Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1885-02-12
EYES FOR THE BLIND.
An Opticians Chat About Spectacle
and Those Who Use Them.

perhaps some WeaiIn, IN AIDING people 10
read should contribute something for
them to read. Thus reasoning, Tribune
reporter entered the store Of prominent
optician in Broadway for some informa-
tion about spectacIes and eyeglasses.
81 hardly know where to begin an
sweTing your long list of questions,
said the optician. "spectacles have TO be
worn by some children Of five years, and
by persons Of all ages. 1t is difficult to
state when sight is likely to fail. for
sickness, accidents, certain professions,
excessive or careless reading, and the
natural decay of strength, all tend to
one result. BY careless reading mean
reading in unsteady or dim light. Read
ing while travelling, especially in fast
trains, is tempting pastime, but it sadly
strains the best Of eyes. A man should
not, as a habit, smoke and read at the
same time. The blur of the smoke i'm
poses unequal work upon the two eyes.
One should not raise his eyes suddenly
toward strong or vivid light after in
tently poring over printed matter. The
shock is severe. A number of trades
wear heavily upon the eyes. Engravers,
jewelers., watchmakers, proof readers,
compositors, and persons who have to
handle shining metals, all suffer in some
degree from poor sight. The sewing
machine has proved great saving for
women's eyes. In former times constant
sewing with the ordinary needle upon
striped goods of any color had a damaging
and sometimes binding effect.
eyes, I've heard tight lacing and
tight shoes spoken Of as bad for the
eyes, but | guess the old surgeons re-
mark that anything unnatural is bad
for anything about covers the case.
ut is an unsafe plan for people to Sc
lect glasses from the stock Of peddlers or
other irresponsible venders. | am willing
that every one should make living, but
the eye is too delicate and valuable to
be trihed with. Some of these vendors
know something Of the opticians pro-
fession, but as a rule, have noticed tha
their customers have need to be both
purchasers and scientists, Now, when
you get your shoes you do not allow the
shoemaker or seller to make your feet
fit the shoe. And l assure you there can
be as badly fitting glasses as shoes.
"-What is a positive indication that
sight is weakening7 The failure is most
noticeable in reading; when one finds
himself throwing back the head and con-
tracing the brow or stretching out the
arm so as to be surer of deciphering the
print or script he holds, there is unmis-
takableevidence Of the need Of optical as
sistancc. The defect, however, may not be
permanent; in persons under thirty-fye
pears of age, have known cases 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 the wearing of glasses early,
under the advice of skillful and ex-
perienced optician. People 60 to the
dentists quite regularly about their teeth
and to the physician about trihing com
plants, while few seem to consider the
importance of helping or protecting ma
ture's great gift Of sight. The waning
action, however, is in most instances 50
gradual that people don't trouble them
selves until compelled to.
ssYou will here get good idea of the
care required in our work when fitting
glasses for steady use. You have no
ticed how many times the focus of an
opera glass has to be adjusted to
suit a group of lockers on at
a performance. Well, the same varia-
ton Of eye power occurs in multitude.
By the way, protracted use Of an opera
glass is unfayorable to the eyes. Ladies
often object to the wearing of glasses Tor
fear Of appearing advanced in age; then,
again, there are some Of both sexes who
wear them simply because they are be-
coming or give an intellectual cast to
their faces. So, you see, whimsical
pride visits our trade as well as Others.
How far does our science date back9
China. I believe, is the 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 last half century.
The most expensive lenses for frames
Of springs are made from pebble
white transparent rock crystal found in
Brazil. ] have known some of these
hard pebble lenses to be polished with
diamond dust. As to their being better
than the best white glass, that is mat
ter 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 not favorable to
the wearer. Fine emery ground glass is
good enough. Our glasses are largely
improved. Grinding glasses is q great
industry in France and Germany. Eng
land also turns out some fine work. They
can be ground here, but it is very rarely
necessary, as the sizes well assorted can
be had cheaper from abroad. Lenses for
myopia or near-sightedness are ground
concave in shape, and for long sighted
ness convex.
Most Of the newspapers in this coun-