"In Egypt the blind are very numerous in comparison with other
countries, and although no exact statistics are at present obtainable
on this point, it is computed that the proportion is at least one
totally blind person to every 50 of the population. This is
principally the result of acute ophthalmia occurring in infancy, and
it is fostered by the superstitious observance which prevents the
mothers from washing their children from the time of birth until they
are two years old, at which late date only they are weaned. There is
also a great deal of infection carelessly and ignorantly conveyed
direct from eye to eye, by means of unwashed fingers, and this is
accountable for the occurrence of much more eye-disease than any that
may be caused by the proverbial flies. The only employment followed by
the blind, both Mahommedan and Coptic (or native Christian), and that
only to a limited extent, is recitation aloud--the former repeating
portions of the Koran at funerals, and the latter chanting the
church-ritual in their services; the blind girls and women are without
occupation. Practically no education is given to the blind as a class,
and anything which they learn has to be acquired orally by frequent
repetition. The blind were not always so completely neglected, as the
native ecclesiastical authorities (Wakf) gave an annual grant of L2000
for the continued maintenance of a school for the blind and the deaf
and dumb in Cairo, which taught about 80 day-pupils; the latter years
of the school were passed under the ministry of education, and it was
ultimately discontinued. Such a condition of affairs appealed to Dr
T.R. Armitage, and explains his motive in trying to establish some
proper means for affording the blind in Egypt the necessary scholastic
instruction and other training. In Egypt, as in other countries, it is
occasionally very difficult, and takes some time, to start any
enterprise such as this on a satisfactory and practical footing, and
it was left for Mrs T.R. Armitage to be the means of successfully
carrying out her husband's wishes in this particular. In 1900 Mrs
Armitage asked Dr Kenneth Scott to prepare a scheme for the education
and welfare of the blind in Egypt, on lines suggested to her. This,
through the British and Foreign Blind Association, was submitted to
Queen Victoria, who graciously commanded it to be sent, through the
foreign office, to the khedive, who in mark of approbation and
encouragement generously gave a handsome donation towards its
realization. The Institution for the Blind was established at Zeitoun,
Cairo, early in the year 1901, through funds provided by Mrs T.R.
Armitage. The object of the institution, which is wholly unsectarian
in character, is to educate and train the blind mentally and
physically and in industrial occupations, and at the same time to
improve their moral standard, so that eventually they may become in
great measure, or even completely, self-supporting." (Dr Kenneth
Scott.)
India.
India has a large proportion of blind inhabitants, ranging from one in
600 in some provinces, to one in 400 in others, with a total of more
than half a million. Until recently, little had been done in the way
of organized effort to educate them, though many of the missionaries
had helped individual cases. At Amritsar a large and well-organized
work for the blind has been carried on for many years. This school has
now been moved to Rajpur, and helps 70 blind women and children. In
1903 a government school and hospital were established at Bombay as a
memorial to Queen Victoria. Reading, writing, arithmetic, tailoring,
typewriting, carpentering, lathe-work and carpet-weaving are taught.
There are small schools at Parantij, Calcutta, Palancottah, Calicut,
Coorg, Chota-Nagpur, and at Moulmein in Burma. The memorial to Queen
Victoria in Ceylon took the form of work for the blind. J. Knowles,
with the help of L. Garthwaite of the Indian Civil Service, devised a
scheme of oriental Braille, which has been adopted by the British and
Foreign Bible Society for the production of the Scriptures in Eastern
languages.
China.
Blindness is very prevalent in China, and to eye-diseases, neglect and
dirt, must be added leprosy and smallpox as causes. Blind beggars may
be seen on every highway, clamouring for alms. As in India their
pitiful condition attracted the attention of the missionaries. W.H.
Murray, a Scottish missionary in Peking, made a simple and ingenious
adaptation of the Braille symbols to the complicated system of Chinese
printing, in which over 4000 characters are required. It was necessary
to represent at least 408 sounds, and each one was given a
corresponding Braille number. When a pupil reads the number he knows
instantly the sound for which it stands. A school for the blind was
established at Peking, and the version of the Scriptures printed at
Peking can be read in all the provinces where the Northern Mandarin
dialect is spoken (see Miss Gordon Cumming, _The Inventor of the
Numeral Type for China_). A Braille code has recently been arranged
for Mandarin, based on a system of initials and finals, by Miss
Garland of the China Inland Mission. At Foochow there is a large
school for boys and girls in connexion with the Church Missionary
Society. At Ningpo, Amoy, Canton and Fukien work for the blind is
carried on by the missionaries.
Japan.
The blind in Japan have long been trained in massage, acupuncture and
music, and until recently, with few exceptions, none but the blind
engaged in these occupations. From three to five years are required to
become proficient in massage, but a blind person is then able to
support himself. In Yokohama, with a population of half a million,
there are 1000 men and women engaged in massage, and all but about 100
of these are blind. In 1878 a school for the blind and deaf-mutes was
established in Kyoto, and soon after one in Tokyo. Japan has four
schools for the blind, and seven combined schools for the blind and
deaf-mutes.
Palestine.
As in other Eastern countries, blindness is very prevalent in
Palestine. Ophthalmic hospitals and medical attendance are now
available in the larger towns, and the missionary schools have done
much to inculcate habits of cleanliness, therefore there is a slight
decrease in the number of the blind. The home and school for blind
girls in Jerusalem is the outcome of a day school opened in 1896 by an
American missionary. There is also a small school at Urfa under the
auspices of the American mission in that town.