Elizabeth-Town gazette. [volume] (Elizabeth-Town, N.J.) 1818-1821, 1820-03-21
Edinburgh, Oct. y, 1910.
From the National Intelligeneer.
ON EYE SIGHT.

From the National Inteiiigeneer.
ON EYE SIGHT.
Extract off letter from, d physician to a
gentleman in Washington.
NY DEAR. FRIEND:
lament to be apPrised, by your letter.
that your eye-sight is falling. / sympa-
thize With you sincerely, having experien-
ced the same infrmity.
In the use Of spectacles. which. / feel.
you will have 10 resort 10. injury will be
done to the eyes, unless judicio,isly cho
sen. A friend has furnished me with an
old newspaper, from which have extract
ed The following, which, hope, may CON
tain hints useful to you:
/" To the editor of the Monthly Magasinc.
Sir:-The late Mr.. Baldwin, of Pres
cot, in this county, well known for his
Rrial excursion from Chester, used gen
orally, when walking or going 90 bis or
binary business, TO wear concave specta-
Giles, which he always removed when he
read, wrote, or did any thing which requi-
red distinct vision. The reason he as
signed for custom SO singular, appeared
to me SO ingenious and we'll founded, that
] often urged him TO publish the discovery,
which, believe, he intended to have
done; but as do not recoilect to have
seen il 10 any periodical work. and con
ceive that the idea deserves serious atten.
ton, shall endeavor to communicate it in
as concise manner as possible.
"It is we'll known that the eye grows
Halter as person advances 10 life; in
consequence of which, the focus falls past
the retina, and produces confused vision.
To remedy the evil, convex glasses are
applied, which, by convergius the rays.
throw the image more directly on the re-
tina. Mr.. Baldwin's sight was naturally
weak, and he had formerly, like other per
sons in similar situation, worn convex
glass till it occurred 10 him. that, if he &C
cushioned himself to the use of concave
glasses, the flatness of the eyes would be
gradually counteracted. Ga making the
experiment, he found that il answered his
Expectations so fully that he was soon en-
abled to see very well with glasses Of a
slight concavity, and, on removing them
could read the smallest print, or mend q
pen, with great ease. | repeated the ex
pertinent, and am fully convinced that very
beneficial effects may be derived from the
habit. began with No. |, add after
wards with No. 2, through which, 10 Z
short time, could see very well, and al
ways found my sight evidently refreshed
and strengthened Many facts, which
daily present themselves, render Mr.,
Baldwin's theory very probable. Short
or long sight, though often natural defects
10 the form of the eye itself, may be ma.
terially aggravated by habit; thus watch,
makers, engravers. sc. who work with the
eye near the bench, proof-readers, and fe
males who sew very fine work, generally
acquire short sight; and OH the contrary
those whose usual employment precludes
the possibility of having the eye near the
usual object of contemplation, become long
sighted.
SIT seems very evident that Mr.. Bald,
wins idea is just, for the following rea-
sons:
"When glass of slight concavity is
first applied to person Of long sight, or to
one who has been accustomed to wear con-
vex glasses, the eye, which possesses the
wonderful property Of adapting itself to
various distances, and an infinite variety
of circumstances, instantly braces up, and
by its effort TO see clearly, becomes more
convex; and, by persevering 10 the use Of
those glasses, the muscles of this organ