Our Ancestors: Eye Health & Vision Loss

In Jun I spent 24 scary hours in the Emergency Room: blurred vision, disappearing objects and flickering letters, unexplainable large Rorschach spots, white and brown, that moved around on backgrounds like a jumping Keepler Elf, and my glasses were not working for my right eye. My glasses are always filthy so I cleaned, but no improvement.

Finally, I had to involve Primary Care and Optometrist. “Go directly to the Emergency Room. They will be waiting for you.” I was not in distress, but the wait in the ER lobby, the one that was 3 hours long in spite of my ER VIP reservation, allowed too much google and chatgpt time.

Was it stroke, blood clot, brain tumor, vision, multiple sclerosis…?

ER brought on teams from ER optical and neurological teams, echo cardio groups, eye doctors, and lots of machines!  I was wheeled from one testing area to another. Everyone ruled out their area; but they all settled on VISION. ER eye doctors and 4 tests later could not determine the cause in ER.

 A follow up exam after ER discharge was 24 hours later with a Retina Specialist. He had a “special machine” and diagnosed the blurred eye and change in vision with dancing letters and objects as a Macular Hole.

 

Figure 1 The Jackson Sun, 2005

 Family history has macular degeneration, but I’ve never heard of macular holes.  “They are not the same,” he explained. He went on to explain there is surgery with a 60% success rate (if you count the operations on the 20-year-old football player or an even younger automobile accident trauma sufferer). That leaves about 40% success rate in my age group when caused by “aging.” Yes “aging” was his explanation. I woke up one day and I had aged to blurred vision by way of a macular hole.”

Then, I learned, surgery may or may not improve the macular hole. Again, it only had about a 40-60% success rate, BUT within 12-18 months of surgery I should know there was a 100% chance (guarantee) of cataract in that eye. I think this is called the life-time eye surgery plan. If I do nothing, or if I have surgery, I may not lose peripheral vision, but the central vision is not expected to get any better than today.

Time to Turn to the Ancestors. 
Macular holes are caused by aging. If it’s ageing the ancestors should already have the answers! Plus, as family historians and researchers know, at least four (4) helpful Federal censuses noted Blindness: 1840, 1880, and 1910. I’ve included samples of these later.

 I know the term macular hole wasn’t used in these early census records even though it was first described by Dr. Knapp in 1869. He gave his diagnosis to a patient who sustained blunt trauma to the eye. But, the term “macular hole” was a 1991 word. In the early census records what was noted was “partial blindness,” “blindness,” and the cause.

Figure 2 Disabilities, Blind, 1880 Federal Census

 Of course, sometimes, it was just noted as “hereditary:”

Figure 3 1880 for Jane Green, Irish Woman, Guernsey, OH

 4 Tips: Our Ancestors’ Practices for Eye Health and Vision Loss

 San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco, California · Sunday, November 22, 1885

 Our ancestors did not have access to Retinal Specialists or advanced procedures. Earlier generations relied on prevention, nature-based remedies, and deep-rooted traditional medicine to protect and sustain their vision.

      

1. Eyeglasses. Then again, they may have just needed eyeglasses. (1896).

Figure 4 The Muskegon (MI) Chronicle, 28 Sep 1896

2.     Mindset. One of the most significant differences between ancestral and modern approaches to eye health is mindset. Vision loss, particularly with age, was accepted as part of the natural life cycle, not necessarily something to "fix" but to support. In many cultures, elders with fading sight transitioned into roles that relied more on wisdom and memory: storytelling, teaching, and spiritual advising. They adapted. They survived.

Figure 5 Blind Women Club The Pittsburgh Press, 21 Mar 1929

Of course, there has always been the opposition to assisting others.

Figure 6 The Lima News

3.   Group Homes and Clubs. There were even blind women progressive groups. This 1929 Blind Women Club members, considered themselves as radical as escaped slaves carried by the underground railroad for safety. They even used the term “conductors” when referring to the people who helped them stay safe while crossing over dangerous streets to and from the Club House. For example, the foot traffic police officers, newspaper stand vendors, etc. who took charge of their “safety” to cross the more dangerous streets.

 

Figure 7 The Pittsburgh Press, 21 Mar 1929

(Okay, they lost perspective, but their point is understood.)

 4.      Tonics and Eye Water. While our ancestors lacked surgeries and pharmaceuticals, they compensated with attentiveness, consistency, and reverence for the body's natural systems. Where we have eyedrops, they had eye tonics.

 Did the tonics work? There were probably no proven scientific studies. Today, we can integrate their wisdom with modern care by embracing prevention. In doing so, we don’t just care for our eyes, we reconnect with a legacy of their healing methods that is still very much alive.

 The Blind Censuses

Although the early census, as early as 1830 had questions about blindness, some provide us with additional information. These early censuses held separate accounts of the “colored people,” Check out 1830-1840 below.

 1830 Census

Figure 8 1830 Federal Census

1840 Census

 

Figure 9 Total for County, Rutherford, NC

 These censuses were used for citizenry analysis and tax appropriations but were not as useful for individual family analysis.

 1850 Census

 

Figure 10 1850 Census

 1880 Census

The 1880 Federal Census, Column 16 allowed the census taker to place a tick on Blind, as done below for Maier Martin prior to analyzing the associated Questionnaire Supplemental Schedule.

 

Figure 11 Maier Martin Blind, Column 16

 The object of the 1880 Supplemental Schedule was to furnish material not only for a complete enumeration of the blind, but for an account of their condition. It was important that every inquiry regarding each case be answered. “Enumerators will, therefore, after making the proper entries upon the Population Schedule (No. 1), transfer the name (with Schedule page and number) of every blind person found, from Schedule No. 1 to this Special Schedule, in order to ask the additional questions indicated below.”

 “In this enumeration will be included not only the totally blind, but also the semi-blind. No person will be carried on this Schedule, however, who can see sufficiently well to read. For the distinction between the totally blind and the semi-blind see Note E; it is of the greatest importance to note this distinction with care, by making the proper entry in columns 10 or 11.”

 

Figure 12 Instructions for 1880

The Maier’s 1880 Defective Dependent Schedule, above example, was not completed properly, which seems to be common for African Americans' enumerations, but here is an example of a correctly completed schedule with useful or requested information:

Figure 13 Example for 1880 results for blind

In some cases, eye infections caused various inflammatory conditions in both eyes. Whooping cough is an example:

 

 In the example below, multiple family members, like the Morris family below, may have been named due to an infectious disease like tuberculosis.

Figure 14 U.S., 1880 Brown County, KS, Supplemental Schedule for Blind

In 1880 Brown County Kansas, like across the country, scrofula tuberculosis [aka consumption] was often the cause of blindness. “Scrofula is a form of tuberculosis affecting lymph nodes, primarily in the neck.

 1910 Census

Instructions:

If noted as blind, then there was further instruction under Education:

P.S. Today I got a second opinion. This ophthalmologist, retinal specialists was more to my liking. Plus, he provided me with the full scope of the macular hole diagnosis, and options. 

Of course, listening to the ancestors got me here! I am now at peace.