I have been advised by the chairman of our scientific advisory board, who was one of the pioneers in the use of these hormones in ophthalmology that the Federal Government had appropriated some $2 million for research study in ACTH and cortisone, of which probably less than $50,000 was used for research in the application of these hormones in eye disease, as a consequence of which thousands of eyes have already been saved from blindness. Without this Federal grant it is doubtful that this important scientific study would have gone forward as it had. Thanks to Federal aid, we are now on the road to the successful treatment of certain inflammatory diseases of the eye which have been responsible for about 25 percent of all blindness.

Another manifestation of the power of research are reports reaching us currently that a new lead may disclose the cause of the blindness attacking infants born prematurely. These reports, of course, have to await confirmation before they can be accepted as definite. If it is proven however that the cause of this terrible blinding disease has at last been discovered, it will be another testimonial to the value of organized research since the thousands of dollars which have been expended in searching for the cause of retrolental fibroplasia will be repaid by millions of dollars saved in the rehabilitation of such unfortunate infants.

However, the unsolved problems in the field of eye diseases remain many— cataract, glaucoma, optic atrophy, detachment of the retina, certain corneal opacities, retinitis pigmentosa-are but a few for which cause and adequate treatment are unknown to science. The specialty of ophthalmology is young, and the ground is fertile for pioneering effort. The unexplored areas are awaiting the initiative and genius of our modern scientists. Those who wish to delve into these unknown fields for the benefit of mankind must be encouraged with adequate financial support, facilities, and equipment. It would be unjust and a tragedy unnecessarily perpetrated on countless thousands to deny this support.

The dearth of dollars must not be allowed to stand as a barrier to progress which can mean hope in place of despair, sight instead of blindness.

I repeat, the voluntary agency cannot yet assume this enormous responsibility alone. It can only be met with Federal aid.

Gentlemen, before I conclude and with your permission I should like to be subjective for a few moments. To date I have lost 98 percent of my sight and although I classify myself—and I do this in all modesty-with that group of visually handicapped persons who has been able to make a reasonable adjustment to blindness, carry on a productive life and one in which there is social acceptance. I wish to go on record as saying that there is no substitute for sight nor are there any compensations for the loss of it. I know that I reflect the feeling of the many thousands who, like me, must live in darkness, when I say that there is nothing that anyone so fated, wants more, than the ability to see.

If I had been able to reach you at all in my plea for continuing and more commensurate Federal aid to eye research-aid which can mean that countless people will be spared the tragedy of blindness, perhaps my personal loss will have served a useful purpose.

Thank you for allowing me to be heard today. I appreciate this opportunity and am grateful to you for the privilege.

NATIONAL COUNCIL TO COMBAT BLINDNESS, INC.

Grant-in-aid awards prior to 1953

Institution

Project title

Amount

$6,000

1,700

936

1, 730

5,000

5,000

2, 700

1, 296

1, 600

1,200

1,200 2,500

2,500

1, 500

Boston City Hospital..

Study into electrical responses of retina and brain

in patients with amblyopia ex anopsia and sup

pression. New York Medical College, Flower and Regional light sensitivity of the retina-technique Fifth Avenue Hospitals.

and theory. Northwestern University Medical College - Quantitative measurements of ocular fluorescein

fluorescence in normal and glaucomatous eyes. Nuffield laboratory of Ophthalmology, the Investigation into the normal and abnormal

Eye Hospital, Oxford University, Eng. structures of the vitreous humor by michroland.

chemical and histochemical methods. University of Pennsylvania...

Virus infections of ocular tissues grafted onto the

choricallantoic membrane of the chick mem

brane.
Retina Foundation, Massachusetts Eye Acid mucopolysaccharides in the vitreous body;
and Ear Infirmary.

their role in the composition of the vitreous
body and their relationship to the proteins in

the vitreous gel.
University Hospitals, University of Iowa Electrical responses of retina and brain in patients
(continuation).

with amblyopia ex anopsia and suppression. New York University Post-Graduate Attempts to grow the virus of inclusion conjuncMedical School.

tivitus, follicular conjunctivitus, and folliculo

sis. New York Eye and Ear Infirmary ---- Investigation into the role of focal infection in the

etiology of nonspecific ocular inflammation, University Hospitals, University of Iowa. Investigation into the incidence and basic cause

of cataract, hemorrhages, and degenerative
changes in the retina and optic nerve of alloxan

diabetic animals.
University of California Medical School. Relationship of uveitis to bacterial allergy.
University of Pennsylvania (continuation). Virus infections of ocular tissues grafted onto the

choricallantoic membrane of the chick embryo. Government Hospital, Haifa, Israel. ... Investigation into factors affecting new vessel

growth into the cornea. Indiana University Medical School. Study into the mechanism of development of con

tralateral granulomatous uveitis from the use of

horse serum in rabbits. New York Hospital, Cornell Medical Retinopathy in diabetes..

Center.
New York Medical College, Flower and Regional light sensivity of the retina-technique

Fifth Avenue Hospitals (continuation). and theory.
Retina Foundation, Massachusetts Eye Acid mucopolysaccharides in the vitreous body...

and Ear Infirmary (continuation).
University Hospitals, University of Iowa Electrical responses of retina and brain in patients
(continuation).

with amblyopia ex anopsia and suppression. New York Eye and Ear Infirmary.. The possible role of hyperstrinism in the etiology

of retrolental fibroplasia. Wills Eye Hospital, Philadelphia..... Investigation of the intermediary reactions and

the enzyme systems involved in the anaerobic

glycosis of the lens. New York Medical College, Flower and Detection of plane polarized light by the human Fifth Avenue Hospitals.

eye. Stanford University School of Medicine... Visual characteristics of macular and peripheral

retina in amblyopia associated with convergent

and divergent deviation. University of Louisville School of Medi- Role of estrogenic and androgenic substances on cine.

the retinal vascular pattern in alloxan diabetic

rats. New York Hospital, Cornell Medical Investigations into the efficacy of certain therapies Center.

in the treatment of retinitis pigmentosa and

other night blinding diseases.
Yale University School of Medicine... Study of application of ACTH in primary glau-
New York Hospital, Cornell Medical Study into choroideremia...-

Center.
Yale University School of Medicine..... Treatment of artificial corneal burns with various

750

466

2,500

8,000

2,500

3,750

2,625

2,500

2, 445

2, 125

200

com8.

500

560

Grant-in-aid and fellowship awards for the fiscal year 1953–54

GRANTS-IN-AID

Investigators

Institution

Amount

Project title

Lay explanation

1. Goodwin, M. Breinin, M. D

New York University, Post

Graduate Medical School,
2. Hermann M. Burian, M.D. (continua- Department of Ophthalmol.
tion grant).

ogy, University Hospitals,

Iowa City, Iowa.
3. T. S. Danowski, M. D., and Lawrence University of Pittsburgh,
Greenman, M. D.

School of Medicine.

$1, 620 Neotetrazolium studies in the eye (de- Study of the physiology of the eye to determine under
hydrogenase tracing).

certain abnormal conditions problems relating to

glaucoma, cataracts, and corneal transplantation.
3,000 Continued studies in electroretino- Study of the retinal function by means of electric
graphy.

responses in relation to defective vision in children
with crossed eyes and in certain diseases of the

retina in children and adults.
2, 500 Studies of factors affecting the de- The investigator plans to conduct a study into the
velopment of galactose cataracts. factors which affect the development of a certain

type of cataract by inducing the condition in experi-
mental animals through diets high in galactose.
These studies should help to bring information
about the formation of certain types of cataracts

found in infants and growing children.
1,000 Mensuration of living eye by X-ray | Study into length and size of the human eye. This

and relation of measurements to investigation may provide valuable information
pathologic states.

with regard to myopia and concerning eyeballs
which develop retinal detachment. It may also
provide information which may give assistance in
determining the need for eyeball shortening in

retinal detachment.
3,000 Investigation of the intermediary re- A continued study into the metabolism of the lens to

actions and the enzyme systems further clarify method of lens development and
involved in lens metabolism.

cataract formation.
950 Toxoplasma in domestic animals. Study into a widespread parasitic disease in domestic

animals. This disease called toxoplasmosis can be
transmitted from mother to unborn child. This
study may provide the answer to how parents
acquire this type of infection which can produce
encephalitis as well as destructive processes in volv-

ing the retina.
3,000 Factors affecting new vessel growth, This study is concerned with determining more
particularly in the cornea.

effective techniques in preventing and healing of

scars in the cornea of the eye.
400 A genetic study of the spherophakia, A study concerned with the hereditary factors in
glaucoma, brachydactylysyndrome. certain eye diseases, such as abnormality of the

lens, glaucoma and other congenital abnormalities.
Characterization of the virus of This investigation is being conducted by a famous
Behcet's disease.

Turkish eye specialist and is concerned with a
study of a virus which produces a serious blinding
eye disease in which the major problem is a uveitis
of both eyes. This is a disease which also produces
disturbances of the urinary genital system. This
project may prove to be one of the most important
contributions in virology.

Wills Eye Hospital, Phila

delphia, Pa.
Division of Ophthalmology,

University of Chicago.

7. I. C. Michaelson, M. D. (continua- Government Hospital, tion grant).

Haifa, Israel. 8. J. Wm. Rosenthal, M. D

Tulane University Medical

School 9. Necdet Sezer, M. D.

Cerrahpasa Hospital, Istan

bul, Turkey.

2,000

Grant-in-aid and fellowship awards for the fiscal year 1953-54-Continued

Lay explanation

The CHAIRMAN. We thank you. Dr. Gordon, I feel terribly embarrassed.

Miss WEISENFELD. Dr. Gordon has asked me to include in the record his statement.

The CHAIRMAN. It will be included in the record at this point. (The statement referred to is as follows:)

STATEMENT OF DAN M. GORDON, M. D., NEW YORK

QUALIFICATIONS Graduate of the School of Medicine, University of Michigan, 1932. Diplomate of the American College of Ophthalmology. Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. Fellow of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and Oto-Laryngology. Fellow of Pan-American Ophthalomolɔgical Society. Assistant Professor of Clinical Surgery (Ophthalmology ) Cornell. University Medical College. Assistant, attending staff, New York Hospital. Chairman of the medical board of the National Council to Combat Blindness. Member of the American Medical Association and New York State and New York

County Medical Societies. Fellow of the American Medical Association. Consultant to the Council on Pharmacy, American Medical Association. A pioneer in the introduction of ACTH and cortisone into ophthalmology. Authority on night-blinding diseases. Member of the National Advisory Institute of Neurological Diseases and Blind

ness Council. Author of various ophthalmological articles. Special consultant in ophthalmology to the Surgeon General United States Public

Health Service.

The organization of the average medical school eye department in this country has not been conducive to the conduction of a good eye research program, until recently. Since ophthalmology is primarily a clinical subject, most eye departments are headed by part-time clinicians, who (for the most part) are too busy with their private practices to devote much time to their departments or to research programs. Those who are and were desirous of carrying out intensive research projects on a large scale involving ophthalmologists, chemists, physicists and other allied technical skills were (and are) stymied by lack of funds. Most departments still lack adequate funds with which to carry out their necessary teaching programs; and depend upon part-time men who devote their time free. Postgraduate programs are virtually nonexistent in most medical school eye departments excepting for the training of their own immediate house staffs (interns and residents).

During the last decade or so there has been a gradual change in the organizational policies of many medical schools in the direction of building up the socalled minor specialties (eye, ear, nose and throat, dermatology, neurology, etc.) into major departments.

This has involved the gradual replacement (where funds could be found) of part time heads, etc., by full time men and the addition of other full time men; with the concommitant stimulation of subspecialization within the field of ophthalmology. This latter has meant that many well trained men are now devoting themselves to the study of various problems within the broad field of ophthalmology (such as diseases of one part of the eye, the various diseases involving the eye and the brain together, etc.) Since problems and fields tend to overlap this intense concentration on, what appear to be, very small areas within a broad field has actually meant that as one problem is solved, a key has automatically been furnished which may open the door to the solution of a related problem.

As a matter of fact there has been an awakening consciousness of the fact that the eye is part of the whole body and is involved in the ilnesses of the latter. A good example of this is diabetes, a general disease which is high in the list of causes of blindness. One of your own Members of Congress is blind as a result of diabetes. Another example is that the hormones ACTH and cortisone which were brought out for the relief of arthritis have proved more valuable in the treatment of certain blinding eye diseases. It is to the eternal credit of