common cause of
blindness in children, though, in many cases, the blindness is only
partial, and, if taken in time, the remaining eyesight may be saved.
This disease usually appears between the ages of four and twenty, often
following some childish malady, and it requires the greatest care and
most nourishing food to counteract its pernicious effects. The victim of
interstitial keratitis is never strong, and, although a blood test may
show a negative condition, any serious illness may cause the
constitutional trouble to reappear.

It is a common belief that children will outgrow cross-eyes. This is not
true, for the eye that turns either in or out, will, sooner or later,
become useless, simply from disuse. Such children should have attention
as early as possible, even in infancy, as properly fitted glasses will
usually restore such eyes to their normal condition.

Children are often needlessly blind as the result of an unwise and
harmful selection of toys, such as scissors, forks, toy pistols, air
rifles and bows and arrows. The observance of a sane Fourth of July has
lessened the number of accidents to the eyes of children.

I have thus far spoken of the prevention of blindness in children, and
now I wish to call your attention to what is being done for the
conservation of vision in childhood. In the lecture on the development
of the blind child, I mentioned special classes for blind children in
the public schools. In most of the cities having such classes (Chicago
and Los Angeles excepted), sight saving classes, as they are called, are
maintained. In these conservation classes, the children do not read with
their fingers, but books in heavy face, large type are provided. And for
these books we are indebted to Mr R. B. Irwin, the blind supervisor of
special classes in Cleveland. So here again we find a blind man planning
not only the advancement of blind children, but the conservation of
vision of partially-sighted children. In these classes desk blackboards
are provided, and a great deal of oral instruction is given, and the
amount of reading is limited. A great deal of handwork is required and
everything possible is done to save eyestrain. Much time and thought is
given to the proper lighting of schoolrooms, and to the color scheme of
the buildings. Light should not be judged by its brightness, but rather
by the way it helps us to see what we are looking at. Walls should have
light paper or tinting, as dark walls a