Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-07-12
TOUGH ON THE EYES.
How Hot Weather Affects the Eye
sight Of Many Pittsburgers.
MILL MEN In PARTICULAR SUFFER.
Diseases Contracted and Spread by Careless
Handling Of Eyes.
THE USE AND SALE OF sPECTACLEs

"Intense heat of any kind, artificial or
natural, Is very hard on the eyes," said q
specialist yesterday afternoon, "hence this
excessively warm weather is causing con-
siderable trouble among the eyes Of Pitts
burg and Allegheny, especially with those
who work nights, and combine the hot, close
atmosphere with the heat Of an electric or
gas light in proximity to their eyes. Type
settlers suffer more or less with their eyes all
the year round, after they have been In the
business long enough to strain their eye
sight, but much more in the summer than
In the winter. Any number of them have
come to me within the past week for relief.
Men who work near furnace suffer greatly
with their eyes, and lose their sight very
early in life, metal and glassworkers in par
ticular, and in such work there is always
great deal of danger from accidental causes
flying metal, emery or bits Of glass often
strike the eye, and though at the time those
sturdy men, accustomed to all sorts OF hard
ships, may deem it but trifiing matter,
oftener than not it results in some serious
detriment to the eye and the sight.
SPREAD OF DISEASE.
every often, by an accident OF that kind,
a contagious disease is contracted by one or
more men Gin the foundry or factory,
as it may be. For instance. there
is generally some one man in a place
of that kind considered more skillful than
the rest, and to him all cases Of fragments
in the eye are taken. He, with the aid OF a
broom-splint or match. extricates the for
eign substance, and with his hands comes in
contact with an eve that may be very badly
diseased. Through ignorance he does not
properly care for his hands afterward, but
in the same manner he treats others who
come to him during the day, and probably
rubs his own eyes, thereby spreading the af-
fection with which the first man was suffer-
ing, and causing untold misery to many.
1t is feature in those factories and found
ries that cannot be too forcibly emphasized, !"
concluded the speaker.
"Tell you something about Pittsburg and
Allegheny eyes," said Mr.. j. j. Mannion,
the Federal street oculist, certainly will,
though 1 don't know as they differ much
from eyes of other cities, only that there are
50 many great red furnaces in the two cities,
and those working near them always suffer
to high degree with their eyes, and sooner
or later become quite near-sighted, and in
time, il they do not pay some attention to
their eyes, they may lose their sight alto
gether. Oftentimes their near-sightedness
is inherited by their children, and so the
number OF people wearing glasses increases
each year. There are any number Of causes
that lead 10 trouble with the eyes. but over
taxing is the greatest.
EARLY USERS OF GLASSES.
"Close students almost invariably have TO
resort to glasses at very early age, and
school children seated In an obscure corner
nf hu tuit 10 a
or near a window where the rays OF light
almost blind their eyes, often do injury
that In after life can never be feetiied,
Boston, the great intellectual center or the
universe, II largely q specialized community
and it ID simply An example Of cause and
effect, Pittsbdfg and Allegheny wear lots
OF glasses, as many among The lab6fiHg
classes as among ths students aud steady
readers"
u. 4. Reed, An eptieiaH Of Sixth street,
ssid 'Thefe are more people wearing
glasses at the present tims=Het 8Hly Ia our
tive cities, bit all over the wefld=thah ever
Grating especially, but people begin 10 real
lac that defects which have eausad them 50
much annoyance may be partly, II H0t en-
tiralV, eefFueted by the use 0f the proper
glasses, The eye 10 10 closely al led 10 The
brain that lis state of healthfulBsss affects
the whole body to q marked degree, and
many people suffer with binding headaches
for years without showing that good pair
of glasses would relieve them entirely,
Special glasses arc becoming more
uniyersalj glasses that are designed
for some special doIect that has been
discovered IN tho eye. Some people arc
born nsar-slghtod o. iar-sIghied, and do not
realize the fact until, In mature years, they
t.nt aui y al In Ia
amusing 10 witness their surprise aud their
indignation 10 think they have lost 10 much
OF lie by not using glasses.
soME WORN FOR STYLE.
"WhIle some few wear dainty gold.
rImmed affairs for tho style, there are not
many who do. We always know them when
they come In to purchase, for they want
glasses that will magnify Just q triae.'
Sometimes we give them plain glasses, and
they are perfectly satisfied. Very few people
have perfect eyes; they are generally de-
ieeiiye In one way or another"
"Gentlemen, as rule, commence to use
glasses at from 80 10 40 years Of age here In
Pittsburg," said Mr.. Kornblum, "while
ladies adopt them earlier, from 80 to 80 years
being the average, and In this they differ
from the Eastern people, who do not resort
10 them for another five years, respectively.
The reason, think, has been the smoky
atmosphere In which our city was envelopei
for so many years. 1t certainly Is not
nearly SO hard OH the eve since the advent
Of natural gas. About rs per cent Of those
who are troubled with their eyes suffer with
and many who do not know
The meaning OF the word suffer to greater
Or less degree. People should be very care
ful in purchasing glasses, and have them
fitted to the eve, and they should
not wear upon the street glasses designed
Ior house wear and the duties that they per-