Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1882-09-28
CHOOSING A PAIR OF SPECTACLES.

To many, perhaps to most persons, the no.
tion of having sooner or later to wear specta-
cles is not an altogether agreeable one. The
reason of this dislike (remarks a writer IN
Cassell's Family Magazne) may possibly he
found to certain extent IN considerations OF
personal vanity, but much more, 1t IS TO De
hoped, in not altogether ineXcusable lgnor-
ance of the full value of spectacles as means
both of increasing and preserving VISIONS.
Any one at all acquainted with the structure
of the human eye knows that spectacles are
usually an absolute necessity to all persons
with healthy eyes once they have reached the
age of forty-ive or fifty. Sometimes, indeed,
persons optically old, that is, over tfty-five OF
sixty, have been heard to boast "that they can
read and write just as well as ever, and have
never worn glasses in their lives - and the
suppressed inference is that, therefore, their
ewes must be extraordinarily good, and they
themselves more than usually hale and hearty
for their years. The truth is, however, that
such persons are, and always have been, more
or less short-sghted. If tested for distant
vision their sight would be found considerably
below the average standard, and, in fact, what
they gain in one respect they lose in another.
It cannot, therefore, be too distinctly insisted
upon that the use of glasses is not a sign OF
either failing strength or failing sight,. AS
every individual increases in years, his body
undergoes certain changes. The hair, for IN
stance, turns gray the skin becomes more or less
tlaccid and wrinkled, the muscles waste, "lllle,
in sympathy with these changes the eye, TOO,
undergoes gradual and imperceptlble change
This change amounts, to put 1t III the simplest
way. to a loss of elasticity. The loss OF elias
ticity can, moreover be proved to have Deen IN
progress, so to say, from the moment OF birth,
"a will i,,,,o n IN tho lSt wear OF tlG
longest life The practical result Of this is
that small objects after certain age can no
longer be perceived so clearly and comfortably,
for that is after all a most important point, at
short distances as they used to he. An infant
can probably see distinctly anything held AT
two inches from it's eyes, whereas a man OF
fifty could not look continuously at the same
object if much nearer than eight or ten inches.
1t is to neutralize the effects of this perfectly
healthy physiological change that spectacles
are most frequently required. The condition
of sight induced by the above change is known
as '.presbyopia" or ''old sight" Fortunately,
however, for mankind in general this condi'
ton can very readily be remedied, and vision,
indeed, rendered just as good as ever for all
practical purposes by the use OF proper glasses
In such cases spectacles are source o! tle
greatest comfort. They clear hazy outlines,
Uncy DIlSuItIl uHo phSJ hSoeoAo 'A"H>'
in a moment to what it has been ten or twelve
years before. They are at once a necessity
and a luxury beyond compare Hence, no one
who is not either Unfortunately vain, or some
what lacking in knowledge, will defer thell
use a single day or hour after he feels he re-
quires them.
TIE OFFICE OF REsINOUs MATTERS IN
PLANTs.--It has been difficult to make even a
plausible conjecture of the uses Of the ''prOpel
iuices'' of plants. In their production large
amount of nutritve material is consumed
and for the most part they are stored up irre.
trievably in the plant, not being reconverted
into nutritive material. This gave some color
| to the old idea that they are excrementltlous
But besides that under normal conditions they
are not excreted, why should a pine tree coll
vert such an amount of its assimilated ternary
matters into turpentine, which is merely to Dt
excreted Or, if it be by-product, what
useful production or beneficial end attends tht
productions ? If excrementtious, the tree
should be benefited by drawing it off. But
us De Vries remarks, and as the owners OF thu
trees very we'll know, the process is injurious
and if followed up is destructive. 1t goes al
most without saying nowadays that the tur
pentine is of real good to the tree, else tur
pentine bearing trees would not exist .Dt
Vres has made out real use, whichhe thinks
is the true function of the resiniferous mat
ters in Conifera and in other resin-producins
plants. Resinons JUICE is stored in the tree a
4 balm for rounds. 1t is stored up under ten
sion, so that it is Immediately poured out Owe
an abraded or wounded surface for these
wounds it makes the best of dressing, prompt
ly oxidating as it does into resinous coating
which excludes the air and wet and other inju
1s.,11, ill.,
which instgate decay and so the process o