War Blindness

[Anneca]

The book “War Blindness at St. Dunstans” was written by Sir Arnold Lawson, KBE MD FRCS LRCP in 1922, from notes he had compiled on cases of war blindness that came under his care.

The book gives information on many of the cases of war blindness he had come across and the following are excerpts of selected cases. It is an interesting book and available to read on line. http://openlibrary.o...._Dunstan's

In five instances the eyes were blinded as the result of premature explosion of bombs. In one case, both eyes were destroyed, and the right hand was amputated. In two other cases both hands were blown off as well as both eyes destroyed. In the fourth, both eyes were quite destroyed. The fifth was a sad case. The explosion destroyed his only useful eye, leaving the other eye, which had been defective since birth, untouched.

One man was blinded in an extraordinary way. For several months he had used a detonator as a pencil case, thinking it was empty. One day, when ramming a pencil into it with extra force, it exploded, destroying both his eyes.

Another curious case was one where blindness was due to injury by the sharp end of a 16 inch file, which flew out of its handle when the man was using it as a cricket bat. The file perforated the left eye and smashed its way through the inner walls of both orbits. The left eye had to be removed at once, but the right was retained, though quite blind. The eye was almost fixed in mid-line, and evidently much surgery had been done to all the structures behind the globe.

The nature of one of three booby-trap cases is worth recording, because it is somewhat unusual and distinctly ingenious. A man, with a section of his company, took possession of a room evacuated by the enemy two days before the armistice. A fire was required, and the man was directed by his sergeant to utilize some wood which was lying in a corner. The man picked up a billet and started to chop it up for firewood, when it promptly exploded and completely destroyed his sight. It seems that the billet had been hollowed out and an egg-bomb placed inside.

[sassoon]

Thank you for very much for posting the link to this. Just by the bits you posted, it sounds quite interesting. For some reason I really enjoy reading doctor's notes during the Great War, particularily if they have to do with shell shock cases.

Cheers!~

[Anneca]

Thank you for very much for posting the link to this. Just by the bits you posted, it sounds quite interesting. For some reason I really enjoy reading doctor's notes during the Great War, particularily if they have to do with shell shock cases.

Cheers!~

Yes, I thought this book was interesting and informative. Something which I came across accidentally, started to read and read on to find it worth doing so, and...........it was a bonus being able to read it online free. I'm on to another one now (hard copy) which Lawson led me to, about the founder of St Dunstans. This one is extremely interesting and I will post on book reviews when I have it finished.

Regards, Anne

[CarylW]

Thanks Anne. Just added it to my Kindle. Looks like an interesting read

Caryl