Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-11-28
The Experience Of Nearsightsd Man.

The Experience Of hearstghfed Man,
NJ. Francesque Sarcey, the we'll
known French critic, has written lit
tie work which is we'll worth perusal
by virtue of its charming style and the
fire. shness and force with which he de-
scribes the course and dangers of near
sightedness.
His book is an autobiography, so far
as relates to his eyes. lie begins 81
was born nesrsighted, dreadfully near
sighted. Many physicians assert that
persons are never born nearsightcd, but
only become so. However, science may
think what she pleases, but | was born
myopic."
The very day on which his iuifmlty
was discovered is indelibly stamped on
his memory, and his account of 1t is
quite worth transcribing. "One day,
prompted by the spirit Of mischief, |
got hold Of the big silver spectacles
which my father always wore, and
clapped them on. Fifty years have
passed away since then, but the sensa-
tion | experienced is keen and thrilling
to this day. gave cry Of astonish
ment and JOY. Up to that moment |
had seen the lofty dome above me only
as thick green cloth, through which no
ray OF sunlight ever fell. Now, o won
der and delight, saw that in this dome
we're many little brilliant chinks; that
it was made Of myriad separate aud dis
ii. ct leaves, through whose interstice5
the sunshine shifted, imparting to their
greenery a thousand tones Of light and
shade. But what amazed me most,
" hat so enchanted me that | cannot
speak of it to this day without emotion,
was that | saw suddenly between the
leaves, and far away beyond them, lit
tie glimpses Of the bright blue sky. |
clapped my hands | was mad with as
constituent and delight"
Very high myopia like S,rcey's is
rare; but moderate degrees Of myOpia
are very common; and nyopia, as Sar-
cey states, is increasing and spreading
through Europe like some epidemic
disease. Among the ancients it appears
to have been practically unknown. As
an evidence Of this NJ. Ssrcey refers to
the ancient amphitheatres, in which
go 600 spectators sat and viewed the
games without glass. Perhaps, to be
sure, the myopes Of those days might
have learned to stay at home. How
ever, that myopis is increasing there
can be no doubt. In fifteen years the
proportion OF undoubted myopes in the
polytechnic school Of France has risen
frcm 80 to 50 per cent, and 50 per
cent. Of the students have to wear
! glasses.
NJ. Sarcey urges his readers with pro-
found emphasis to remember that myo-
pa has a tendency to increase unless
numbeIless precautions ara taken, and
that all myopic eyes are weak eyes, to
be looked after carefully by their pos
SCISSOR. In bis own case the result Of
overuse and misuse Of his eyes, e5pe-
cially his attempts to get slong without
glasses, was that be lost the eyesis6t Of
one eye entirely, through detachment
of The retina, ard that catarac. de-
yelope in the other.
The loss OF the eye be attributes to
the effects Of studying when boy 10 q
badly. lighted school.room, aud he in
vokes all mothers to examine the
school rooms. "If they be not fairly
flooded with light, take your son hone
again. To leave him bent for ten years
over dimly Lighted books, is, if he has
the least tendency to this trouble, al
most certain to lay up myopia for his
manhood; if be be already mYopic, it
is to assure him . blind old age"
Sarcey's description Of the develop
ment Of his cataract aud Of its removal
is vivid and dramatic. The operation
was successful, and he now sees distinct
objects even better than before. The
epilosus to his story is: Remember
that all extreme myopia ends almost in
fallibly in cataract, and that nearly all
myopia may become extreme if the eyes
are abused"
While Ssrcey's views are somewhat
tinctured by the bitterness Of his per-
sonal experience, his warnings are wise
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