The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1881-07-30
Our Oliu.
The Curse Of Poor Printing.

only few persons are thus amlcted, out
the truth is that large portion of every
community is more or less troubled with
imperfect vision. Myopy among school
children and attendants at higher institu
tions of learning in this and other coun-
tries has been thoroughly investigated by
Prof. Hermann Cohn and number of
other eminent oculists, who have examined
in ali more than forty thousand scholars.
The facts they have gathered deserve the
most serious consideration.
The general conclusions arrived at by
all the Investigators have been formulated
by Prof Cohn, as follows 81. Short
sightedness hardly exists in the village
schools-the number of cases increases
steadily with the increasing demands which
the schools make upon the eyes and reaches
the highest point in the gymnasia. ,.
The number of short-sighted scholars rises
regularly from the lowest to the highest
classes in all institutions. 3. The average
degree of myopy increases from class to
class-that is, the shOrt-sighted become
more So 1t was found that in the vii
lage schools scarcely Que per cent, in the
elementary schools five to eleven per cent,
in the girls schools ten to twenty-four per
cent, in the real schools twenty to forty
per cent, and 10 the gymnasia between
thirty aud fifty five per cent of the pupils
are myopie. Ia the prima Of several Ger
man gymnasia more than sixty per cent
OF the students arc myopic, at Erlauger
eighty per cent, and al Heidelburg not less
than one hundred per cent. Examination
OF university students has so far been made
only at Breslau and Tubingen, where, in
1867. Prot. Cohu found that fity-three
per cent among the Catholic theologucs
we're short sighted, fifty-four per cent Of
the law students, 6fty,six per cent Of the
medical students, sixty per cent OF
the evangelical theologues, and sixty-eighS
per cent Of the students Of philosophy.
Some nationalities are much more troubled
by the affection than Others For in
stance, in New York tweuty-seven per
cent, aud IN Boston twenty. per cent
Of the pupils in the gymnasia were found
10 be myopic, while at Tiais thirty per
eeat of the Russians, ,hirty-eight per cent
Of the Armenians, and forty.6ve per cent
Of the Georsians we're near-sighted.
Prof Cohn cites among the principal
causes Of mycpy, badly constructed schools
benches, bad writing, and bad type. The
latter evil he says deserves especial atien-
siou. and for remedyiug il be makes some
valuable suggestions, Of which the follow
ing are the mos, important
The most impoTian, point IS the size Of
the letters. We cannot determine this by
the measurement, Of the en-, as the prinieTs
Do. for that regards the shank Of the type,
Of whieh readcrs knoS nothing; but it
mus, be Judged by a special measurement
Of the visible letter. | have adopted as
the standard Of measurement the letter q,
that being the most regular aud symmet-
rleal to shape in both the Roman aud
German aiph2bess have found that the
In pearl type Is about three ous-hundredths
Of aa inch high, 10 nonpareil about one
twenty 9Th Of au inch, 10 BREWER about
one.tweniieth Of an inch, in loag primer
one seventeenth inch, aud in plea one.
fourteenth inch We have hitherto had
DO dohnits rule concerning the smallest
sizs Of letters which should bo permitted
for the sake Of ,hc eyes The distance at
which letter Of any particular size can
ts ssea docs no. afford guide TO Il, for Il
docs bot correspond at all With the distance
At which matter printed in the same type
can be read steadily at the usual distance
in reading believe that letters which
are less than millime,er aud i bali tOne-
seventeenth inehl Lish viii finally prove
luxurious 10 the eye How liItle attention
has hitherto been paid to this important
subject Is cxemplihed in the fact that even
oculistic journals and books frequently
contain noanreil, OF letters only q MILL
meter one twenty afth ineh) high Many
Of the text books required by the school
authorities are badly printed. The officers
should 90 through every school book with
q millimeter rule in their hands, and throw
out al in which the letters are less than a
millimeser and half high, aud should give
The preference to those establishments
which DO not use letters Of less than two
millime,ers (one.thirteenth inchl The
distance between the lines Is an important
factor in respect to eass iu reading As
is well known, the eompositors often insert
thin leads between the lines so that the
letters which project above the average
height aud those that fall below the line
shall not touch. Every one knows that
legibility improved by contrast; the
darker the print and the clearer the paper,
80 much easier is the reading. When the
lines are close together, or the matter Is
printed "solid," the eyes become tired
sooner, because the contrast IS lessened
The lines tend to run together, and the
effort 10 separate them strains the eyes.
In fine editions the lines are widely sepa,
rated. | consider book well loaded in
which the interlinear space, measured by
the shorter letters, amounts to three milli-
meters lone eighth inch. The lines will
really seem to be closer, for the projec-
tions Of the longer letters will encroach
upon the interlinear space; and cases may
occur, where those letters predominate, in
which the space may seem to be only one
millimeter. The narrowest interval that
should be permitted is, in my opinion, two
and half millimeters lone tenth inch. }
la view Of the formidable statistics We
have given in regard to the prevalence of
short-sighiedness, it is evident, says the
Paper Worki, shat everything which will
tend to lessen the evil should be under
taken without delay. Neglect 10 this mat
ter will result in everybody's wearing
glasses, and in seriously impeding the per-
formance Of all the world work, especially
those branches that particularly require
the exercise of good eyesight In the
matter of printing, especially, reform is
called for. There is no reason why small
type, or type arranged in lines having in
adequate space between them, should be
tolerated, and the public should stoutly
refuse to eountenance the use any school
books or patronize papers and periodicals
that are printed without regard to the best
interests of the students or readers eyes.
Tommy, my son, what are you going
to do with that club?" "Send it TO the
editor, of course" "But what are you
going to send it to the editor for" "Cause
he says if anybody will send him club
he will send them copy of his paper.
The mother came near fainting, but recov-
arad barSalf sufficient In ask. URut Tom