Please wait. Contacting image service... loading

Article text

Children Blinded
By Sun's Eclipse
gEVERAL children heave become totally blind as a result
of the partial eclipse of the sun last December.
-/YNE of the children is from
Sydney and the others live
in country areas.
Before the last eclipse, which
occurred between 4.47 p.m. and
6.22 p.m. on December 1, wide
spread warnings were issued by
doctors and scientists about the
danger of looking at the eclipse
without special protection for
the eyes.
The -warnings were issued
because, following the prev
ious eclipse in 1943, hundreds
of persons had reported their
eyes damaged by the sun's
rays.
The child from Sydney and
the country children had their
eyes damaged when they stared
directly at the sun without
protecting lenses or smoked
glass.
After prolonged treatment at
a metropolitan hospital, the
Sydney child became totally
blind, despite efforts to save
the sight.
No Hope Of Cure
Last week doctors saw that
the backs of the sensitive ret
inas of the child's eyes had
been burned beyond hope of
cure They told the parents
that there was no hope of sav
ing the sight.
Due to the widespread pub
licity given the dangers of
watching the last partial eclipse
of the sun very, few persons
suffered injury to their eyes, a
doctor said.
A leading Sydney doctor
said today that persons who
damaged their eyes because
of viewing the eclipse with
out protection would have a
blank space in the centre of
their vision corresponding to
where the rays of the sun had
burnt the retina at the back
of the eyes,
"Any damage caused by the
sun ill this manner is perm
anent," a Sydney eye specialist
stated.
The specialist said that
"eclipse blindness" occurred im
mediately. but had no symp
toms.
Ho Warning
"There is neither pain nor
any other sensation. That is
the greatest danger of 'eclipse
blindness,' because the victims
have no physical warning," said
the doctor.
Doctors said that during the
previous eclipse, in 1943, many
people were permanently blind
ed through viewing it.
"Apparently children were
ttu only ones incautious enough
to watch through naked eyes,"
one doctor stated.
It will be some years before
the next eclipse of the sun oc
curs.
$