Evening journal., 1897-05-01
CHILDREN'S EYES.
a. PHYSICIAN ON THE IMPORTANCE
OF CARING FOR THEM.

About two years ago a lady brought
two Of her Sons, aged respectively . and
II, tome TO have their eyes examined to
see if glasses were needed. She had tax
en- this step partially on my invitation
and as q matter Of prccaution, as she
was we'll 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 TO quos-
tions about the general health Of the
children, their disposition, complaints
they made regarding headache, etc, she
made the following statement:
II really am puzzled TO know what
20 do with the older boy. lie seems so
irritable and cross after a few days at
school, and he always seems to be spoil
ing for a fight His health seems very
good, with the exception Of heNlacho
after study, but he is not nearly as far
advanced in school for his age as is his
younger brother
After making careful examination
prescribed glasses for the older one, but
told the mother that the younger ono
did not need them at the present time.
Idid not see anything Of the children or
the mother for six months, at which
time, when meeting the mother, she
told mo tho glasses had worked a mar
volous change in her son, and ho wore
them constantly and could not bear TO
be without them. He was now picking
up in 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 a de-
feet in sight, they do not know Of any
different world from that which they see
through detective eyes, consequently
cannot relate their troubles to their par
onts, as they are entirely unconscious
of their defect Therefore / wish to en-
phasize most omphatcally that it is the
duty of all parents and teachers to mark
very closely any popularity that chill
drcn may have in looking at objects at
q long distance on close at hand, such as
squirting their eyes frowning, looking
sidewise from partially closed eyes and
particularly regarding the distance at
which they hold their reading matter
from their eyes, for it is natural for o
child, or for a 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 quito close to tho eyes OF
holding it at arm s 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 a
child IN school work, which Will PUT
1t ON a moro oven footing with the
other students, is not appreciated by
many parents who arc otherwise
thoughtful and considerate Of the well
fare of their children, and who are in
many cases undergoing privations that
their children may secure an education.
DO not be too ready to judge these chill
dron as having fad for glasses or wish
ing to wear them because sorae Of their
playmatcs do. Better be little over
cautious in having the chiId's eyes ox-
amined than to take too much response.
bility in this matter in your own hands,
for no honest optician win advise you
to put glasses on. a child unless they arC
sure to prove an advantage.
Another point which think should
be proclaimed loud and long torthe diff
ferent parents is tho fact that nino o.
every ten cases Of strahj SINUS (clDss eyes
existing among children under the agl
OF ~ can be wholly cured byrthe yer,
simple ana painless method OF wearing
glasses, whereas if this matter is lef
until the child hasFreached maturity j
requires painful operation, which il
the majority of eases is not Saltogethe
successful then, for it is not alone tn
matter of appearan 20 that tho parent
are responsible fm. But chill dren VIII
are cross eyed and. allowed to s,emain i
this condition any length of til ne are al
most certain 70 los 9 the use OF one ey
wholly OF in part owing to the lengt
of timo they are allowed to so in thi
way. Very few children are,born Gro.
eyed. and almost every mother'will te
yo0 that this lnsfor tune was due {
some sickness, Il fall or something {
the kind which hapl ,ened wlsen the
were beginning towa k, when in realit
the accident orsiclzne IS only marked IL
time that the child ii rst began TO use j
eyes TO discri inmate small objects, an
the strainip z Of theseyes to see cause
them to CT oss.
Anothe reason why many childrC
are allo' we'd to grow up cross eyed is b
cause physicians in general prGcti
have heretofore been so grossly ignora,
OF neso subjects that they have i
for med the mother that The child won
pr obably outgrow this trouble. This
,. mistake. Cross eyes are produced
straining the sight ard very rarely,
ever, are outgrown. Babies sometim
have the appearance of being slight
cross eyed, owing to the formation
the lids when they are very sma
This, of course, may be outgrown. b