Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-10-18
Eyeglasses and the Eyes that Need
Fhen
ECONOMY OF THK EYRsIGHT.

Z This Is chapter for the middle aged, for there
gal and careless as the sense Of sight. Even to
the middle-aged the subject Is apt to be una
tracttve until conviction OF loss and decay
forces 1t upon their attention. Indeed IN the
following directions the writer is only gvin;
the result OF efforts made to counterfeit the Ill
effects OF personal ignorant wasteand thought
| The FIRST thing to be rememb ered ia that after
the eyes require the aid Of glasses, every days
delay Injuries them. Yet prominent opticiau
says that many ladies firmly be ieye all the time
they gain from the reign of glasses is just SO
| much added to sight. sometimes" he added,
e s long that
ians list-a short respite only from years OF
! semi darkness"
| The Time when glasses are required varies ex-
are old ladies' OF sixty with perfect sight; Jnere
are other ladies OF thirty i've or forty whose
eyes imperatlVely demand aid. Not only age.
/ but the peculiar conformation OF the eye, and
| the care that has been taken OF 1t, influence the
| time greatly. Ocultsts also say that blue-gray
| eyes bear the wear OF exLravagant use much
| better than very dark or black ones. However.
| the majority Of ladies between the ages OF forty
| and forty-nve require the aid OF glasses; and
| any one suspects the trouble at the beginning,
and all are somewhat taken by surprise.
| me Symptoms are, however. invariaoe and
! decided; no one can mistake them. There &C.
cur at candle or lamp light 4 N s. or dusky hue
| over what is wished to be seen. OBJECTS far on
| are seen better than those close at hand. There
~,
order to read letter or book, and the b1o,. or
! paper is held farther from the eyes than US Ia.
| small objects If looked at any length Of tine
| grow confused. The eyes, after a little close
application, ache and become so fatlgued that
rest Is necessary: and there is often, on first
! aWaking In the morning, sense or Weakness
from Which the light does not recover for a lit
| tie while.
i When these symptoms occur, 1t is a question
| between caTelessness or vanity and sight. The
| eyes Iced glasses to save them from unnatural
| Efforts and to husband their strength THIS
| point determined remember that not only pres
| ent comfort but POSSIBLY years Of sight depend
| upon the choice of the glasses used. Happ IL
| 20 one is now so ignorant as to take out tie
| glasses OF past generation, though In my own
| youth 1t was fashion common enough-grand-
| mamma's glasses were supposed to be all that
| mamma could require.
| Cho5ce Of GlasSes-Go to an ocuist-the best
| ocust you can command-and ask him to select
| the number OF glass necessary. He VIII give tue
| very lowest power that can be use l: the power
! that will simply restore the sight to what 1t
| was, so that reading or sewing can be accom-
! p.1shed at the same distance as when the e. es
we've perfect. The expense OF SUCH a c0nSuta-
| ton is a great economy. With care It may not
be needed again 70: some years; and ii is well to
remember that ga tool becomes u weapon Ia an
ignorant hand"
| But do Lot expect these glasses, which enable
the eye TO work at the proper distance, to Do OF
| any use In seeing things further away; that
! would be impossible glass cannot change
| Its form, Ike the eye, which, by some mechan-
| I'm imperfectly understood, alters It's conrnr-
nation for every distance Tnose using the
| lower numbers Ct glasses will hardly heed help
| for distant objects, unless 1t be for picture
hung Ia gallery. Or books Oh the upper shelves
OF library: For such occasional efforts glass
| OF greater focal length may be necessary Get
the glasses set In plain blue steei; the dazzle OF
| gold frames is trying and Injurious See that
| tkey are OF pure glass, free from all speck5
rays, or globules, of equal thickness, and OF sltel
| form. The best test OF the purity II the glass
| quite true, hold them obllqueiy over print; if
the glasses are correct. all the letters viii pre-
serve their proper shape In spite OF the oblique
| glass. Or raise the glasses slowly from t:le
| book TO the eyes. and If any OF the letters aD-
pear distorted, the substance is not uniform
very important matter In choosing glasses
is to ascertain whether both eyes are equ1tty
| Uor' and need the same number OF glass In
| equality OF condition is far commoner than IS
generally supposed. Headaches In one tempe
| more frequently than In the other, or peculiar
occupations, may cause this unequal wear Or
| the left eye, like the left hand, lags be nInd,
and does not do Its fair share of work. Then,
| exercise weaker than the right-one Is worn
| out with labor, the other depraved with ease;
| and the latter condition Is generally the worse
| of the Two. This is one thing that can be best
| decided in that necessary interview with a
| skilful ocuiist. But If from any cause the eyes
have worn irregularly, the two compartments
must be fitted with glasses OF different powers
| The right focus found, see that the center of
| the gloss Is directly opposite the center of the
| pupil. We are very particular to have bonnet
| shape that fits the heao, but 1t Is far more i'm.
portant that the frame OF our glasses should f1t
| the face The space between the eyes varies
In almost every individual, aud yet little notice Is
| taken OF this popularity. If the center of the
| glass Is not opposite the center OF the pupil,
| there will be an aching sensation after wearing
| them. An optician tried to persuade ME tina
| this was customary, and would wear away; and
was the victim OF this delusiOn for nearly two
| months before 1 ascertaned the cause Of the
trouble. and Its cure. II a frame can not be
| found to lit accurately, have one made, but on
| no account wear the one that maintains Its po-
| sition by pinching the nose Such frames not
only injuTe the nerves Of the eye, but sometimes
| occasion obstinate frontal headache.
| Pebbles ale dearer than glass, and are gene
| rally supposed TO be better. Certainly they are
| not SO apt to get scratched or broken. AparG
from this advantage, have not discovered in
them any extra ordinary excellence. Some peo-
pie assert that they are cooler. have used indf-
fently both glass and pebbles, and have not been
able to detect any additional comfort In peb-
| hleS. But OF whatever substance the glasses
may be, when once pair has been found that
exactly suit, they are not thing to be lightly
| treated. 1t is well from the very first to get
into the habit OF taking care Of them, lest they
get scratched or broken.
do not think 1t at all necessary to enter into
sIeculations about the value of eyes1ght; those
for whom am writing have discovered that,
many of them alas! little later than they ough5
to have done. But science and experience have
authenticated many things which may help to
| recruit and preserve the amount of vision the
extravaganza OF youth leaves to middle age,
| and these things it may not be aLntSs to have In
such compact form that they can easily be con-
First.-In working at or near a sunny window
sit so as to let the light fall obliquey over the
left shoulder. II the light comes over the right
ole, the shadows and movements of the right
hand will disturb the surface and render I'm
| equal and trying the vision.
| Second.-Neither in the daytime nor evening
! Sit reading or working with the back to the
window or light 1.-THE rays Of light are TOO
| directly reflected" and their MANAGEMENT will
| be very fat1guiug TO weak sight.
! Third-Never hold book or piece OF Sc wing
behind the lamp or light so as to have the .1ne
| glittering right In the face, while the eyes are
necessarily strained looking through the trying
| Illumination.
Fourth.-It is good for the eyes to vary their
occupation; and writing is easier for them at
| mig hit than reading.
FIJth-When occupied On close or fine work,
frequently remove the glasses, and rest tae eyes
| by looking away at long distances.
| Sirtb.-After reading, sewing, or writing sew
| eral hours at stretch, Or after being IN thea
! ter or brilliantly lighted room, bathe the eyes
| well In cold water. Indeed, this cool bath
| should never be neglected after the days
! labor and after the nights sleep
| Seuenth.-Whether reading, sewing, or writ
! ing, always II possible secure an oblaue light;
! at any rate, always avoid a horizontal one.
Eishth-A bedroom having white walls, white
curtains, and that faces the east. 1t is very try
! ing to aging eyes Painful contractlons OF the
| Az in rf no "