The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-12-03

| LIZ. JOnn howard fayne OF Boston,
well-known specialist in the care of the
eye, was asked by representative of the
New York Tribune If he considered biey-
cling injurious to the eyesight, as some
assert that it Is. DR.. Payne cheerfully
gave the Tribune's bicycle readers his
idea on that point.
Eyes, said Dr. Payne, "bioyoling has
tendency to induce fatigue of the optic
nerve and the retina, and chronic over
constituencies to light, termed 'photopho.
bia. 1t promotes congestion not only of
the lining coating of the eyeball, but of
the external surface of the eyeball and
the lids of the eye, and there is also a
fatigue of the muscles of the eyebalI
which control the focusing of the vision
for objects at varying ranges; and all this
| Is productive of reflex headaches, -
''Do you recommend that bicyclers shall
give up their favorite sport for the sake
Of their eyes?" asked the reporter.
80, no" replied DIR. Payne. "But let
me explain more fully. You must re-
member that the trend of modern ciyiliza.
| ton is toward the formation of imperfect
eyes, which may be transmitted, in course
of time, as an Inheritance In the per-
fectly healthy eye, even, many of the
effects / have mentioned may be devel-
oped; but it is in those cases of previous
| ly unsupported malformation of the eye
ball and consequent tendency to eye
strain that physicians notice the most
banetul effects. 1t has come to be stock
question with oculists, when patient
presents himself for relief from confusion
OF the head, vertigo, and headache: do
you ride d bicycle? If SO, what is your
| posture? Are you scorcher, or q moder-
ate and erect rider; and have you mas
tered the art of looking ahead and of OBJ
serving surrounding objects with a care
less relaxation of your eyesight? These
questions will give you the keynote of the
whole situation. If. the answer is, Il ride
merely for pleasure and in moderation,
and sit erect the oculist understands
that, while he must look for errors of re-
| fraction in the patients eye and correct
them, yet he can give positive assurance
of relief if the glasses which he prescribes
| are faithfully worn.
| at, on the other hand,' continued DR..
Payne, the patients answer is, i am
an enthusiast and go into wheeling with
energy and bend away forward upon my
machine the oculist must insist upon
correction of his eye defect by glasses, and
he must also warn the patient that he can
expect only partial relief as long as he
persists in riding in a strained posture. ~
why asked the Tribune's represen
tative, is bent posture unfavorable?"
DR.. Payne's reply was The act of
| bending forward demands a turning up
ward of the eyeballs and sustaining Of
the line of vision by forcible contraction
| of the upper muscles Of the eye, which
are the ones least capable of endurance
| This effect is much the same as that re,
sulting from reading while in bed, or
after protracted visit to a picture gallery
| and looking at objects above the line If
| vision. Auy one will realize the fatigue
OF the brain and eye, if he will recall the
| fact that the hypnotic state is induced nv
| the mere act Of compelling the subject to
| gaze steadily at an object placed at d
distance Of fifteen inches from the eye and
above the line of vision, where the eye
balls are not only overconverged, but
| turned upward as we'll. The same object
placed at fifteen inches and on level
with the eyes produces no such results
In the former case the effect is SO great
as to induce a complete allegiance of the
will power and fatigue of the brain
centers amounting to an absolute loss OF
consciousness. Then again. the I'M
natural posture demands 'keyed-up
tension Of all of the body muscles and an
| alertness of the visual act which will
certainly end in an overfatigue of the
eve as we'll as of the body in the most
healthy individual. Even in the case of
those who sit erect unfavorable eve
symptoms may be induced, not only by
any malformation of the eyeballs and
necessity for glasses, but by the glazing
lights reflected from bright and dusty
roads, the rapid rush of air. and the in
| voluntary effort Of the vision to catch
and fix surrounding objects which are
constantly GLIDING them by their rapid
change Of position"
| what do you advise them" was
asked.
I'm the cases last named,' said DR..
Paype, .glasses should be worn which
| have a medium tint of blue or smoke
sometimes called London smokey and
which are either plane or ground to COR
rect any retroactive error that NAV exist.
| 1t is hardly necessary for me to deduoe
the moral concerning the strained posture
That is obvious. AS for the rest [ ad-
wise moderation in the exercise of bicv
cling, a careful correction of the refrac-
tive errors by glasses and protection of
the eyes from overglaring lights, This
should result in an invigoration of the
whole system and in placing the art of
bicycling on "a plane with the most
healthful exercises known to mankind !;
| ATCHISON REPORTED SOLD.
| New York, December 2-It 1vas o,-