. NJ NJ.
to play games with q mucN ~
and pep as those that IS S.,I..
abroad =: blinded in battle. have ~.
In physical trim by rexuIs,
naslum work and enjoy them,s'..
a. dances as much a thev ~
The Appeal Of I.sie
One Of the greatest n,...
which the New York lixhthcu.... ~
give is to distribute concsrt =. s
opera tickets. The Hsh... saa
spreads the word to the essas. 1. y
II you ever have concert ties -.
that TOR some reason you VII, , -.
pc able to use you can give ham. ~
ness to a blind person nv m.,,, pl'
the tickets to the lighthou.. , lug
the New York Lighthouse boara H., !.
ports that New York has stssa,,. N.
kept this in mind. a'l!
A realization of the n,...,...
which music brings to the, bl,,s
was back of the first lisSsa s.e
project. When winifred mi,
author and sculptor, was IN i.,.,.
some years ago, she noted thai y.
government reserved certain s..,.
at concerts for the blind. VS..
she returned to this country -.
tried to get special concess,on ~.
made to the blind in New Yors
Then other needs of the blind h.
came apparent to her and N ~.
first lighthouse" as she cal,sd 'I !.
was established. -
When the war increased h,,,a
ness and aroused greater intsrsst
in rehabilitating the sightless. M.
Holt went to England and studio
British methods Of working viih
the blind soldiers. Later, in Fr,nce
she opened two lighthouses simi'
lar to the New York institution.
The success Of the three lirbt.
houses has encouraged associ,.
tons interested in the welfare n
the blind to extend the idea to 9th.
er cities. and therefore the cam.
paign for funds is now under vay
Preventing blindness is ono Of
the main features Of the lighthous,
work. TWo-thirds Of blindness i,
preventable. doctors now say. TIA,
is, that much blindness is due Il
carelessness, ignorance and villfu
neglect. Workers in some kinds d
factories are constantly develop
ing eye trouble because Of fume.
! or slivers of flying metal which
could be safely shut out BY gog
giles.
Babies sore eyes 10 smother o.
the needless but prevalent cause.
of blindness. This disease devst
OPS within a few weeks after birth
il the germs are present in the
baby's eyes. 1t may even then b
cured if the proper treatment |:
! given at once, but it is much sim
pier to prevent the germs from
developing by injecting a drop 0
q weak solution of silver nitrate il
the eye soon after birth. Il
| Many states now insist that
birth certificate be turned in I
the health office within a day Q
, two after a birth and that 1t stat
whether or not treatment for bah
les sore eyes has been given. Ffor
these reports the health Office ca
locate families unable to emplo
a doctor and send a representa-
tive to give the treatment.
The lighthouse helps in TIL
work of preventing cases Of sor
eyes and in treating. babies VII
develop the disease. It also helr
people who are nearly blind to n
tain what remnant of sight @s
have. The ability to distinguis
light from darkness or to see q
object as q blurred outline is OF Il
estimable value as compared vii
total blindness. Even this NUT
light. however, may be lost-it VI
atrophy-if it is not used. On !!
other hand, il 1t is cultivated
glasses and by exercising the po'
er that is there, sight may in tin
be improved. So the lighthouse n
skilled specialists giving attenu'
to those who need it.
The people who use the Nc
York lighthouse are of all stages
wealth and education. There :
5000 blind in New York Cl'
lalOne.