The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1885-03-30
OUR RYESIGHT.
EVIDENCES THAT DISEASES or THE
EYE ARE FAST INCREASING.
Defective Vision In Germany and In Great
Britain - Color Blindness = Long
Sightedness of n Zuiu-Curs
Tor Existing Evils.
Chicago Tinesl

a
lecture On "The influences of Civilization
Upon Eyesight." The result of his observa-
tion was that civilization developed many of
the faculties OF man and caused Others to be-
come impaired Without doubt, high civil
cation was having an injurious effect on the |
organ of sight. There were more diseased |
and defective eyes in highly civilized coun-
tries than in those where the people had not |
mace very wide departure from what has |
been called natural life In Germany. a |
very large proportion of the people of both |
sexes and OF all ages wore spectacles. MANY |
OF the children in school wore them. The |
use OF glasses in Germany was much more
common among the higher classes who lived |
In cities than among the peasants who in |
hablted the rural districts In that country
there was great alarm concerning impaired |
vision, and the government had ordered an |
investigation with view of ascertaining
the causes and recommending remedies.
There We're abundant evidences in Great
Britain that diseases of the eye were increas-
ing very fast. Many volunteers were re-
Jected on account Of defective sight. The
railway companies had been obliged to ex-
anime candidates for managers of trains. to
ascertain if they were color-blind or near
sighted. In the higher schools and colleges
the number of students who were Obliged TO
use glasses was very large and apparently
fast increasing. Even in the primary and
grammar schools a large proportion of the
pupils put on spectacles before they COM
menced to study their lessons. Others were
Obliged to hold their books close to their
| eyes when they read, and to place their faces
within few inches Of their desks when they
were learning to write. Many children
could not engage in certain games and sports
on account of defective vision
The class in Great Britain that had the
best eyes were the foresters and gamekeepers
IN Scotland. Plowmen, shepherds, and
herdsmen also had excellent sight. Sailors
We're generally very long-sighted as well as
| clear-Sighted. Many savages, however, had
much more acute vision than any class to be
found in the British islands The Zulus in
South Africa could identify persons so far
off that Europeans could only discern specks
One Zulu informed a newly arrived mission 4
| airy that he saw an old friend of his and his
wife approaching He also stated that one was
riding and the other walking by the side Of
| the horse. The Englishmen by the use of
| powerful binocular glasses could not identify
the persons. In London and other large
| cities reat proportion Of the people had
| defective or impaired vision Many were
color blind, but a much larger proportion
were short-sightei. Soma were in constant
| danger Of being run over in the streets.
| They could see comparatively few objects
with the naked eye, passed their best friends
without recognizing them, could not read
| street signs and depended on their glasses
| IN, oil a fbaxr
were in rooms.
The lecturer was convinced that location
and occupation exerted a powerful influence
on the condition OF the eye and the acute
ness OF vision The savage OF South Africa
depended on his keenness of sight for protac-
ton against his enemies and for food
for his next meal The inhabitant
of London looked to the police to pro
tect him, and read his paper and
conducted his correspondence by the aid OF
magnifying glasses. Sometimes he would
not leave the city for years, during which
time he would never look upon an object
further off than across the street. His eye.
became impaired for want of proper use.
In making suggestions for the cure of ex
isting evils, the lecturer thought. that much
good could be accomplished by calling at
tention to the Importance of unimpaired
sight. Children should be taught thai
pleasure as well as prosperity depended very
largely on good eyes. They should be en-
couraged to use their eyes in ways thai
would benefit them. Games and sports tina
called for accurate vision should be rendere,
popular. Many athletic sports that wcr,
largely practiced in England had pro
dused a wonderful effect in a few year
il making people strong and vigorous
Life i'll the open air. especially in the coun
= try, was favorable to the development 0
acuteness of vision. Lesson books for Chi
aren should be printed in large clear type
Tie letters given them to copy while Learn
ing to write should be large and plain
Young persons should be encouraged to loo
ut distant objects and prohibited from read
: ing in poorly-lighted apartments. The
should he taught how to use and not abus
their eyes. In cases where the vision is h
coming impaired, an oculist should bs COZ
suited before permanent injury has bee
effected
In the course of the lecture, attention WI
called to very important matter. 1t WI
that involution as we'll as evolution was 9
~ ing on all around us and with US Improv
,p ments in the eye doubtlessly went on undo
es favorable conditions during many centurie
81 The perfect eye, of which we have son
<. specimens, has been evolved. 1t was certn
RS that the process Of involution was now e
ing on in many places and among some
- the best races of the globe Unless mea
ures were taken to prevent it, the time m;
come when certain nations might be cha
acterized by their poorly-developed eye
Impaired vision would, following the LAY
of heredity, be stamped on whole famili
and perhaus on entire communities.