WOMAN'S SIGHT RESTORED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22328, 31 July 1934, Page 10

WOMAN'S SIGHT RESTORED

OTHER HUMAN EYES USED BLIND FOR THIRTY-FIVE YEARS. Two patients at a London cyo hospital, by reason of disability which necessitated the removal of an eye in each case, have been able to resto-e sight, to a woman who had been blind for 35 years. The delicate operations were performed at the Central London Ophthalmic Hospital by Mr Tudor Thomas, a Cardiff eye specialist who was formerly attached to the hospital. The two patients do not know of thp extraordinary service they have giveu. This remarkable story was, told last month by Mr George Watts, ihe secretary of the hospital. Minute membram-s, five millimetres in size, were sewn with hairlike gut to the sightless eyes. Two operations were performed—in November last year and January this year—but it was only six weeks ago that the operations could be declared successful. For months the woman's eyes were heavily bandaged, and now she is being taught to see. " The training," said M r Watts. " consists in part of blackboard drawings. For instance, a ship is drawn and the patient is asked to add the funnel. "It is hard to conceive how difficult the training is," continued Mr Watts. " Shown a printed card, the patient still endeavours to trace or ' feel' out the various letters as she would in Braille." There are no other records of sight being restored after so long a period as 35 years. The woman, who had been blind since the age of two weeks, came from abroad. She is a Braille system expert, and has given great service to the blind in many countries.