The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1885-05-30
The EYES.
Some Suggestions as to the Proper Use of
the Visual Organs.


the Visual Organs.
Misusing the eyes in youth often
ruins them for life. Of all organs of
the.body, the eyes are the most deli
cate. Observe our pupils in our schools
and note how much they abuse them.
They hold their books very near their
eyes and soon become short-sighted.
Their eyes project and so lose their
proper power of vision. The cure for
such cases is the habit of looking at
distinct objects. This must be when all
the muscles are pliable and are assum-
ing a lasting form. 1t is not strange
that so many children are so short
sighted. This defect of vision may be
prevented Scholars are compelled to
look at near objects, especially when
reading books whose type is small and
indlstinct. Scholars, then, in our
schools, should look at distinct objects
very often, and so lengthen the vision
of their eyes.
Many adults even are very reckless
about the proper using of their eyes.
They pore over books and work at
dusk, or by bright gas light, as though
their eyes could harmlessly bear any
amount of abuse. Such abuse may
weaken the strongest eyes, ana impair
their strength for life. 1t may induce
some one OF the forty different diseases
to which the human eye is subject
Many of these diseases are of an intlam-
matory type, and might have been pre-
vented. A healthy eye ought to dis
Germ an object that is 600th part of an
inch in diameter at the distance of six
inches, and still very many children in
our schools are so near-sighted that
they can not read figures or letters of
four times the size at twelve inches.
Teachers should insist that pupils
who are daily, if not hourly, using their
eyes, should receive a proper degree of
light from the right direction. They
should never face the light so that it
will shine directly into their eyes. Sure
| ly they can always keep in mind that
daylight is always better for the eyes
5han gaslight; that direct light is al
ways more injurious than reflected
light; the best light, the easiest to the
eyes, comes from some point above
their level. and from northern aspects;
that artificial light is always to be
avoided as much as possible; that the
| SOuICC VI al bIlClul llSub oilOulu OC ~
high as not to compel children. or
adults who use it, to bend over their
work or books.
As children in our public schools are
compelled to bend forward in some of
their daily duties, as writ NC and cipher
ing, SO in other exercises they are COM
PEELED, as when studying or reading
geography, history and grammar, to
sit erect, bending backward, if pos
sible, so as to counterfeit the bad
results of bending forward. In writing
and cipherng, when the eyes are weak,
it is wise to avoid using them in twi-
light, and to avoid using them in bright
sunshine reflected from snow. Some
persons complain of weakness of sight.
They can not use their eyes in reading,
writing or sewing for any length OF
time without the object at which they
look becoming indistinct or blurred.
These symptoms of weakness and abuse
may be removed by improving the gen.
eral health and applying hot water to
the eyes and temples thirty minutes
three or four times day, and then APP
ply cold water at the same intervals
and IN the same way. 1t would be wise
to avoid the causes of the weakness
Eyes once injured are not easily re
paired. Weak eyes above all things
need rest.
Reading when ridingin the cars tires
and weakens them, because the eve,
are constantly trying to adopt them
selves to the changing distance of thu
letters from the pupil.
Some young persons have the nat
ural power of detecting slight varia
tions from straight line, or slight diff
ferences in color or form. These ar
all illustrations of what the eyes ma,
be taught to do, either from natura
power or artificial But if these pow
ers are not natural, the eyes of mos
persons can be much improved by judi
cious training. All children can b
taught to distinguish colors, exeep
those who are color blind.
Avoid using the eyes when weak o
} painful or the sight is blurred and in
distinct.
} Avoid facing the light from an,
source, the sun, gas or candle.
/ Avoid using the eyes when the day
light is nearly gone, and avoid nsinI
5 them at twilight.
| Avoid viewing minute objects for an
, length of time. Examining minute OF
: jects will necessarily shorten the lengt
5 of vision. This bad result can only b
corrected by looking at distant object
l for an equal period of time.
: Avoid books printed in small type.
t Avoid sewing of fine character.
a Our eyes are often made weak by e,
: cessive use, by had habits and har
r work of mind or body.
h Avoid bright gas-light and brillial
t reflections of sunlight. - Wester
G Rural.
d The skating craze attains its bip