BLINDNESS 



769 



BLINDNESS 



eye-strain and misuse of certain poisons, notably 

 wood alcohol. 



Common Eye Diseases. Conjunctivitis, in- 

 flammation of the membrane that covers the 

 lids and the eyeball, is an infectious disease 

 that is very often transmitted by that relic 

 of barbarism, the public towel. Attacks of this 

 malady, if not promptly treated, are liable to 

 result in the chronic form of the disease, in 

 which the membrane becomes thickened and 

 reddened. Victims of chronic conjunctivitis 

 suffer from heaviness of the lids and eye- 

 fatigue, and bright illumination dazzles them. 

 Acute and chronic forms of the disease should 

 .have the attention of a competent oculist until 

 they are cured. 



Trachoma, or granulated lids, is another in- 

 fection of the conjunctiva, but of a more 

 serious character. Infection in a single family 

 is easily transmitted by the common use of 

 towels, wash basins, etc., and the utmost pre- 

 caution should be taken to prevent the spread 

 of the disease. Children should not even be 

 allowed to play with toys that have been 

 handled by victims. Trachoma is responsible 

 for so large a number of cases of blindness, 

 and is known to be so serious an ailment that 

 the United States government prohibits immi- 

 grants suffering from it from entering the coun- 

 try. The disease tends to produce inflamma- 

 tion in the interior of the eye, ulcerations of 

 the cornea and deformities of the lid. It 

 usually requires several months of medical 

 treatment to cure a case of trachoma. 



Ophthalmia neonatorum, infection of the 

 conjunctiva of new-born infants, is a terrible 

 disease that usually makes its appearance on 

 the second or third day after birth. It pro- 

 duces blindness by causing ulceration of the 

 cornea. Characteristic symptoms are badly- 

 swollen lids and profuse discharge of pus. 

 When it is realized that one-third of the blind- 

 ness in children is due to this disease one is 

 not surprised to learn that societies have been 

 formed for the prevention of infant blindness. 

 If a new-born baby's eyes show the slightest 

 signs of inflammation the nurse or doctor 

 should cleanse the lids thoroughly with pure 

 cotton and water, and then drop into each 

 eye a few drops of a two per cent solution of 

 silver nitrate. This treatment is a sure pre- 

 ventive. 



Iritis is an inflammation of the iris and .of 



the muscular body which controls the shape 



of the lens (the ciliary body). It is either the 



result of disease elsewhere in the body or of 



49 



infection which* has entered the body through 

 some other channel than the eye. Rheumatism 

 and syphilis are common causes, and a form 

 known as traumatic iritis is the result of 

 injury to the eye. Symptoms include pain in 

 the eye, over the forehead or in the temple, 

 contraction of the pupil, sensitiveness to light 

 and redness of the eyeball. Neglect of this 

 serious disease may cause shrinkage of the 

 eyeball and complete loss of sight, but proper 

 treatment taken in time usually effects a cure. 

 In case of injury to one eye precautions should 

 be taken to keep the infection from the unin- 

 jured organ. One of the most serious features 

 of traumatic iritis is the tendency of the unin- 

 jured eye to become diseased through what 

 oculists call "sympathy." 



Glaucoma (hardening of the eyeball) results 

 from an interference with the drainage of the 

 fluids from the eyeball. Only a competent 

 physician can correctly diagnose this ailment 

 when it is inflammatory in character, for then 

 its symptoms are like those of iritis. No one 

 should attempt to prescribe his own treatment 

 or to take drugs without advice. Belladonna, 

 which is helpful in iritis, would cause blindness 

 if used as a remedy for glaucoma. Another 

 common eye disease is cataract, which causes 

 the crystalline lens to become opaque. This 

 ailment is fully described in this volume under 

 the heading CATARACT. Other grave eye dis- 

 orders are retinitis, or inflammation of the 

 retina, atrophy of the optic nerve and tobacco 

 and alcohol amblyopia. The latter, inflamma- 

 tion of the optic nerve between the eyeball and 

 the brain, is the result of chronic poisoning 

 from the use of tobacco or alcoholic beverages. 

 The victim at first complains of a cloud before 

 his eyes, which always appears in the direction 

 in which he is looking. Interference with the 

 ability to distinguish between colors is another 

 early symptom. Abstinence from liquor and 

 narcotics is absolutely essential to effect a cure. 



There are many cases of defective vision, due 

 to nearsightedness, astigmatism, etc., which can 

 be corrected by wearing the right kind of 

 glasses. Any evidence of eye trouble, what- 

 ever its nature, should be diagnosed without 

 delay. Educational authorities are coming 

 more and more to realize the dangers that 

 result from neglect of the eyes, and it is cus- 

 tomary in many towns and cities to have sys- 

 tematic physical examination of pupils by re- 

 liable physicians. Such precautions have been 

 the means of saving or conserving the sight of 

 many children. 



