He contracted the eye disease Keratitis punctata in 1911; this "left [him] practically blind for two to three years" and "ended his early dreams of becoming a doctor".
hiː kəntɹˈæktᵻd ðɪ ˈaɪ dɪzˈiːz kˌɛɹɐtˈaɪɾɪs pʌŋktˈɑːɾə ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd ɪlˈɛvən; ðˈɪs "lˈɛft hˌɪm pɹˈæktɪkli blˈaɪnd fɔːɹ tˈuː tə θɹˈiː jˈɪɹz" ænd "ˈɛndᵻd hɪz ˈɜːli dɹˈiːmz ʌv bᵻkˈʌmɪŋ ɐ dˈɑːktɚ".