The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1890-09-28
HOW ARE YOUR EYES?
An Optician Talks Interestingly About
These Delicate Organs.

These Delicate Organs.
The percentage of people in this city who
have defect in their eyesight is very large
said Dr.. Reed, the F-street optician, to a HERALD
reporter the other day. ''Yes, think it is con-
stderably larger than in any other American city.
The reason for it is plain. 1t is due to the
nature of the occupations of such large pro-
portion of our population. The Department
buildings generally have not been constructed
with view to affording the best possible light
for the clerks and other Government employees.
The light is often insufficient. Parts of the
rooms are light and others dark; consequently
person who has to work consecutively under
altering conditions of light is very probable be-
fore long to find his eyes weakening Another
point about Washington people is that they
seem never to pay any attention to incipient
eye troubles. They wait until real mischief has
been done. l don't think there is much in the
belief that the asphalt pavements of the city in
jure the eyes. OF course the glare of the sun
on these pavements might do damage to the
eyes of people who were exposed to it great
deal, but then no considerable number are so
exposed.
The number of persons wearing glasses is
continually increasing the optician continued
'but doubt if it is because of an increasing
weakness of the eyes of mankind generally. |
think it is due rather to the fact that the manu-
facture of glasses has become perfected to such
an extent in the last few years During the
last three years the greatest improvement is to
be noted, and the frames are now made in every
variety and style, to fit all shapes, sizes, and
conditions Of noses Besides, the fitting of
lenses to all sorts of defects of vision is attended
with more and more success every year, and
people who formerly could not get glasses to
suit them now wear them with comfort and
benefit. The American manufacturers are way
ahead in the construction of glasses. They are
manufactured extensively in France and Ger
many, but for real fine glasses the American
wants the home product. They are much more
delicate and stronger They are just as cheap
| as the European goods. More persons are de-
voting themselves every year to work which re-
quires the strained use of their eyes, and con-
sequent increased number of cases of defective
vision is noticed"
''Do many persons year glasses without need
ing them because they imagine it improves their
appearance or because they think it the fash
| lOn?'
''No, | think not. | know there is the idea
that custom of that kind prevails to some ex-
tent. would give as my experience, however,
that it is not done. | have found very few cases
| indeed, here or elsewhere in which glasses were
| bought when they were not needed. On the
other hand, very many people who should wear
| glasses do not do so because they fear it will
make them look awkward or old. Such persons
are very foolish"
''Most cases, | suppose, are mere cases of
pie whose eyes are malformed in other respects y?
''There are great many people whose eyes
| are not alike. Some people have one eye af-
| fected in different degree from the other.
! Many have one eye normal and the other either
near or far sighted Glasses are made for all
these cases, and for varying degrees Of each.
! One young lady who was in here a short time
| since had very strange malformation Of the
! eyes. At that time she was not able to see
! across the street, Herleft eye was near-sighted
! and her right was combination of near and far
! sightedness, one visual meridian being shorter
! than the normal, while another was longer. In
a case of that kind a double or compound lens
| must be used. Two lenses are placed together.
! One is calculated to correct one of the
| defects, the other the other. They are then
moved around until the correct angle is found
! at which vision is perfect In this case the me-
! ridian producing far-sightedness was predomi-
nant, and the general character of the lens was
| for a defect of that character, but the near
! sighted meridian in the same eye had to be
| righted as well. Her left eye, as | said, was
| near-sghted so she had quite a combination of
! lenses, when at last she became able to see.
"Such eyeglasses come higher than the ordi-
nary, OF course. Some combinations OF lenses
are worth as high as $l5."
"Are many school children's eyes affected ?''
''School children are affected TO quite eX-
tent. Every one is affected, in fact, who has to
stay long and continuously in a room in which
dust Settles the light is inadequate, the air is
not good or frequently changed. Our public
schools possess many of these faults. One OF
the first steps in constructing school buildings
should be to get large amount of light Thai
should be the primary consideration. IL that
can be obtained ventilation will not be diff
cult"
The Free Public Bathing Beach.
1 I he President hos approuad fba oot asta sh