The Portland daily press., 1874-05-12
Tamperins with the EYES.

Under this head the New York Times saws:
Who has ever travelled to any extent
through the States without encourteripg the
plausible "lraUd" in the velvet suit, long wig,
and dscolored face? This individual, not
withstahlding that bis appearance might be
expected to occasion doubt as 10 bis ability
and tru, ,tworthiness, finds fifty, aye, lun-
dred patients for the one that would be Sc
cured by a reputable physician. As 1t is with
quack doctors, so ii is with quack oculists.
They likewise find dupes by the tn, usard II
vulgar rogue, who knows as much about
the human eye as ne does about the oecu-
pants of the moon, supplies himself with a
good stock OF spectacles and contrivances for
improving the sight," he can 90 through
the country and realize a handsome profit.
The men and women who are near-sighied
and fa.-sighted can be met with in profitable
humbers in every State, and il only requires
an oily tongue to persuade them 10 expert
ment with almost any kind OF apI lance, Low
ever dangerous or absurd. The records Of
,phthamic hospitals and blind asl lums show
hundreds OF cases of persons who have be-
come partly or totally blind through quackery.
Considering the delicate structure of the eye,
and the consequences sure to follow its I'M
proper treatment, 1t seems incredible that so
many should be found willing to accept the ad-
vice and rigidly follow the instructions OF char
atans. Among the appliances for improving
| demned by ophthalmic surgeons are the So
called ''eye-cups." An Albany oculst. in an
article published some time since, pointed
| out few of the results produced by their use
and now we find in the letter of Hartford
surgeon an account of case that has Just
| come under his observation. The patient
had been induced to try the ''cups" for far
sishtedness. After a few applics .ions' she
had slight pain in the affected eye, followed
by partial blindness, which gradually increas-
ei until vision was completely destroyed"
rhe surgeon further tells us that on ex3min-
ing the el referred to with the ophthalno-
scope, he found shat there had been a COM
pleie separation of the nervous STRUCTURE of
the ball from its contiguous part, presenting
the appearance of having been peeled off,
Boston ophthaImic surgeon, of high rep
utaton, in recently-published work has
given some hints concerning eye affections
which, in the present rage tor quack reme-
dies, cannot be too widely known. he as
sures us that the far-sightedness of old eyes,
instead of being due to tbe flattening of the
cornea or front Of the eyebal, is the result of
gradual hardening and consequent loss of
elasticity OF the crystalline lens. In relation
10 favorite quack system OF treatment he
says:
1t is amischlevous error to suppose that the
.orm of elastic globe filed with fluid or
semi-huid substances can be changed, except
for the moment, by pressing upon Vt with tue
fingers, as has been recommended by cbarla-
tans. Also the theory that the eye can have
its form favorably modified by rubbing it
always in one direction, or by any other ma
nipulation has no founoation in facts. But
while persistent squeezing according to these
methods can never do any good ii involves
great risks. 1t may lead to congestion and
hemorrbage within the eyes, or give rise to de-
structive inflammation. or the formation of
cataract by dislocating the crystalline lens, or
cause almost immediate loss of sight by a sep
aration of the retiDa, nervous distribution,
from the neishboriDg parts"
II is to be hoped that warnings like these
will not be lightly passed over. There should
be limit to the operations OF quacks, and it
certainly cannot be set too far away from the
eve.