Evening star., 1922-12-17

ly," is one Of the startling
statements made by DIR. Melanie LII
pinska. the famous Polish blind wom-
an physician. who is in this country
for few months to investigate
methods used at schools for the blind
in the United States. and also to give
some lectures in Washington and
other principal cities on her own
methods of re-educating those who
now are blind.
; There are two kinds of blindness
to be considered in the present day.
continued DIR. Lipinska. There Is
blindness which is the result OF or
ganic defects or congenital lesion
and there is blindness which is caused
by some other agency. The former
blindness from birth. must be treated
quite differently from the case OF a
child or adult who has seen and later
develops blindness.
! Among the principal causes of the
latter types of blindness are dlges-
tive troubles and anemic conditions
BAD circulation in the brain or spinal
she added.
DR. Lipinska. like all other modern
scientists and physicians. belleNes
that the best methods are preventive
ra ther than curative. Therefore. she
suggests that the best way to prevent
A child's becoming blind is to con-
slider primarily the following points
To prevent digestive trouble. give
the child proper nutrition. Sometimes
too much food is worse for the child
than too little. but in all cases the
proper diet should be ascertained Win
the aid of competent physician ana
adhered to by the child's parents.
Children should be instructed In the
hygiene of respiration, taught deep
breathing. exercising and the value
of periods of restful silence. and given
plenty of sleep They should also De
=, taught the hygiene Of the mind. and
if possible. all exciting experiences
or horrible sights or thoughts should
be eliminated.
GIT is just as easy to suggest eooo
i instincts and habits and develop
ideas of beauty in child as to de-
yelop restless, bad habits and thirst
for the gruesome or exciting things,
said DR.. Lipinska. In all of my work
I use the principles of auto-sugges-
ton for the development Of beauty
internally as well as externally
The vertebrae of the spinal column
should be examined from birth as
step in the prevention Of blindness
and the efforts of parents and teach
ers should emphasize the bringing oil
all functions Of the body into really
harmonious working order. Circula-
ton in the brain is. of course. anected
by any trouble in the spine.
II do not believe that blindness is
a real handicap" said DR.. Lipinska,
but blindness can be cured in all
| cases except where the optic nerve
has been completely destroyed. 1t is
very important in re-educating the
blind to impress on their minds the
fact that they are not blind-eXcept
of course, in cases of organic lesion
and that by developing subconscious
or eventually restore their sight.
Every physician today uses auto
suggestion in one form or another.
and this is a basic principle in the
work with the blind. Children or
adults who have seen have great
advantage over those who have been
blind since birth. for they have re-
ceived thousands of impressions that
they do not realize they have absorbed
subconsciously until they lose their
sight. BY proper re-education meth
DDS it is possible to develop additional
senses.
Memory. concentration and intui-
tion replace sight with the blind, and
they are especially sensitive to all
vi vihrations which emanate from indi-
viduals and things with which they
come in contact. Blind people can
sense not only the physical appear
ance of those whom they meet but
also their mental and moral state, and
the senses of touch and smell are in
creased in their keenness."
x 4
.DR. LIPINSkA lays special empha-
II sis OH the harm that many peo-
pie thoughtlessly cause by trying to