Brownlow's Knoxville Whig. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1866-1869, 1868-07-01
The Preservation of the Eyesfght.

Under the above heading George D. Prentice, Of
the louisville Jo,ynal, writes the following;
Those who are suffering from declining eyesght
will thank US for few suggestions whereby they
may improve their vision. We are satisfied that
IL our mOnitiOns shall be needed from youth upward
the present generation will see more clearly at sixty
years Of age than their predecessors did g: thirty.
Our observations are the result of long and pain
ful experience and wish TO rescue those who fol-
low US from the dmnefs Of vision which attends
our declining years.
Il does not appear 70 be known that a reflected
ray OF light, approaching the eyes AZ acute
gle tends 10 contract the pupil and keep it in state
Of tension, which, In time, causes partial paralysis
Of the optic nerve. 1t Is much easier to obvate
this than most people suppose. In the first place,
the desk or table upon which write should never
face window. II IL does, the ray Of light strikes
the book or paper upon which we ere writing and.
thence refrscted strikes directly upon the retina Of
the eye The constrained contraction Of the pupil
may be endured for a short time, and st first no
apparent Inconvenience may be suffered but ere
long sense Of heat in the region Of the eyes, and
watery suffusion from within the eye-lids will ad-
monsh the writer or reader that something is wrong
in bis position.
Next TO a glare Of light coming from The front of
= writer, the light over the right shoulder is most
injurious. Such light refracted, forms an acute
angle, and strikes sharply upon the pupil The pu-
pill OF course accommodates itself 70 the incOnve-
nisnce but at the same time, the cornea will gen
eraly hatten under the pressure, and elongated Wis
ion the sign of decay, will begin 20 assert Its snpre'
macy and 20 admonish the writer or reader that BIO
does not occupy proper position.
The reader or writer should always Contrive to
have the light which be uses reach his book pa
per over the left shoulder Then the FefrsCted rays
at an obtuse angle, strike the eye obhqGely, and
save the pupil from the abnormal contraction which
otherwise would occur If our friends will try the
three positions We have designated, they will at
once become convinced that the last named is the
onIv one which insures safety to the eyesight.
Then, as to artificial light which many OF Us
are compelled to use in the evening. Among the
gas-burDsrs in use in this city there Is only one
which affords any relief TO the eye. We near the
Argand burner. This burner, covered By straight
glass chimney, gives steady light. All the other
burners with which We are acquainted throw out O
volume Of gas which is continually oscilsting This
oscillation makes it painful 20 the eye TO follow the
track Of the pencil OF the pen and confuses the aye
when it attempts TO discern the words in our badly
I printed books. As TO lamps and candles, We sap
pose that no reader writer whose labors sre pro
trected ever uses them. II be does, he soon Dis
covers his mistake and resorts TO gas light The
latter is the best light have but there should be
! enough Of IL, and its rays should be steady. II
lamps however, be used, care should be taken that
the light therefrom should be steady. This can be
accomplished by glass chimney which prevents
the external air from acting upon the name, Oan-
dies are out Of the question. They may 90 90 very
well to carry about the house, but the sitsfhass az
crease and decrease OF the flame oblges the puplio q
the eye alternstey 70 contract and dilste, thus Pr
ducing the most mischievous effects imaginaoie a a
our readers will heed these suggestions We W., NJ
guarantee that their eye-sght shall be better NJ u
wears Of age than II is now among our citizens gen
orally at two-score.