The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1877-03-29
When and How to Use Spectacles.

When and How to Use, Spectacles.
But in general it happens that people
do mot know precisely the time when
spectacles become necessary. Many per
sons imagine there is certain period of
the human life when eyeglasses are re-
quired, which has given rise to that per-
naicious plan of many self-styled opticians
totprepare spectacles for every age, which
they, of course, dispose of to the ignorant
and inexperienced. As soon as a man
of fifty years of age, for example, has
through any circumstances forced his
sight for few days, he begins to imagine
he must have spectacles. These he OBJ
tains, asking for and trying to obtain the
best for his particular age; and after a
short time he probably arrives atthe con-
clusion that he can see better without
them. The fact is that some men of sew
enty, or even eighty years of age, enjoy
their eyesight as we'll as at any period OF
their lives, while their children and per-
haps grandchildren cannot do without
eyeglasses. The time when this benei-
cent and blessed invention of the great
Roger Bacon-of the so-called 'dark
ages"-is needed, depends not only on
the special conformation of the organ,
but on the care that has been taken of it
the proper use, or the abuse-the neglect
of nice attentions in washing, etc., or the
misfortune of compulsory work too many
hours, over very minute or shining arti-
cles, and with injurious lights. The sim
plest rules of ascertaining the need of
eyeglasses are, first, to note if you are
obliged to remove small print or small
objects further than usual from your eyes
in order to see them distinctly; secondly,
if you find yourself involuntarily moving
nearer to the light than usual with you
in order to read a letter or book; thirdly,
if very small objects appear confused
after you have looked at them for any
length of time; fourthly, if the eyes,
after little close attention to anything,
become so fatigued that you are obliged
to turn aside to give them relaxation /;
and, lastly, if the sight on first awaken
ing is very weak, and does not recover its
customary degree of force until some time
after. AS for the choice of eyeglasses,
here are few general rules to begin
with: In the first place, good glasses
ought never to magnify the objects very
much, but merely to show them to us
clear, simple and exactly such as they
are. Even in the exceptional cases,
where rather strong magnihers are need
ed, the proof when they are too strong
will be when you are obliged to bring the
object much closer to the eye than a
sound sight requires-in brief, every per-
son ought, generally speaking, to be able
to read conveniently with his spectacles
at the same distance he was accustomed
to when his visual powers were perfect.
All eyeglasses should be formed of pure
glass. There should be no specks, rays,
globules, or other imperfections. Mr..
White Cooper says, "There is a common
prejudice in favor of pebbles, and they
certainly possess two advantageous quali-
ties-extreme hardness, rendering it diff.
cult to scratch or break them ; and clear.
ness, never becoming dull from moisture. "
Surely these are important advantages,
and they are also considered to be cooler
than other glasses. The only thing
against them is, they cost so very much
more than all other glasses. But good
and true glasses should be in all their
parts of an equal thickness, in proportion
to their convexity, as we'll as of an equal
form. Another test of true eyeglasses is
by holding them obliquely over print, all
of the letters of which will preserve their
true character if the glasses are correct.
1t must never be forgotten thatthe frame
in which eyeglasses are set must be ex-
actly suited to the wearer, because the
breadth or narrowness of the upper part
of the nose-in fact the space between
the two eyes-differs so much with differ
ent people that the centres of the glasses
and the centres of the eyes are sure not
to agree unless properly adjusted. For
this reason, if there were no other rea-
sons, it is best to have spectacles made
expressly for you by qualified optician.
With the venders of cheap spectacles ITO
suit all sights" this is never considered,
because the wholesale manufacturer
makes them to common standard to
suit all noses, and not the nose of any
particular fellow" Frames that main
tain their position by pinching the nose
should not be used.-FIazer's Magazine.