Show i i TO SAVE BABIES SIGHT I hu to he rated h by NC Nety York Association for COl tho Blind that 25 per cent ot of nil all the blind babies In the blind schools school of oC the count country alp aup unnecessarily condemned to darkness I Is the tho startling statement which serves to Introduce R a campaign planned b by a special commit committee tee t of the New York Association for the tho Blind just made public To save the sight of these babies bables It itt 1 Is planned to force a higher standard I of IntellIgence and cleanliness among the of the state and more I Particularly in the large cities b by educating edu cating them and th their lr clients by forc Ing e earlier anti and more maIo complete birth re Ie turns and b by cooperation on the part or of health authorities in furnishing free I of cost tIlt the simple mple salt the tho use of which makes neona torum as blindness of the tho newly born bornIs Is technically call termed For nearl nearly 30 years no legitimate ex excuse cuse for any child suffering this dis disease disease ease has existed Prof Credo Crede of the University of oC announcing In lost that n a drop of 2 per cent solution or of nitrate of oC silver placed In each eye oye of oC n a newborn infant was an absolute guar guarantee guarantee antee n against Its development This announcement the tho percentage e of Infants so 60 afflicted to fall In ono year ear from 74 71 per cent to 05 per cent and In three years hut but ono case devel developed developed In 1160 infants so treated That this Is true Is known to all phy who make mako use UKO of Credos dis discovery covery but unfortunately It Is 18 not known to the women who assist 52 2 per pOl percent cent or of nIl all tho who como Into being In the tho largo larKO cities of oC the state each year According to the tho re report report port Ignorance and unclean habits to toan toan an almost extent exist among these women who are mainly foreign born and work und and live among their own people training fit fitness ness and control are Insisted upon Here free from restraint those among thom thane who are competent become come carcI I lass sj or worse while others ignorant of the laws of hygiene praet Use t e without lot or ai on tho part of anyone To make known the tho facts relative to preventable blindness to educate and orGanize pUblic opinion working In ht co cooperation cooperation operation with the medical profession this committee was appointed last Juno with Mr Ir P Tecumseh Sherman a J lae yer at Its head bend his associates IncludIng lag Ing Dr Eugene H Porter Nw Now York state commissioner or of health Dr Thomas Darlington New York elt city commissioner of health Dr Charles Stedman Bull professor of ophthalmology ogy og Dr DI J Clifton Edgar professor proCessor or of obstetrIcs to In Cornell Medical college Mrs Edward Eduard R Hewitt Miss W nl red fred Holt Dr DI F Park Lewis chair chairman chairman man committee on neona J ona torum Medical Dr John Izard Middleton oculist Thomas M L ull president Superior Council of oC New York St Vincent do Paul society Mrs iII William n B Rice vice president State Charities Aid as Miss Louisa Lee Schuyler vice Ico president State Charities Aid as aR and Miss LIllian D Wald ald head worker Hen Henry Street Settlement The document just Issued I Is the first step In time the line of In the tho matter of legislation It recommends the examination licensing and re registration of all ull nurses by b local boards of health licenses to be renewed annually and be revocable at an any time It also recommends recommends mends that the report of all births within 24 21 hours be compulsory the re report port to show whether r or not precaution a against n ss has been taken Where It ha has not been the tho authorities have ample time to apply the necessary preventives tI e Accompanying the paper are arc numer numerous ous pathetic documents In the form COlm ot of I photo photographs of little victims of oC this I carelessness whIch It Is proposed to combat |