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Show June HILL TOP TIMES Page 4 By President Nixon man com isf cif d or on by Lew Witham We are all sensitive to the tragedy of a sudden blindness, but what of a more gradual and insidious loss of sight that can descend upon a young person's life as fatefully as the process of growth itself? There is no abrupt falling of the curtain upon a brightly lit leaving only center stage barely visible, until even these images and actions go out of d focus, and a pall of darkness covers all things present and future. Such, for almost all of its victims, is the inexorable course of an eye disease called Retinitis Pigmentosa, or RP. It afflicts more than 100,000 persons in the country, and at long-feare- stage. Instead, the lights themselves start slow ly to fall. present there is no known medical or surgical cure. Far worse, it continues on its terrible progress in maturing men and women as inevitably as an increase in height or weight. RP is hereditarily linked, endemic in the crossing of two recessive genes that are known to be carried by one out of every eighty people. to hope that eventually the degenerative toll of RP might be effectively countered. Much work lies ahead, however, which will only produce solid results through a concert of research efforts, a approach to the problem. A new fifteen-stor- y building is nearing completion as an multi-disciplina- ry additional facility for the modern Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, and much of one floor of this complex is to become a new laboratory for of Retinal the Study Degenerations. Here, a team under Dr. Eliot L. Berson, who has been responsible for many of the steps forward in the fight against RP, will be focusing Driving f chniques course is taught The Voluntary Driving Techniques Course has received over 1,000 ap- teaching methods.' said Mr. plications for the two hour course, according to Bob Terry. Personnel Division. The course is taught on Thursday the first three weeks safe of each month Peysar. "It provides through August. "Additional classes will be scheduled later." Mr. Terry said The course w as prepared by the Ogden AM A Ground Safety Office under the direction of Glendon Peysar. "This course is presented on the multi-meditraining equipment, using the most a advanced lilt's programmed in- struction on the techniques of ' driving. accident avoidance and development of in automatic responses critical accident potential situations. "Portions of this course have been developed with the assistance race of professional drivers and have received national attention on nationwide TV programs." "Driving, as with any skill, can always be improved. All personnel are urged to take advantage of this excellent opportunity to learn more about the important skill of driving." degenerative effects upon ision will go on being passed whole down through generations, as one of nature's unremandable evils. Lately, to some limited good fortune, there has been an increase in knowledge about the disease, if still no real breakthrough toward a cure. makes Electroretinalysis an early prognosis, possible even in children, of the danger of RP, and recent experiments - - in which, for instance, one eye at a time is kept shielded from sunlight and normal use - have provided some retardation of the degenerative progress of the disease. One particular strain of RP has shown itself responsive to massive doses of Vitamin A, if the vitamin is administered at an early stage. So there is some first indication of reason f a Daisy of A- - non-prof- Local drive Capt. (Dr.) Barry Berman, Hill Air Force Base dental clinic, has headed the local fight against RP. A carefully drive planned publicity contributed to the over- . whelming success of a benefit dinner held earlier this year. - Proceeds from the dinner fund the new laboratory as well as other research projects around the country. For Captain Berman's efforts in waging a one-ma- n campaign to increase public understanding and awareness of Retinitis Pigmentosa, he received a letter of com- helped mendation from President Richard Nixon. The letter praised his and personal commitment to the health and well-beinof his fellow dedication - THE SAD TRUTH Capt. (Dr.) Barry Berman thumbs through a pamphlet distributed by the National Retinitis Pigmentosa Foundation, of which he is Utah Chapter chairman. A hereditary eye disease resulting in a gradual loss of vision. RP presently affects 100.000 people in this countrv alone. g citizens. The Utah Chapter of the National Retinitis Pigmentosa Foundation was formed by Captain Berman. For Father s Day Now S(p(p50 Pocket Size Calculator that does everything you could csk for A and Floating rk Fixed ffltLCQR 3BQ Memory Decimal c GD (TO 3 (SB AC-D- C Automatic Shut Off A. z Our exciting for you! Famous fashion SEMI-ANNUA- L .Auditions, Enna Jetticks. SUMMER o . o . ' SUN-FU- N SANDALS Up to Vi OFF SALE means savings names you know. DRESS SHOES Rog. to 5390 to Favero's Family Shoes Ogden Roy Percentage Underflow Key b"" s1490 or. Already outside support has been organized for this medical undertaking. The National Retinitis Pigmentosa it Foundation, Inc. (a organization) has been in existence for over a year, and 18 chapters have been established in 15 different states. HOW DO YOU TEU YOUR CHILD SHE'S GOING BUND if methodology finding a means to study the deterioration of vision. Unless some way can be found to deal with RP, its 15, 1973 10 1 M li If W II 1 1 0FFIC H i 1 1 VI It" II II 4V I i 1 I W9 EQUIPMENT "FREE STORESIDE PARKING 2376 LINCOLN AVE. 393-842- 1 |