The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1921-06-18
FOR PREVENTION
OF BLINDNESS
Wonderful Progress Made by the
National Committee in That
Direction.
WORK IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Conservation Of Vision Classes Crow
ing in Number as Educators Dis
cover It Is Practicable to Open
Glasses in Small Cities.

ing in Number as Educators Dis
cover It Is Practicable to Open
Glasses in Small Cities.
New York.-More than 1000 sup
porters Of the work Of the National
Committee for the Prevention of
Blindness were reported at the sixth
annual meeting in this city. This re-
port shows remarkable increase
from the IS charter members in 1915.
The work for the last year showed
much progress for the conservation
OF vision in the public schools and col
leges.
The report continues:
conservation of vision classes in
the public schools are growing in
number as educators have discovered,
through the efforts Of our committee,
that it is practicable to open such
classes even in cities smaller than
the largest. The present census Of
such classes is 81, Of which II have
been established within the last year.
SO far as known, the classes which
now support such classes include nli-
nois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mime
sofa, New York, Ohio, PENNSYLVANIA
and Washington. There is no more
hopeful part Of our work than this,
and we are proud to have contributed
considerable part to the establish
ment Of these classes.
Blindness in Children.
'The chief cause of blindness
among children is due to ophthalmia
noeonatorum. The percentage this
year is 22.5 per cent as compared
with 1877 per cent for last year of
those who have newly entered the
residential schools. This disease is
an inflammation Of the eye usually
contracted by newly born children.
The percentage is even higher In the
public classes. We have reason to re-
greet this unfortunate relapse. This is
the first year but one that has not
shown a considerable decrease, but we
are quite sure that our figures are
more accurate than in the years gone
by, and possibly some Of this Increase
Is due to the greater accuracy Of our
reports. We must faithfully and per-
sistently pursue our fight against
babies sore eyes and continue to re-
duce the number of children who need
not have been blind.
"TrachOma's victims Zone Of the
most dreaded Of contagious eye dis
eases) have been discovered In sew
eral states where it was not suspect
ed this scourge could be prevalent.
Not less than nine states have during
this year initiated or renewed their
fight against the spread Of trachoma.
In Illinois, particularly, there has
been a marshaling Of the forces for
systematic operation in the stamp
Ing out Of this disease. In all cases
1t has been the function Of this COM
mittee to serve as helpful agency in
this work.
Caused by Wood Alcohol.
wood alcohol poisoning still causes
much blindness through drinking this
substance masQuerading as a familiar
stimulant. This condition was not a
surprise to US, and we had issued
warning which was used throughout
the United States. Much activity re-
suited because Of the newspaper &C.
counts Of the dreadful situation, and
considerable work has been done by
them toward eliminating this cause Of
needless blindness
81. +. J. Porter Of the Society for
Electrical Development delivered the
annual address. The subject Of Mr..
POrter's address was Through Lies
Windows. He showed the great de-
pendence Of man on healthy and we'll
cared for eyes, which he compared to
a pair Of motion picture cameras. "In-
deed, the motion picture camera is
made in imitation Of the eye" he con-
tinued. 'The better the condition Of
the lens and the better the illumina-
ton OF the object the better the re-
suit Of the photographers effort. Just
SO with the more perfect instrument,
the eye, and it behooves every one to
see that his eyes are kept in good con-
dition and free from eyestrain due to
improper lighting. AS it takes long,
er time to take good picture in poor
light than in good light, so it takes
longer to obtain good conception of
what is before us with poor eyesight
and in poor light. Employers are wise
who provide against accidents from
poor lighting"