The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-02-09
ERRORSIN OUR EYES.
WHY THE ueE OF sPEcTAcLes Is
FAST BECOMING UNIVERSAL.

PAot 6ECOMlNd UNIVERSAL.
Many Nervous Troubles Traced TO NAL
formation ~ che Visual Organs-Heim.
holtx's Discovery Of Refractive Errors
In the Mechanism OF the Eye.
Eyeglasses or spectacles properly adjust
ed afford in many instances positive relief
from long list of nervous disorders. The
human eye Is intimately connected with
the nerve center Of the brain, over which
1t exerts strong sympathetic influence.
IL there Is anything radically wrong with
the delicate mechanism of the organ of Vi
sion, Its effect Is soon apparent in the nerv-
GUS system. There may be no signs of
trouble In the eye itself, so far as the un-
initiated observer Is able to detect, hut to
the expert ophthalmologist the symptoms
are unerring and infallible. This is the as
sertion OF leading specialists i'm diseases of
the eye, and 1t has the unqualified indorse-
ment OF reputable opticians. In it may be
found the cause for the fast spreading use
OF spectacles in all parts of the civilized
world where the modern theories Of med
ical practice and physiological conditions
obtain. The almost universal use of glass
es does not indicate an extension of i'm
paired vision In the human race or the ex-
istence OF any new optical troubles; 1t
means simply that experts are trying by
artificial means to remedy the defects Of
nature
1t Is only within the last 80 years that
the mechanism of the human eye has been
really understood. Previous to 1856, when
Helmholtz mastered the details of the work
ings Of this important part of the body
and astOnished even the medical profession
with his wonderful discovery, it was the
custom to treat the eye on the same basis
as other organs. If man was clubfooted,
the malformation was readily apparent,
and the only remedy was In the use of the
surgeons knife. So long as both legs and
feet were truly formed and evenly mated
there was no call for medical or surgical
aid unless the patient could locate some
well defined interior trouble. And SO 1t
was with the eyes. II a man was afflicted
with strabismus or cataract, it could be
easily seen and relief afforded by the prop
er operation. Not even the most advanced
thinkers had any idea that there might be
radical malformation In the mechanism
Of vision Of which there was no outward
evidence. Thus 1t was the wearing of
glasses was confined to those old people
whose sight was oonfirmedly bad and to .
comparatively few Of young or middle aged
who by chance found the use Of spectacles
help Sufferers from visual defects were
almost as numerous in proportion to popu-
lation then as now, but their troubles were
not understood, and consequently no gen.
eral attempt was made to correct them.
Helmholtz discovered that 1t was posi-
10 fnp aftvr 10 In Inf iru NJ
vision in much the same way as it might
send him into the world malformed in 9TH
er parts of the body. He found that the
eye is subject to what are called retroactive
errors which seriously affect the powers Of
accommodation and induce an abnormal
strain, which, IL long continued, has an in
furious effect upon the nervous system and
finally upon the vision itself. The range Of
the visual field depends upon the form of
the eye
II both eyes are perfect in construction
and identically alike, the vision will bc
normal, but Helmholtz demonstrated to
the satisfaction Of the profession that ma
ture does not always do its work truly, and
that many individuals are afflicted with
9niHormed visual organs. To make these
misforIned organs perform their work &C
ceptably to the owner requires an uncon
scious forcing or strain on the power of ac-
commodation, which results In disordered
condition, called asthenopia. People thus
afflicted will struggle along, ignorant of
the real cause of trouble, until compelled
to consult physician for relief from nerv-
GUS affections, when they will be sur
prised to learn that it is spectacles, not
medicines, they need.
Asthenopia includes pains in the eyelids
and in the forehead over the eyes, in the
top and back of the head and in the sides
of the head just back of the eyes and is fire.
quently accompanied by extreme nausea
and general debility. When failure to OBJ
tain relief by the use of ordinary remedies
demonstrates the fact that the trouble does
not lie in ordinary causes, the careful ply
sician will at once suggest the consultation
OF an eye specialist This usually results
In the discovery of q retroactive error of
some kind which is readily remedied by
the use of properly fitted glasses, and in a
short time all symptoms of asthenopia dis
appear. Explanation of this lies in the fact
that the glasses restore the vision to the
normal stage and by doing this stop the
forced strain on the powers Of accommo.
dation, and this in turn relieves the nerv-
Gus system.
amount of what may be termed visual en-
ergy. At the early age of 10 years it is easy
to note beginning of the exhaustion of
this energy; at 80 two-fifths Of the visual
power is usually gone, and at 20 years
fully eight-tenths of the sight tenergy of
the average individual is exhausted Wom-
en- and children are in the main the great
est sufferers from defective vision, because
they are, as u rule, the most careless in the
treatment OF their eyes. The use of glasses
Is abhorrent to them as indicating the ap
proach OF old age and are only put on un-
der compulsion. DR.. James A. Lydston,
an authority on the subject, says there are
two extremes to be avoided IL the vision Is
to be retained unimpaired. One is over
illumination; the other is underillumina-
tion. Too much light is in the end almost
IS bad as a scarcity Of hght.-Chicago