The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1889-09-19
WEAK EYES INCREASING.
AN oPTlciAN IN 4 HISTORIC BUILD
ING SAYS THEY ARE.

me Causes to BE Found xwesay in Cur
Modern sedentazy IdSs-whv school
children Are Aaicsed-Zhe Kind Of
Glaasss 30 Wear.
south Of Fulton street, Is an old building,
the second floor OF which was formerly
used by Aaron Burr as law Office after
his return from Europe In 1919. The
floor is now used by an cculist and OPP
tician. who is scientist, philosopher
and merchant combined.
His reception room was formerly
Aaron Burr's consulting room, and it Is
somewhat OF q coincidence that whereas
it was formerly used for q consultation
of the mind, it Is now devoted TO the
purpose Of consultations for the sight.
SIS is not generally known" remarked
the oculist-optician to News reporter,
''except to, perhaps q few old fashioned
merchants, that this was the Office Of the
famous Aaron Burr; but to some Of the
older members OF the bar this place has
historical interest as well as personal
one, so far as their eyes are concerned.
"I make no spectacles or eye glasses
for the trade. Every pair of glasses
made here are made after personal ex-
animation Of eye, by myself, or upon
the written prescription Of q recognized
oculist. It seems to me that defective
vision was never so great as now.
CAUSES OF DEFECTIVE VISION.
'.The peculiarities of defective vision
are legion, bat the prevailing affection
OF the eyes is nearsightedness. This
arises from many causes, chief among
which is the increase among sedentary
occupations. Jewellers, journalists, les-
pecially doctors. analysts, clerks, bonk-
keepers who have to work In dark ware
houses, typewriters, especially women;
milliners, pax .ers upon enamel, and In
fact almost every business that demands
close attention for any length of time.
has its proportion Of nearsighted
workers.
aNot one man In hundred has abso-
| lutely perfect vision, and that one man is
usually an ilIiterate person, whose busi-
ness is an out door one. Yet even sea
captains, particularly in the German
navy, wear eye glasses.
"Another cause for defective vision is
the present mode Of living. We eat too
fast and choose our food at random. The
| Iaborer and the farmer, whose frugal
| fare IL plain but substantial, are seldom
troubled with bad sights. Severe mental
| troubles most surely affect the eyes
where there isalready predisposition to
sight failure.
During the past 1--WE years there has
been a noticeable increase Of impaired
vision among school children, caused by
| three things: First, too much study In
badly lighted school rooms; second, bolt
| ing their food instead of masticating IL;
third, the undue strain upon the nerve
| tissues, which Is the result Of both. A
good many children of tender years often
require glasses as strong as those worn
by persons Of advanced age.
'fOthers are born with malformation
Of the cornea, or front part Of the eye,
the curvature Of which being unequal,
the rays of light do not harmonic.
Such people see vertical lines clearly, bui
the horizontal lines indistinctly, or vice
versa. The only remedy for this sort OF
thing is to use cylindrical glasses.
'tAgain, others are troubled with
weakness in one Of the muscles Of the
eye, SO that the eyes do not move alike
Hence they may have double visual Inn
preesions and see two objects instead o.
one.
"There is one popularity, however
about near sighted people which doe
not apply to other visual disorders. Thei
sight improves when they get to be abou
20 or 40 years Of age, and continues Il
improve for few years afterward. Thi
improvement, however, is only confined
to persons who use glasses of the requi
site strength. A too strong eye glass
worse than none at ali, and while deal
ing with this part Of the subject ma,
say right here that the general tendenc,
of nearsighted people Is at first to wea
glasses that are too strong for them
Many persons sight has been ruined il
consequence.