Sessional_Paper_1907 — Page 865

469

Causes of Blindness.

The main causes of blindness in the Chinese are Trachoma and birth ophthalmia. It is pitiful to see the ravages of these diseases. In Hongkong of the two causes Trachoma is the more frequent. I have now under treatinent a Post Office employé (sent by Mr. L. A. M. Johnston) who in another two months would most certainly have lost his sight from old standing Trachoina. This man was going about his work sowing the disease broadcast -every individual using the same towels or basin as this man would in all probability develope Trachoma and if untreated would run a considerable risk of partial or total blind- ness. I mention this not as an alarmist (though it is high time somebody sounded the alarm in Hongkong) but merely to call attention to a state of affairs which would not be allowed to exist for a moment in England-where in fact children suffering from Trachoma are sent to special schools.and are not allowed to attend the ordinary schools.

We have then here in Hongkong a disease flourishing which causes in many cases (not in all but in the majority) partial blindness and sometimes total blindness.

This disease is preventable. His Majesty KING EDWARD in another connection uttered the now famous words "If preventable why not prevented ?" Further comment is

unnecessary.

In a small way one has done what one can to check the spread and stamp out existing disease as far as the three charitable institutions before referred to are concerned and thanks to hearty and effecient co-operation one's efforts have been in the main successful.

Appreciation.

The appreciation by the Chinese of the ophthalmic department is best shewn by the following two facts:-A Chinese doctor at the hospital (ie., employing Chinese methods) sent his daughter for treatment and another member of the Chinese Medical Staff came for treat- ment himself much to the delight of the other patients as soon as they discovered his. identity.

Operative.

Operative work has been of a varied character from cataract extraction to plastic. surgery, the latter has greatly predominated. By far the commonest operations performed have been Snellen's and Hotz's for entropion the result of Trachoma.

In many of these cases the eyesight has only just been preserved in time-the number of those who attend too late for benefit is legionary.

Attendance for operations has been as occasion demanded, the exigencies of private practice preclude one from appointing a regular day. The majority of operations have been performed under cocaine. Many operations for which a general anaesthetic is given at European eye hospitals can be quite successfully performed under local anasthesia on the Chinese for their patience is only excelled by their gratitude for what one is able to do for them.

Need of Instruments.

I have been under the necessity of providing my own eye instruments,-steriliser, douches, test lenses, &c. The hospital sadly needs an equipment of this nature and also the provision of a fund for supplying spectacles at cheap rates to the deserving poor. May I hope that this need will come to the cars of some obliging Chinese philanthropists? My labours would be greatly assisted if such were to come forward to help the ophthalmic department of what is undoubtedly the finest Chinese charitable institution in the Colony.

Finally let me refer briefly to the secondary object of the ophthalmic department.

Training of Chinese as Ophthalmic Surgeons.

Though secondary in importance to the immediate relief of the vast amount of suffering from eye disease, it has a remote importance in the relief of futuro sufferers.

The training of students of Western medicine in this special subject is of immense importance to the Chinese of Hongkong and to those Chinese who dwell perhaps only temporarily in our midst.