The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1888-08-09
Differences in Seeing Power.

Il i. possible that Sigh: differences ma!
exist in the seeing powers of d!fersn
nations, dQe 20 the effect of physical COZ
conditions; thus, the Inhabitants Of noun
famous districts and of dry, elevated
table lands may have better sight than
dw-llers in low, humid AID level regions
although Just the reverse may be the case
Among European nations the German;
are generally supposed to have weak eyes
owing, some imagine, 10 their excessive
indulgence in tobacco, while others at
tribute the supposed decay 10 the form OF
type used in taeir books. which requires
closer looking at than ours in reading
That they will de.eriO!gte stu further in
this direction, and from being q specialized
people become blind one, TO the Joy Of
their enemies, Is not likely 70 happen, and
probably the decadence hs- been great
deal Exaggerated. Animals living in
darkness become near sighted, and then
nearer-sighted still, and so on progres-
slvely until the vanishing point is reached.
In q community or nation e similar de-
cline might begin from much reading of
German books, or perpetual smoking of
pipes with big china bowls, or from some
other unknown cause: but the decay could
not progress far, because there is nothing
in man 20 take the place Of sight, a. there
l. in the blind cave rats and fishes and
insects. And, if We could survey mankind
from China 70 Peru with all the scientific
appliances which are brought to bear on
the board school children in London, and
on the nation generally, the difference in
the powers of vision in the various races
nations and tribes would probably appear
very insignificant. The mistake which
eye specialists and writers on the eye
make is that they think too much about
the eye. When they affirm that the col -
diti0ns Of our civilization are highly in
furious to the sight, do they mean all the
million conditions, or sets of conditions,
By our system, with the infinite
7sriety Of occupations and modes of liv-
ng which men have, from the lighthouse
keeper to the worker underground, whose
lay is the dim g'immer of miners
amp! "An organ exercised beyond its
Won't will grow, and thus meet increase of
demand by increase of supply" Herbert
Spencer says; but, he adds, there is
INIT soon reached, beyond which it is
impossible to go. This increase of de-
nsnd with Us is everywhere-now on this
organ and now on that, according to our
work and way of life, and the eye is in
40 worse case than the other organs.
There are among Us many cases Of heart
civilization, in such cases,
las put too great strain
IN that organ, it has reached the limit
beyond which it cannot go. And so with
he eye. The total number of the de-
iective among Us is no doubt very large,
ior we know that our system of life re-
.ards-it can not effectualiy prevent the
healthy action of natural selection.
Nature pulls one way and we pull the
other, ompassionately trying to save the
unfit from the consequences Of their IN
fitness. The human instinct com pels Us,
1ut the cruel instinct of the savage, who
mates th= sick and the unti. a. the inferior
animals do, is less painful to contemplate
han that mistaken or perverted com
passion which seeks to perpetuate IN
fitness, and in the interest of suffering
individuals infict5 g lasting injury on the
race. 1t is beautiful and sacred thing
70 minister to the blind, and to lead them,
Out horrible thing to encourage them
o marry and transmit the miserable blind
to their posterity. Yet, this is
very common.-LOngman's Magazine.