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The Jacobin Magazine's "Letters" section features diverse perspectives on current issues. One reader praises the magazine's timely coverage of Trumpism and hopes for a politics driven by morals and justice. Another reader critiques the connection between automobility and fascism, highlighting the inherent violence in the automobile industry. The section invites readers to share their thoughts and engage with the publication. [Extracted from the article]

INTRODUCTION In a recent paper,1 the authors reported the observation and study of an unusual ocular response to eye muscle surgery in some children, characterized by itchiness of the eye, chemosis and hyperemia of the conjunctiva, and edema of the eyelids. This response was classified as immediate if seen within 24-48 hours after operation and delayed if manifest after approximately 1 week. Originally, we had not been able to associate this response with the type of procedure, extent of the surgery, or the local administration of ophthalmic medication, or to ascribe it specifically to the presence of a foreign body. In the absence of evidence to suggest a causative role for any of these factors, the possibility of an allergic reaction to catgut was considered. A piece of the plain catgut suture used for the extraocular muscles was buried intradermally in the forearm of 219 patients at the time

In our experience, the treatment of congenital cataract has not been satisfying. That this feeling is not unique with us is borne out in a number of excellent publications during the past several years. The authors of these almost uniformly point out the difficulties and complications in such treatment and urge conservatism.It is our purpose in this paper to outline a conservative approach to the management of congenital cataract and to document the suggested management by citing appropriate I. REFERENCES TO THE LITERATURE Some review of the literature is illuminating. Falls,1 in reporting 233 eyes operated on, noted that only 35.5% obtained a vision of 6/12 or better, while 25.6% had a vision of 6/60 or less and at least 6.4% were blind. He noted that other ocular and systemic defects are often associated with congenital cataract, and such association makes the prognosis for successful treatment very guarded.

Myopia has been variously designated "simple," "physiologic," "pathologic," "progressive," "benign," "malignant," "degenerative," "congenital," and "acquired." These terms are not mutually exclusive and some of them have been used interchangeably by various clinicians and authors. By "congenital myopia" we mean any degree of myopia demonstrated at birth, or any significant degree of myopia found to be present before the age of 6 years. Our experience has convinced us that infantile myopia does not get worse during the preschool years, so any myopia found to be present before the school age is presumed to have been present since birth.Congenital myopia is an important entity in the practice of ophthalmology in the young. It is much less common than acquired myopia,1 but it is often grouped with it and consequently the peculiar aspects of congenital myopia are often overlooked. It is our feeling that several points in the clinical evaluation and

INTRODUCTION For several years we have recognized an unusual eye reaction in some children after eye muscle surgery. The reaction appears unexpectedly, most often about one week after the operation. It is characterized by discomfort and itchiness of the eye, chemosis and hyperemia of the conjunctiva, and edema of the eyelids. The symptoms usually subside in 12 to 48 hours. At times the eye signs appear within 24 hours after operation. In these cases the reaction frequently is more intense and may persist for a week if untreated.We have been unable to relate the reaction to infection, to the amount or type of operation, or to the use of local eye medication.To study the possibility that the eye reaction was due to an unusual response to catgut, simultaneous observations were made of eye reaction and the cutaneous response to catgut inserted at the time of operation in 219

The article features the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) of a rural community located between Richmond, Charlottesville, and Roanoke, Virginia. Chartered in 1992, the 18-year-old Southside Virginia Family YMCA have moved several times until May 2008, and have developed the charm of a small town, but still close to the amenities of a bigger city. The association has 5,500 members with a 21 per cent penetration and a 1.4 million U.S. dollars budget.