Cataract Cure

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B e t t e r E y e s i g h t

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Cataract Cure
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By Herbert Parrish
Rector of Christ Church, New Brunswick, N. J.
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An aged member of my congregation, nearly eighty, who had been
accustomed to read the Bible every day of her life, and who could also
read the newspaper and thread needles and sew, suddenly lost her sight
early in February. She became increasingly blind and by the end of
March was unable to do any reading whatever or to sew. Since there
was little else she could do, life seemed to have gone out for her,
into darkness, and she was greatly distressed.
In April her daughter took her to one of the best eye specialists
in this vicinity who made an examination of her eyes, said that
nothing could be done at that time, charged her five dollars for the
examination, and handed the daughter a slip of paper as she left the
office. The daughter supposed that the paper was a receipt for the
five dollars, but on reaching home and opening the paper she found
that it contained a single word, "Cataract." The Doctor evidently
hesitated to distress the old lady by telling her directly what was
the matter. She had gone blind from cataracts.
Shortly after I visited the old lady at her home in order to
administer the Sacrament. After the service I told her about the
methods Dr. Bates used to cure cataract and I suggested that she
should try palming her eyes three times a day and swinging. This she
did very faithfully and before the end of the month she became able to
read the larger print of the newspapers. Gradually she regained her
sight and in the course of a month or two was able to resume her
practice of reading the Bible daily and the ordinary print of the
newspaper. She also was able again to thread needles and to sew.
She continues the palming and swinging. Her eyes have cleared up
and are bright.

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