Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1891-11-11
WEAKNESS OF THE EYES.
The Causes and Prevention of Defective
Vision Among Children.


Vision Among Children.
The rapid increase in the number of
those who are obliged to wear glasses
nowadays Especially children) is so
alarming that we are at once driven to
the conclusion that the human vision is
now more defective than ever before.
But such is not the case. Formerly
spectacles were thought to be neces-
sary only for the old, and the idea of
children wearing glasses was consid-
cred the greatest absurdity.
Fortunately this erroneous idea is
fast dying out With the advancement
of science and the discovery of certain
defects of vision hitherto unknown, the
public are becoming better educated
and are not slow to apply the remedy
when any defect or vision is found to
exist But much still remains to be
done in this direction.
DIR. Brudenel Carter, one of London's
most eminent eye specialists, has of
late endeavored to open peoples eyes
to their own short-sightedness. He is
amazed at the ignorance of parents and
teachers with regard to the very exist
ence of visual defects in their children
fortunately, near-sighted children are
often ignorant of their own ca
lamity. They are thought stupid"
because they cannot read the
clock or the blackboard the same, or
rather at the same distance, as other
children. They lose legacies because
they are few seconds behind in recog-
nizing some relative from whom they
have expectations. They are supposed
to be wanting in dutiful interest, where
as, until the visitor comes quite close,
they don't know whether it Is their
uncle, their aunt or the letter carrier.
1t is not until some serious consequence
follows from the want of observation
that the malady is discovered. The
public ignorance is no less about
matter one would think equally patent
''The popular notion that shortsighted
eyes are strong eyes and that they i'm
prove with age" says DIR. Carter, sis
erroneous" That they do not so i'm
prove is fact one would think obvious
to at least all nearsighted persons un-
less of very sanguine disposition.
Parents and teachers are. to great
extent, responsible for the increase of
defective vision in children. Much can
be done to prevent it
When quite young children often
show a disposition to hold objects very
close to their eyes, others have slight
tendency to squint, thus showing that
there is an inequality in the eyes. If
attended to in time this can be remedied
by wearing specially prepared specta-
acles for given time; but, If neglected,
spectacles will be of no avail and moth
ing remains but surgical operation.
Parents cannot be too careful about this
matter, as many child has lost the
sight of one eye on account of the ig-
norance of the parents.
When child first enters school its
eyes should be thoroughly tested by
means of certain simple tests in the
hands OF the teacher, SO that it can be
ascertained beyond the possibility of a
doubt whether the sight Is defective or
not, and able to bear the necessary
strain arising from close application to
study. Nothing is of so much impor-
tance to child as its eyesight Little
or no progress can be made at school
unless the eyes are in normal condi-
ton.
Five o'clock in the afternoon. "Too
soon to light the lamp" The good boy
will not waste his time; he learns his
lessons by freight. Perhaps, however,
it is not a lesson book which he is read
ing, but Robinson Crusoe" or the
HBoy's Own Book" If so, it is all the
worse, for he is less likely to put it
down.
A bad light; a small print; difficult
lesson.
The boy hopes to get the Latin gram
mar into his head by putting his head
into the Latin grammar He is doing
his best, without knowing it, to make
himself short-sighted for life, and is
very likely to succeed.
Another matter Of equal importance
is the construction of the desks, the ad
mission of the light and the position of
the body. Teachers should see that the
desks are constructed properly, as the
faulty arrangement of school desks has
much to do with the prevailing short
sight OF the present day. The light
should be admitted so as to fall over
the left shoulder if possible. The bodv
should be kept upright and no lounginr
OF STOPPING permitted: Phil ladelphia