Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1877-10-31
The Hygiene of the Eyes.

The following hygienic rules are
condensed from eminent French and
English authorities: For the worker
the light should come a. much as Dos
sible from the left side, that is to say.
from the side towards which one turns
in working. Daylight is the best: but
direct sunlight and that reflected from
mirrors should be avoided. The aspect
should be northern. and the light
should come little from above. White
walls should be avoided: highly var
nished tables, and, in wOrkhops, shin
ing articles like silk, should be protected
from the suns rays. Artificial light i
always bad, on account of the heat and
the eNhalation of carbonic acid. The
best Is that of lamps fed with vegetable
oil (much used in France, but seldom
in this country and furnished with
glass shade. Gas is bad, because of its
heat, brillianey and mobility the light
of mineral oils is to hot; that of candles
insufficient and flickering. The eve of
the workman should avoid the light
coming To him directly or diffuSe,I
through the room. Working i'm
mediately after meals is Objectionable:
also uninterrupted use of the eyes for
long periods of time. One should write
on an inclined plane, and not keep the
head bent down more than is absolutely
necessary. Reading i'm bed is bad every
way. some good authorities commend
washing the eyes with cold water. bur
the majority of the best OphthalmoIo-
gistS advice the Use of hot water for the
less serious affections of the eve. For
tired eyes, we believe, from our own
experience, that water a. hot a. can be-
borne is refreshing and beneficial. Ii
the eyes are fatigued by bad artificial
illumination, blue or slightly smoked
glasses will be useful, aud in order To
avoid the lateral rays they should be-
large and round. Ii the irritation of
the eyes persists, all work must be
abandoned, and an examination made
to see if there is any disturbance of
ANAAeANtA'Air VI ppNNA VI
or of the mobility of the eyes. Pres
byOpia, or so called "far-SightedneSS. :"
supervenes earlier with those who are
constantly at work than with other
individuals, and a soon ar it does con-
veX glasses should be at once resorted
to, without which the muscle of accom-
modatiOn would be fatigued to no pur-
pose. At first they should be used for
working in the evening. after the
fatigue of the day; but a long-sighted
person should only Use spectacleS for
looking at near objects, not at far ones.
Work requiring close application favorS
the development of myopia, or ''near-
sightedness, precisely in proportion
as the conditions of illumination are
bad. Ii the action of those causes con-
tinues, the myOpia will increase until
vision i lost. y slight degree of my
Opia may be favorable to close work.
but, as a general rule, work requiring
close application, by the arrangement
of circulation that it inevitably induces
in the eye, is much more injurious To
the myopic, and is the great cause OF
the development of myopia and it, COM
plications. Young people should be-
examined, and if they are myopic. him
dered from undertaking tedious studies
and all professions demanding close
application oft eye.-ToarRd{ Of Cheia-
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