The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-06-25

| estimate the good that would be done by
| the universal adoption of Crede' s method
the very simple one of applying few
drops of two per cent. solution of
nitrate of silver to the baby's eyelids.
FAR-sIGHTED EYES.
| AS rule the newly-horn have hyper
opic, or far-sighted eyes, and savage
races, or rural people making no unnatural
use of the eyes, retain their hyperopic
faculty far into life.
Far-sight is itself. however, distinct
defect of the eyes, when it reaches an
appreciable departure from the normal
condition.
Far sighted people generally fatter
themselves that they have perfect eyes,
because they can see distant objects WE'LL
Yet, when put to test for continuous
linear work, such eyes are found TO be
suffering from hypermetropia, oversight;
or from astigmatism, an imperfect curva.
ton of the cornea or of the lens, or of
both, in which latter case the detect is
more serious.
Ii far sighted eyes having these defects
are neglected, the time soon arrives when
neither distant nor near objects can be
seen clearly; they can be corrected by
using proper glasses in good time.
SHORT SIGHTED EYES.
a serious retroactive error of the eyes is
that of myopia, or short-sigh t-refracture
being the bending or breaking of the rays
of light to bring them to focus on the
yellow spot of the retina, which is the
most highly sensitive portion.
Whereas in far sight, the eyeball is too
short, in myopia it is too long, and the
change from the hyperopic condition at
hirth n ia N a TIC
very rapidly in numberless instances. 1t
is also change incidental to civilized life
and is one of the penalties mankind
pays for education, whether intellectual
or technical.
CHILDREN's EYES AND SCHOOL WORK.
Myopia, as rule, is caused by oyer
suraining or abuse of the eyes during
schooldays. Children go to school with
eyes still yperopic-far-sig sighted; they
come away with eyes myopic, short
sighted; and this is directly the result of
overstraining at near work. Undoubt
edly this is often superinduced by hered-
itary tendencies, an important circum-
stance which eye-surgeons are careful to
bear in mind.
1t is the duty OF parents and guardians
to have the children's eyes examined be-
fore they begin to learn lessons, and to
have the examination repeated at certain
intervals as they advance.
Many a child has been set down as hope
lessly stupid or obstinate at school and
made miserable by constant scolding or
punishment, without any effect, when a
subsequent examination showed that it
had serious optical or retroactive defect of
the eyes. There were various distressing
symptoms-pain in the eyes, aching
crows, headache-which had been attrib-
uted to all sorts OF wrong causes or had
been discredited altogether.
| Who that has had much to do with
teaching does not know the spectacle OF
the mulish pupil who won't learn any
thing, the dazed look of despairing stu
pidity, the knitted brows and quiyering
face, the helpless "sniveling,' as il tears
were the only solace?
That child, in numberless cases, is as
bright as its school fellows, but is simply
suffering from incipient myopia. 1t is
overstraining it's eyes in the effort to ac-
commodate them to new duties. and so is
setting up disturbances which the wor-
red and wearied teacher little suspects.
If it were examined by surgeon and sup
piled with proper glasses, its pains would
be relieved, and it would go to it's lessons
with a clear head and light heart.
1t is a noteworthy fact that supra or
bital pain, temporal pain, and pain OF
the occipital part of the brain, are charac-
terlstic symptoms of retroactive errors OF
the eyes. Every school teacher can bear
witness that these very symptoms are
what children most commonly complain
of-especially the so-called stupid, null
ish children, who are always screwine
their eyes with their knuckles or lolline
their heads on their hands.
THE WEARING OF GLASSES BY CHILDREN
Why is it we see many more children
wearing grasses nowadays than formerly!
A generation ago it was an exception fol
q child to wear glasses, and any child that
did was supposed to be suffering from a
grave affection. Now it is common and
is becoming commoner. No child is now
necessarily deemed an object of compass
sion because it wears glasses. Why is
this?
1t is not because more children have
defects of the eyes, but because the sci
ence of Ophthalmology has advanced sc
D much that we recognize the troubles
which were formerly overlooked or at
tributed to other sources.
/ But even now the greater number O
l sufferers from defects Of the eyes only
! seek advice when the long seated mis-
( chief compels them. With adults, tina
!, is their own affair; but children have ne
choice, and those who have charge o
, them should give them the chance to en-
r Joy the blessing Of good eyesight.
l EYE TROUBLES FROM THE PRINTED PAGE
3 Germany is the land OF myopes, ane
, that national affiiction is directly tracea
E bic to the long and severe curriculum an,
f the bad, peculiar fantastic style of TYP
a employed there.
Ii The adherence of the Germans to thei
| obsolete style of writing and printing
E when all reason and expediency ar
g against it, is unaccountable in SO practi
s cal people. 1t is not surprising that th
e Emperor William, who has decisive wa,
s Of doing things, has recently issued 81
9 imperial edict requiring all government
q publications and all books for gymnasi
: and public schools to be printed in Roma
: instead of German type. Alread
@ many publishers are following the impe
o rial lead, and the improvement is SO self
: evident that the change is bound 10 be
: come general. The moment the news
# papers adopt it there will be an end G
German lettering, and from that date tn
national eyesight will begin to recover.
The recovery, indeed, has already be
4 | gun, because with schoolbooks the chill
dren and young students are no longe
| forced to overstrain their eyes in tryin
!, to accommodate them to difficult set Q
e objects. Let any one take "a newly-printe
German book in Roman type and place