The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-03-25
a PHYSICIAN ON THE IMPORTANCE
OF CARING FOR THEM
Dispositions Sometimes Affected by Trou-
BILE OF the Eyesight Benefits of Using
Properly Adjusted Glasses = Valuable
Advice TO Parents.

AbOIb tNO ytufs deo a. iosiy Dioubht
two of her sons aged respectively and
IL, 10 me 10 have their eyes examined 10
see ii glasses were needed She had tax
en this step partially on my invitation
and as a matter of precaution, as she
was well aware that both herself and
her husband had defective eyes, and some
of her children We're already wearing
glasses for troubles which were without
doubt hereditary In answer 10 ques-
tions about the general health of the
children, their disposition, complaints
they made regarding headache, etc. she
made the following statement:
Il really am puzzled to know what
TO do with the older boy He seems so
irritable and cross after few days at
school, and lie always seems TO be spoil
ing for fight His health seems very
good, with the exception of headache
after study, but DO is not nearly as far
younger brother, "
After making careful examination l
prescribed glasses for the older one, but
told the mother that the younger one
did not need them at the present time.
Ibid not see anything of the children or
the mother for six months, at which
time, when meeting the mother, she
told me the glasses had worked mar
velous change in her son, and he wore
them constantly and could not bear TO
be without them. He was now picking
up i'll his school work and was better
natured than she had ever known him
before
This child is only one of many thou.
sands in our schools today who are hav-
ing their dispositions ruined and are
called dull and stupid by their parents
and teachers through no fault of their
own. Being perhaps born with de-
feet in sight, they do not know of any
different world from that which they see
through defective eyes, consequently
cannot relate their troubles TO their par
ents as they are entirely unconscious
of their defect. Therefore l wish TO EN-
phasize most emphatically that it is the
duty of all parents and teachers TO mark
very closely any popularity that chill
dren may have in looking at objects at
Il long distance or close at hand, such as
squirting their eyes, frowning, looking
sidewisc from partially closed eyes and
particularly regarding the distance at
which they hold their reading matter
from their eyes, for it Is natural for
child, or for grown person, for that
matter, who has normal sight TO hold
clearly printed reading matter about 10
inches from his eyes. Should this be
varied to any extent, such as drawing
the reading quite close to the eyes or
holding ii at arms length, it is almost
a sure sign that there is something
wrong
People who have strong eyes usually
have but little sympathy for those who
are less fortunate in this respect
The necessity of glasses TO assist
child III school work, which will put
it on n more even footing with the
other students is not appreciated by
many parents who are otherwise
thoughtful and considerate of the well
fare Of their children ahd who are in
many cases undergoing privations that
their children may secure an education.
Do not be too ready to Judge these chill
dren as having fad for glasses or wish
ing TO wear them because some of their
playmates do Better be a little over
cautious in having the child's eyes ex
amined than TO take too much response
bility in this matter III your own hands,
for 10 honest Opticiau will advise you
to put glasses ON "A child unless they are
sure to prove an advantage.
Another point which l think should
-. q ta 40 e..
ferent parents is the fact that nine of
every ten cases Of sirabismus (cross eyes,
existing among children under the age
OF l2 can be wholly cured by the very
simple and painless method Of wearing
glasses, whereas If this matter is left
until the child has reached maturity il
requires Il painful operation which in
the majority of cases Is not altogether
successful then, for il is not alone the
matter Of appearance that the parent;
are responsible for. But children WHO
are cross eyed and allowed to remain IL
this condition Any length Of time are al
most certain 20 lose the use of one eye
wholly or in part, owing to the length
of time they are allowed to go in this
way Very few children are born cross
eyed, and almost every mother will tel
you that this misfortune was due tC
some sickness, a fall or something o.
the KIND which happened when they
were lightning TO walk, when IN reality
the accident or sickness only marked th'
time that the child first began to use ia
eyes to discriminate small objects, anC
the straining Of the eyes to see caused
them to cross.
Another reason why many children
are allowed TO grow UP cross eyed is be
cause physicians i'll general practice
have heretofore been so grossly ignoran
of these subjects that they have in
formed the mother that the child would
probably outgrow this trouble This il
mistake. Cross eyes are produced b,
straining the sight and very rarely, j
ever, are outgrown Babies sometime
have the appearance of being slight!
cross eyed, owing to the formation o
the lids when they are very small
This, of course, may be outgrown. Blu