Smyrna times. [volume] (Smyrna, Del.) 1854-1987, 1879-10-08
Near Sightedness.


1t is too often thought and said that
near slghtedness IS only an inconvenience
or an annoyance, and that people who |
suhef from 1t in earlier years are compen-
stated by sharper and longer use Of their |
sight. This, however, is only part of the |
truth, for the eyesight once affected in this |
particular direction is not unlikely to 90 |
from bad to worse and to become, sooner !
or later, source of very great anxiety. !
Parents should look carefully after the
eyes OF their children, and competent
ocullsts, physicians who have made the
eye subject OF special study, should be
consulted on the first notice OF any irrpru.
larlty or complaint as to sight, so that in
slant steps may be taken to determine the
nature OF the affection, to ascertain the
remedy, and to adopt it. Much Of the
trouble comes from Overwork, and much of
that overwork is expended to no good.
Parents and teachers are very apt to con
tent themselves with the fact that children
keep quiet and love Of reading is sufli.
cient excuse for allowing the eyes to be
used on any sort of print and in any sort
OF light. All physicians Join in warning
not to allow the eyes to be used for lonr
periods of reading without rest. for the
delicate muscles and organs of sight are
wearied and hurt by being overtaXed lust
as much as any other part of the human
frame, while unfortunately, they have not
the same means of giving warning, and in.
Jurles to the sight are often discovered only
when 1t Is too late to remedy them
Parents should see that no child uses his or
her eyes more than a moderate number of
| hours, say three or four in the day, and
that use should be strickly limited to the
hours OF good daylight, or good, bright
| light at night. Reading merely to kill
! time, reading Of useless books or news
papers, reading in the cars, reading in a
| room dimly lit, or at too great distance
from the light, reading at all for children
who ought to be at play, all of these are
mschlevOus, and now that holiday time
has come at school, parents should busy
themselves by finding other employment
or diversion for their children. CITY BOYS
and girls especially are often taken to the
country for their vacation, with little or no
means of amusement or occupation, and
at seaside resorts or in fashionable water.
| ing-places, the amount of time devoted ia
reading, and that of poor stuff, sensational
novels or worse, is far too great. These are
the times to cultivate a taste for outdoo,
pursuits, boating, fishing, waIking-anC
that with an object-botany, mineralogy
all the kindred natural sciences can be-
best learned by open-air lessons, and gym
nastics, farm work, all these can be easil,
made the principal occupation of The
children who are now at least free from the
pressure OF school work, and ready to fine
new fields for their young energy. Children
can be sent to the park and made to appre
ciate the lessons unfolded there by tn,
great book of nature opened before him.
New sources of health and strength
given to children in these ways also ado
to their resources for future usefulness
Near-sighted people are shut out entirel
) from some employments, as well as from
much of the pleasures Of mature life, an,
among those equally competent in othe
respects, the near-sighted are always at
disadvantage. Engineers, machinists, youn,
women employed in stores, those in nearl
all of the pursuits to which men AM
women look for their means of livelihood
find that near.sightedness is an expensv
luxury, which costs dearly in the end
, Now when we know, on the indisputabl
' evidence of our school authorities, that on
+. schools, because of defective light arrange
> ments and furniture, are largely responsible
+ for the rapid growth of near sightedness,
is incumbent on parents to take ever
means IN their power to save their children
sight. This is the season of all others t
y prevent any abuse of that delightful luxur
e of reading, the privilege of reading withou
+ thinking, to secure the largest measure {
g outdoor life, to contrve new pleasures i
# old sports, to find fresh outlets for ext
r berant spirits and youthful energy, to shar
9 in the pursuits, the amusemonts, and tn
< occupation of the children. The boy an
d the girl, who are taught something of tn
:. fathers business and the mothers in-doC
y work, start out in life with an intelliger
d interest in the pursuit by which they al
a to gain their daily bread. The young gi
t, who learns housekeeping under her mother
is eye, the boy who gets some knowledge
o his fathers trade, the parents who set the
?, wits to work to keep the eyes of the
e children off bad books, are helping to owe
Il come the tendency of our schools to injul
v the eyes, and are diminishing the dangero,
IF growth of ear.sightedness.-P hiladelph
g. LeClqer,