produce blindness?
Some few germs of this disease have remained in the vagina or birth
canal and as the baby passes along the canal they enter its eyes. They
are so very strong and work so rapidly that they can cause total
blindness within three days. This fact is so well known by physicians
that at the present time all reliable physicians pay especial attention
to the newborn baby's eyes, cleansing them with an antiseptic solution
immediately after birth. This precaution doubtless has saved the eyes of
thousands of babies. This is one of the reasons why it is dangerous to
employ an uneducated person at the time of labor. Even though she may
have assisted at hundreds of births yet often she is ignorant of the
many dangers and of the precautions that should be taken in every case.

Even adults may become blind from this infection. The disease is carried
to the eyes by polluted fingers or towels. In a few hours the eyes
become inflamed, pus forms, and unless heroic measures are taken, the
eyesight is soon destroyed.

In female children the vagina may become infected through the use of
tainted sponges, wash cloths, etc. An innocent girl may thus carelessly
acquire the disease. For this reason, we see how necessary it is to
caution girls never to use public towels or wash cloths that have been
used by another person. Even in the home, every member of the family
should have his exclusive towel and wash cloth.

The symptoms of gonorrhoea that often are noted first are a profuse
discharge from the vagina, usually creamy or yellowish in color. This
discharge is of such a nature that frequently it excoriates the external
parts so that they become very tender and inflamed. Backache, especially
across the hips, is a common accompaniment of this disease. There may be
general soreness in the pelvic region. If a woman suspects she has
contracted this disease, she should go immediately to some reliable
physician; for at first the disease may affect only the vagina but, if
neglected, may extend to the uterus and tubes. In its early stages it
may be cured by prompt treatment, but the majority of women postpone
treatment until it is too late.

The other loathsome disease, syphilis, infects the blood and therefore
all parts of the body. While under proper treatment it is not dangerous
to life in the earlier years, yet the possibilities of conveying the
contagion are numerous. In the second stage, which lasts for a number of
weeks, the