Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-10-10
GORE MAY SEE AGAIN;
FEARS DISAPPOINTMENT
Blind Senator Refuses to Hope
for Sight Lest the Doctor
Fails.

washington. ID. c., Oct. 10.---with
the first trace of light slowly dawning
after 80 years Of total blindness,
Thomas p. Gore. former Senator from
Oklahoma. for years the most unique
figure In Congress, declines to hope
for a restoration Of his sight, guard
Ing against the bitterness OF disap-
bointment. Ills doctor came to Wash
ington and treated the former Senator
again yesterday, later expressing the
belief that eventually Gore will be able
TO move about without an attendant.
1T IN so exciting to believe that you
can ace things" Gore said last night.
Sometimes / can hardly tell whether
I can or not; at least my eye is more
sensitive In the sunlight. l sometimes
think do see movements, but IL may
be all imagination. The treatment has
not progressed far enough yet TO tell. 4
took Il up because | had everything
20 gain and nothing 10 lose. It's a
game / could afford to play"
Senator Gore described the treat
ment az bringing into play the healing
powers OF nature. DIR. Harris yester-
day, after the version Of the ex-Seno-
tor, explained what steps had been
taken in hls efforts 10 work the mira
Gle and bring back the long dormant
sense OF perception. He has taken
palms 20 keep the eye muscles exer-
ciaed. TO do this, Gore has kept his
eye fixed and nodded his head slowly
TO the right and left. thereby promot-
ing better circulation. This Is done
with the lids both opened and closed.
Ten he has sat with his eyes open,
while DR.. Harris has slowly moved
his hand up ard down the patients
face. telling him each time it passed
the eyes.
Senator Gore explained that zone eve
was hurt 43 years ago, when / was
eight years old. Three years later
when | was IL, lost the other eye. SO
had this one treated, and II got bet
ter. / got so l could see things and
play around. and. later, so that / could
read with a glass, but l guess / read
too much with a bad Hight, for the
sight slowly faded away. l could nc
longer see. | was told that the nerve
had atrophied."
DR.. Harris said the first perception
that came TO Senator Gore was thai
, OF light caused by the reflection int
his eye by tiny mirror Of the rays
, from a small electric bulb. He said tina
y aile he was In Boston he had re
ceived word from Cores secretary thai
the former Senator had progressed t
the place where he could notice shad
ows, and the distinction of his Whit
cuff against his clothing. Senate
Gore declined to confirm that his vi
, sion had improved TO such an extent
You don't know how it is." ne said
but one who has been blind so lon,
can sometimes imagine he can see
, Close your eyes and pass your han'
/, back and forth in front Of them an,
you will gradually feel you are settini
"a sensation. But there is no doubt tina
my eye is more sensitive 10 sunlight
and TO other light. too"
!. do you think your eight VIII i'm
prove to where you can see objects?
he was asked.
II would not say that" he replied
|, 81 wouldn't want to have any though
: over that and be disappointed. II ther
Is to be any return OF vision It wi
: be exceedingly slow"
:, Gore said he did not notice chang
after such treatment, indicating tina
he could hardly expect 1t after hi
long blindness. Any return TO visior
In his opinion. must be like the move
d ment of the hands OF a clock, so grad
ual ;Aat the different steps are nc
noticed, but though he declines TO pre-
dict the outcome, and declared tina
: enough TO confirm the belief that h
will some day see has not yet trans
$ pired, he will persist in the treatmer
e on his theory that by 1t nothing ca
" be lost