Was Miss Peel trying to blind people in Whisper County?

As a follow-up to my post from yesterday, I remember a moment during Mary's showdown with Rachel where Joshua Bond talks about having problems with his eyes. Peel rambles on about having 'cured him with her special potion', but Joshua says it only served to make his eyes worse and his mother worked to get them better (I think with water).

Was Miss Peel attempting to blind children in Whisper County? Because holy shit, that's messed up if true. I don't even know what to make of that scene.