This is a study on the causes of the blindness for 217 blind students in Korea. Blindness in defined as the visual acuity for distance of 0. 1 (20/200) or less in the better eye with best correction.
The causes of blindness in descending order of frequency are as follows:unknown eye diseases (32.3%), congenital diseases (31.3%), infectious diseases(8.8%), meningitis(6.5%), injury & intoxication(6%), refractive errors(6%), febrile diseases(6%), and malnutrition (1. 4 %), etc.
Rate of blindness by site and type of affection is shown as: atrophia bulbi(33.6%), optic nerve diseases(23.1%), cataract (18.9%), corneal diseases(11.4%), glaucoma(10.6%), anophthalmos (7.4%), amblyopia(6. 5%), retinal diseases(2.8%), uveitis(1.0%), high myopia(0. 5%), and other diseases (6.4 0), etc. Comparisons with other statistics on causes of blindness in the inland- and the foreign countries are attempted. Evaluation of, results and problems establishing . a more detailed and nationwide survey in future are briefly discussed in comment.
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