, 1879-03-22
SIGHT AND READING.
How the Injurious Effects Upon the Eyes
May He .Avntdcd.

How tho Injurious Effects Upon the Eyes
May He Avnttcd.
Londoh Timer.
n. Jayel, to recent lecture, tries to answer
the question. Why ts reading specially fatlQu.
Ing exercised and also suggests some remedies
for this fatigue. First, N. Jagcl says rcading
requires M absolutely permanent application Of
the eyesiglt, resulting In 4 permanent tension
Of the organ which may bc measured by thu
amount Of fatigue ur By the production OF per-
manent nyopy; secondly. booxs arc printed III
black oh white ground. The crc ls thus IN
presence Of tho most ahsolutc contrast which
can be imnRfned. Tho third popularity lies In
TIC arrangement Of tho characters In horizontal
lines. over which run our rfes.
II VIC maintain during realIng perfect In.
mobility Of The book and the head, thu printe.!
lines are applied successfully to the same Iarts
Of the rettna, whtla tlls tattrsnaeea, tnot<'
alwaYs tile same. There mlpt result frota' this
n fatigue Analogous to tllit which ne crptrlencc
whcn we make expertEiests III "aecaitntni IN
accs," md phyeieiass ,1ll admit that !lere IL
prolonged eontea'plhtton Of !hesc images
1.aAtiy and 1,ost important ot nl', in n. jayeIs
cs.frlation, Is the continual variation Of the dis
tailcs Of The eye from the lo!nt % tlxatlon on
that tile accommodation uf the oye to ilie page
undtfgocs distinct variation IN proportion IN
tile ere passes from the beginning to the end Of
each tsc. and tlat ths rariation s Al the greater
In proportion 10 tlc llcarness Of tho book to the
eye ami the lellgth ot the llnc.
As to the rules which n. Jave inculcatcs In
or.itr Tint the Injurious ELECTS Of reading ,nay
be arotdedt With reference to tho permanent NO.
plicatton of tie eyes, he co1psets to uyotd ex-
cess. TO take notes In reading, to stop In order
to reflect. Or eyen to roll cigarette: but not to
20 nh reading for hours on end without stop
ping. AS to thc contrast between iii: white If
~ a.,
perltnents have teen Tade tlt the introduction
uf colused paDers. u. Jayef advises the adop-
tion OF a slightly yellow tint. but tlle nAture
Of the yellow to be uael Is not Il matter OF In.
difference; he would desire yellow resulting.
from the absence Of the blue rays, analogous to
tt,at Of paper tna1e from a Wnou PASTE, and
wh.e,' Is often mistakenly corrected by The ws,
dItton uf an NItramaelne blue. which produces
gray, H,nl not white. II. Javet has been led to
this conclusion both from practical observation
and aiso theoretically from thu: relation wticlI
must exist betwecn tho two eyes and the colors
OF the spectrum.
Ills third advice |. to give preference to small
volumes which cal, bc held IN tho tsnL, wlIsl,
obvIatcs .he necessity Of thc boo!; ocimg kcpt
liked In one ptacc, and the IatQuc resulting from
accidental tmaEes. Lastly, u. Jaycl atlslsts tic
avoidance Of too long ltnes nnd, therefore, lie
prefers small volumes, aud ior the sa'nc reasan
thosc 1oursials which arc printed in narroW col
uMns. u course eVGry one kuows that II Is
exceedingly Injurious tu read with insufficient
light, or to read too small print and other CON.
fnNh rules.
lyldlona assertion which has recently been made
h1n ntleiGhbprfnE country y ftferit!nnY Nu dpubt)
according to which The degree Of civilization Of
apcoplc Is proportional to the number OF The
cxtrenIe economy OF light, the abuse Of rcadtng;
10 tie letriMent OF reflection A,1tl thu ol,serya:
t!on OF real facts, tho employment OF Gothic
characters and Of q too broad cs'l.snn for books
frxt .1tAs,