The Establishment of Institutes for the Blind in Italy
Keywords:
Blindness, typhlology, ophthalmologyAbstract
In the second half of the nineteenth century, the newly-unified Italian nation found itself having to face a variety of serious problems in all sectors of human activities. Among the many social and health issues was that of blindness, both in cities and in the countryside. Not only were there large numbers who lost their sight but above all they were without any form of assistance. The situation was exarcebated by the fact that in most cases the afflicted were children (1). The diseases that led to blindness were mainly of an infectious nature, which could already arise during pregnancy but were especially prevalent at the time of childbirth. Moreover, trachoma was at the time in an endemic state across almost the whole country. Thus in this period in Italy - but also throughout Europe - Institutes for the Blind were established, aimed towards assembling abandoned and helpless blind people (2), providing them with accommodation and, as the ultimate goal, ensuring adequate education and instruction in order to give them full autonomy. Thus, typhlology began to develop in scientific relevance and became defined as a science for the study of the problems and conditions of the blind in order to ensure their autonomy and their complete social and cultural integration.
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