Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1885-04-10
OUR EYEs1GHT.
EVIDENCES THAT DISEASES OF THE
EYE ARE FAST INCREASING.
Defective Vision in Germany and in Great
Britain - Color Blindness - Long.
sishtedness Of a ZuIu-Cure
for Existing Evils.
fChicago Times. !

At a recent meeting Of the Society Of Arts
In London, Professor Carter delivered q
lecture on The Infiuercs Of Civilization
Upon Eyesighs.r The result Of his observa.
ton was tlat civiliz alton developed many Of
the faculties of man and caused Others 10 be-
ne impaired Without doubt, high civiii-
zation was having injurious effect on the
organ o; sight. There were more diseased
and defective eyes in highly civilized coun-
tries than IN those where the people had not
made very wide departure from what has
been called a natural life. In Germany, a
very large proportion of the people of both
sexes and 81 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
haoIted the rural districts. In that country
there was great alarm concerning impaired
vI'ion, AID the government had ordered an
investigation with 4 view OF ascertaining
the cause and recommending remedies
There We're abundant evidence, in Grea,
Britain that diseases Of the eye were increas-
Ing very fast. Many volunteers were re-
Jected on account Of defective sight The
Railway companie, lad been Obliged to cx-
anime candidates for manager OF trains, 10
ascertain II they were color blind or near
sighted. In tie higher schools and colleges
Tie number OF student vino were Obliged to
us glasses was very !arge and apparently
last increasing. Even III the primary and
grammar schools L large PROPORTION Of the
pupils put On spectacies before they COM
menced TO study their lessons Others were
Obliged to hold their looks close to their
eyes when tiny read, and to place their face
within few inches of their desks when they
were learning u write. Many children
coUli not engage in certain games and sports
on account Of detective vision
The class IN Great Britain that had the
lest 4 - were the :oresters and gamekeeper,
n Scotland fiowmen, shepherds. AMI
Aer1snen also he'd excellent sight Sailors
were generally very long-sighted as well as
clear ightei Many savases however had
much NOR acute vision than any class to be
found IN tn British islands. The Zulus in
South Africa could identify persons SO far
OF that Europeans could only discern specks.
One Zulu informed a newly-arrivei mission
airy that he saw an old friend # his and his
wife apprca hing. He also stated that one was
riding and the other walking by the side of
the hor-e- Tie EnClishmen Is the use of
powerful linOcu!a: Glas>e, couid no. identify
the person. In L ndon AM other large
cites a great proportion of the Ieople had
defective II impaired vision Many were.
cu.oT-blnd, Tut much larger proportion
w re short--ightel. Some were in con -taat
daLser Of Icing run over il thu streets
IIey could Sc comparatively few objects
w.tl tie naked eye, pa>sel tneir bet friends
without rec0 Eng them, could not read
street sign, anI depended on Their glasses .
TO enat lie hem TO real and write when they
were III room.
The lecturer was convinced that location .
end occupation exerted Z powerful influence
On the con lIti0n % tie eye AMI the acute
ness OF vision. The savage OF South r.ca
depended on his keenness of sigh; for procec-
ton against his enemies AMI for food
for his next meal Tie inhabitant
OF London looked 10 the police to pro-
tect hiE', and read his paper and
conducted bis correspondence by tie aid o.
magniiyinS glass. Sometimes he would
not leave the city for years, during which
time he would never look upon an object
further of than across the street. His eve,
became impaired for want OF proper use.
In making sugge, lions for the cure of ex-
isting evils. the lecturer thought that much
good ooalc b. acc mplishei by calling at
teEtcn to the importance of unimpairei
sight. Children shoUli be taught that
pleasure as well as prosperity depended very
largely ON good eyes They SHOULD be en-
couraged to u5s their eyes in ways that
would benefit them. Came and sports that
called for accurate vision should lie rendered
popular. Many athletic sports that were
largely rracticei in England had pro-
1uccd wonderful effect in few year,
IN making people strong AMI vigorous
Life IN the open air. especially in the coun-
Try, was favorable to the development of
acuteness of vision Lesson looks for chill
iren should be printed in large, clear type.
The letters given them TO copy. while learn
ms to write should BE large and Plain
\ Dung persons shouii lie encouraged to look
II distant OH ITS and prohibited from read
ng in poorly lighted apartments They
should he taught how to use AMI not abuse
their eyes. In cs-es where the vi-ion is be-
coming impaired. an oculist shoull bs con-
suited before perman mt injury las been
Effected
In the course of the lecture attention was
'allei TO very important matter. 1t was
hat lnvosutiOn rs well a. evolution was CO. ,
NJ on all around Us and with us Improve
nents In the eye douhtlcS>ly went on under
fave ratle conditions during many centuries.
The perfect eye. OF which we hav. some
specimens Eas been evolved IL was certain
nat the process OF invocation was now 60 :
ng on ia many Places and among some Of
he best races OF the globe Unless meas ,
Tres were taken to prevent it, he time NAV
ONE when certain nations might be char
icterized by their poOrly-lieyeloped eyes
IMPAIRED vision would, following the laws
:. hcTei Ity. lie stamped on win l. familie,
mi jeghcIS on entire communities