McCook weekly tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 188?-1886, 1885-01-29
EYES FOR THE BLIND.
An Old Opticians Chat About Spectacles and
Those Who Use Them.

A man who makes a good living,
and perhaps some wealth, in aiding
people to read should contribute some
thing for them to read. Thus reason
ing, q Tribune reporter entered the
store OF prominent optician in Broad
way for some information about spec
tacles and eyeglasses.
81 hardly know where to begin an
swering your long list of questions,
said the optician. s.Spectacles have
to be worn by some children of years
and by persons in all ages. 1t is diff
cult to state when sight is likely to
fail, for sickness, accidents, certain
professions, excessive or careless read
ing, and the natural decay of strength
all tend to one result. By careless
reading l mean reading in unsteady or
dim light. Reading while travelling,
especially in fast trains, is tempting
pastime, but it sadly strains the best
OF eyes. A man should not, as hab-
1t, smoke and read at the same time.
The blur of the smoke imposes unequal
work upon the two eyes. One should
not raise his eyes suddenly toward
strong or vivid light after intently
pouring over printed matter. The
shock is severe. A number of trades
and duties wear heavily upon the eyes.
Engravers, jewelers., watchmakers,
proof-readers, compositors, and per-
sons who have to handle shining metals
all suffer in some degree from poor
sight. The sewing-machine has proved
a great saving for women's eyes. In
former times constant sewing with the
ordinary needle upon white fabrics or
narrow-striped goods of any color
had a damaging and sometimes blind
ing effect.
''Yes, I've heard that tight lacing
and tight shoes spoken of as bad for
the eyes, but | guess the old surgeons
remark that anything unnatural is
bad for anything about covers this
case.
cit is an unsafe plan for people to
select glasses from the stock of ped
dlers or other irresponsible vendors. l
am willing that everyone should make
living. but the eye is too delicate
and valuable to be trified with. Some
of these vendors may know something
of the opticians profession, but as
rule / have noticed that their custo-
mers have need to be both purchasers
and scientists. Now, when you kave got
your shoes you do not allow the shoe
maker or seller to make your feet fit
the shoes. And [ assure you t1ere can
be as badly fitting glasses as sLoes.
'sWhat is positive indication that
sight is weakening? The failure is
most noticeable in reading; when one
finds himself throwing back the head
and contracting the brow or stretching
out the arm, SO as TO be surer of de-
ciphering the print or scrip hs holds
there, is unmistakable evidence of the
need of optical assistance. The de-
feet, however, may not be permanent;
in person under 50 years of age, [
have known a case where the normal
sight has been restored by the timely
use of correct glasses. 1t would be
good economy of vision If many were
to begin wearing the glasses early,
under the advice of skillful and eX-
perienced optician. People 90 to the
dentist quite regularly about their
teeth and to the physician about trif-
ling complaints, while few seem to
consider the Importance of helping or
protecting natures great gift of sight.
The waning action, however, in the
most instances so gradual that people
don's trouble themselves until COM
PEELED to.
'You will here get a good idea of
the care required in our work when
fitting glasses for steady usa. You
have noticed how many times the To-
Gus of an opera-glass has to By adjust
ed to suit group of lockers On at a
performance. Well, the same varia-
ton of eYe-power occurs on a multi
tude. By the way, protracted use of
an opera-glass is unfavorabls to the
eyes. Ladies often object to the wear
ing of glasses for fear of appearing adj
vanced in age; then, again, there are
some of both sexes who wear them
simply because they are becoming Or
give an intellectual cast in their faces.
So you see. whimsical pride visits our
trade as well as others.
'sHow far does our science date
back? China, believe, is tie Oldest
known nation having the ingenuity to
prepare glass to aid defective sight.
They have not advanced beyond their
first ideas. The artists of Europe and
America have developed wonderful
improvements within the lat half-cen-
fury.
1.-THE most expensive lenses for
frames or springs are made from 'peb-
ble,' white, transparent rock crystal
found in Brazil. l have known some
of these hard-pebble lenses to be pol
ished with diamond dust. As to their
being better than the best white glass,
that is a matter of caprice. Some of
my wealthiest customers prefer glass,
and it is the opinion of some opticians
that the intense polish of the pebble is
rot favorable to the wearer. Fine
emery ground glass is good enough.
Our glasses are largely imported.
Grinding glass is great industry in
France and Germany. England also
turns out some fine work. They can
be ground here, bat it is rarely neces-
sary, as the sizes well assorted can be
had cheaper from abroad. Lenses for
myopia or uear-sightedness are ground
concave in shape and for longsighted-
ness convex.
sMost of the newspapers in this
country are trying to the eyes, owing
to narrow columns and small print.
IL