MUSTARD GAS HORRORS

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXVIII, Issue 4607, 9 October 1934, Page 6

MUSTARD GAS HORRORS

AFTERMATH OF THE WAR.

MEN STILL LOSING SIGHT. It will probably come as a surprise to the general public that exactly 20 years since the war began men in Britain are still losing their sight as the result of injuries received from gas and other causes while on active service. During the last 12 months (says the News of the World) 19 new cases have been admitted to St. Dunstan's. which cares for the war-blinded soldiers, sailors and airmen. These included five men whose affliction was attributable to gas. Two more cases of what may be called "gas-blind-ness" are under observation, and it is feared that there are quite a number of others to come. It has been found in each instance that the loss of sight is due to the effects of mustard gas. In every case the men received some slight injury to the eyes all those years ago, and this has gradually developed, until to-day the victims are suffering, either from total blindness or from such an advanced lack of sight that they can no longer do their ordinary work. It is one of the functions of St. Dunstan's to search such men out and set about training them to overcome their loss of sight. The other 14 cases were due to wounds from shells or bullets. During the previous year there were 27 new cases of men blinded through war injuries, and the year before that 33, so that in three years there have been nearly 80 new cases to come under the care of St. Dunstan's. It now looks after something in the neighbourhood of 2000 war-blinded men and 5000 of their dependents. At the time of the Armistice there were 1300 cases. The average age of the men is now just under 45, and, on this basis, it has been calculated that in 1945 there will still be alive 1300 men, and in 1974 more than 400. A few many still be alive at the end of this century. That may sound startling, but, in this connection, it must be borne in mind that the last pensioners from the Crimean War died only quite recently, cently.