Evening star., 1936-02-16
S|CHT-SAV|NG UNIT
T0BE SET UP HERE
Committee in Charge Holds
Half of Blindness Cases
Are Preventable.

Believing more than half the cases
Of blindness can be prevented. COM
mittee headed by DR.. William H. VIII
mer, noted eye specialist, has launched
definite plans for the organization OF
the District Of Columbia Society for
the Prevention of Blindness.
Associated with DR.. Wilmer on the
organizing committee are Mrs. Allen
Worries, who has had many years OF
experience in work for the blind; Mrs.
Louis B. Castell, president OF the Dis
trict of Columbia Congress OF Parent
Teacher Associations; c. Melvin
Sharpe of the Potomac Electric Power
Co.; DR.. S. B. Muncaster OF the Lions
Club, Mrs. Henry Grattan Doyle, pres
ident of the Board of Education; DR..
James N. Greear, jr., president OF tne
Opthalmology Society of Washington;
Mrs. Milton King, civic worker, and
DR.. George c. Rutland, District OF
Columbia health officer.
The Organization Committee Is
sending out letters to individuals it
believes will be interested in the
movement. When the replies have
been received, it is planned to call
meeting to organize the society on a
permanent basis
Successful In Other Cities.
Similar organizations are already
operating successfully in Baltimore
Cleveland, New Orleans, Chicago, Sar
Francisco and other cities. Mrs
Worries started the first two sight-Sav-
ing classes in New Orleans and laio
the ground work or the society subse-
quently formed there.
Under direction of the committee
Mrs. Worries has outlined seven-point
program for the work to be carried
on here. This includes promotion OF
prenatal services, legislation pertain
ing to the care of the eyes of the
newborn infant, pre-school examina-
tion of the eyes, promotion OF an eye
health program in the schools under
the supervision Of an oculist. following
I'D the work done in eye clinics. an
industrial and lighting survey and
general education of the public on
eye care.
She has made a careful study ol
blindness and conditions leading to 1t
As a result of this study, she believes
more than half the cases of loss o.
eyesisht are preventable. Mrs. Worries
said there are between 500 and 60t
blind persons in Washington, some 35|
Of whom are not receiving institu
tional care.
Mrs. Worries stressed the importance
of treating the eyes Of newly borr
babies as means of preventing future
loss of sight. Another highly i'm
portant factor which she said is Otter
overlooked is the necessity for follow
ing up clinical treatment.
Cites Specific Example.
She told of one case in which {
man went to a clinic for treatmen
several times and then stopped despit'
the fact he had been warned blindneS!
and possible paralysis awaited him un
less he had com. .petent care. She sait
she met the man several years late
and found him blind and paralyzed
In addition to his personal mis-
fortune, she pointed out, he and hiE
family became charges on the COM
munity as a result of condition that
could have been prevented by proper
care.
A recent report of the National So.
ciety for the Prevention of Blindness
Mrs. Worries declared. disclosed a Z;
per cent reduction in the number o.
cases Of blindness from babies sor'
eyes.
She said the report also showed ar
increase in the number of sight-savins
classes, since their establishment il
1918, to 430 in 1888; a marked in
crease in the amount of vision test
tng among school children; the de-
velopment of method for testing tn,
vision Of children as young as years
the adoption by safety engineers O.
methods for preventing eye accident.
in industry, and a remarkable i'm.
provement in lighting.