Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1859-01-29
LES

As people get old, the eye hattens, and it be-
comes necessary, in order to see clearly, and with.
out an effort, to put the thing looked at, farther
from the eye, or to employ means to make up for
the fattening of the eye hence, the use of specta'
cles. To look at them, they appear to be nothing
more than a fat piece of glass but ON examina
ton, they arc seen to be convex, that is, bulge out
a little and the skill in adapting glasses to the
eye, consists in selecting those that have a cOnvexi.
ty which will just make up for the Aattening of
the eye, and thus place things very nearly in their
natural condition, so that the wearer may see ca.
silly without a strain. To do this systematically,
glasses are numbered nationally by the French, arr
bitrarily and bunglingly by the English and Amer
leans. The first glasses used are called number
ninety-six, that is, ninetyisix inches, or eight feet;
the rays OF light coming through such a glass,
meet in q focus-anG thus cause distinct vision
The next number is eighty four. or seven feet and
this increase is SO slight that some opticians never
make that number, but fall down to eighty, then
seventy two, after which the numbers decrease
slowly, as sixty six, ffty-four, and so on.
But, not to perplex the learner Of speotacles with
any numbers it is sufficient, for general practical
purposes, to be governed by this rule-whenever
you begin to feel yourself reading with the effort of
the eye, do not buy at once a pair of spectacles, but
cease reading or sewing for a moment or two, and
look at some distant object; this rests the eye, and
enables it to return to the page with great ease ;
and the instant there is a consciousness of effort, re-
peat the same process. Doing this judiciously and
the use of spectacles may be deferred for a year or
mara Thpp when Waarinpsl pnnles ut onoa ~
when you find yourself instinctively going towards
a better light to read your favorite paper, or in.
creasing its distance from the eye, or turning il
slightly, so as to get more light on the page, it is
high time for glasses-when you should begin with
the highest number possible, SO that it enables
you to read with ease.
Never tell the optician your age. 1t is none Of
his business. There is as much difference in thu
eyes as in the faces of men-some are ten year,
younger in age than in reality. A man of fit,
may require number twenty-four, while his neigh
Dor Of the same age, can see just as we'll with thir
ty,six. When you lave taken your first number
use it as long ns you can, withour gettirg q lowe
one. But as soon as you perceive an evident strain
a decided effort to see clearly, then get a lowe
number at once, such a number as will enable yo,
to see easily, without the consciousness of strain
ing.
When beginning to.use glasses,u use them as shor
a time as possible, only in deficient light, or on min
ute objects. BY a judicious attention to these tw,
points, the age of the sight will be retarded man,
years. And, as reading is one Of the luxuries O
age, one of its most delightful pastimes and amuse
ments, we cannot be TOO careful of the oversight
and should study how we may best husband it
powers."-HaU's Journa Of Health.