Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1897-02-04
CARE FOR YOUR EYES
PRECAUTIONS TO BE OBSERVED
TO PROTECT THE SIGHT.
OPINIONS OF A SPECIALIST
Defects that are Most Common-Some
Rules Laid Down for General
Guidance-BoIting of Eyes for Old
and Young-Blood Damming
Very Bad.

Very Bad.
| The casual remark OF doctor the
other day that affections OF the eyes
were on the increase led to an investi-
cation by a reporter, with the result
that the assertion was found to be sub
stantially correct.
Several eye specialists whom the re-
porter saw were unanimous in The
opinion that since asphalt pavements
have been laid in the city's streets
there has been q large increase in in
flammation of the eyes-conjunctivitis.
When an ophthalmologist las doctors
who make a speciality of the eye are
called first mentioned this the reporter
thought he was putting it rather
strongly, but the other doctors were of
the same mind, and cited their eye dis
pensary reports from the hospitals
with which they are connected for the
past few months and the correspond
ing months before the asphalt pave
ments were laid. There undoubtedly
has been an increase, even more than
would be looked for or allowed for
with the growth of the population.
1t is not hard to understand how this
increase in infiamed eyes has come
about when doctors say that the heavy
wheels Of drays and carts grind the top
layer of the asphalt into an almost
imperceptibly fine gray dust, which,
when blown into the eyes by a stiff
breeze, sets up an irritation of an ex-
ceedingly annoying and sometimes
dangerous character. This, however,
is easily relieved by ophthalmologists
if no other complication arise.
There are many other troub les which
the eyes are heir to- and in late years
some have increased while others have
decreased. Of the more common kind.
not so much is heard nowadays of
moon blindness an eye trouble of
which sailors returning from the trop-
les complained. The jack tars used to
think, and probably many of them do
yet, that the difficulty they had in see
ing was due to sleeping on deck in the
rays of the full moon on hot summer
nights in the torrid zone 1t was not
the moon, however. that caused the
trouble, but the powerful rays of a
southern sun pouring down on the
white sails and white decks of the YES
sells.
Again, some seagoing men have re
turned to port complaining of Difficult
ties of sight which they attributed to
looking at passing vessels while at sea
through a maze of ropes in the rigging
of their own boats. Another complaint
was that the sudden fash of white
from a seaguI's wings dazzled them
and affected their eyesight
Of course these and many other
ideas of the friends of Davy Jones are
fallacies. Any one of a half-dozen
causes Of which the mariner knew
nothing may have caused his own pee
uliar trouble But a sailor is super
stitious and will have his fancies. no
matter what the eye specialist thinks
Of his lights as he calls them.
The eye, although an exceedingly
delicate organ, will stand much tinker
ing when necessary, and now that the
Ophthalmologists have found it out,
many troubles and defects that would
have appalled, the specialist who at
tempted to correct them a few years
ago are easily remedied.
Nearsightedness and farsightedness
are at present two of the most common
eye troubles. Astigmatism is another
Nearsightedness or myopia, is a
trouble for which civilization is largely
responsible, SO one specialist has said.
Not only this, but the malady is on
the increase, especially among school
children. The reporter dwelt briefly
on this point with one of the specialists
seen, Professor L. Webster Fox, who
has been a government expert on the
eye
Fox, lis undoubtedly on the increase,
especially among school children. This
means that as generation follows SC
Grafton visual defects will also multi
ply. Our children are kept at con-
tinuOus work too long at one sitting;
mental fatigue before the child is ready
to begin his more important studies.
Too long hours at study are demanded
to memorize lessons which are, as a
rule, beyond the comprehension of the
little ones, and something must give
way. If the eyes do not break down the
health will. If the eyes give way near
sightedness develops, caused by over
straining and abuse of them during
school hours. Then comes the Fran
kenstein-terTible as it is to the fond
parent, but the only relief-wearing
spectacles. The child must wear
glasses so that he must continue not
only to see with more ease the objects
near him, b11t also distant objects
There is no reason why the little, cir
cular, focusing muscle Of the eye which
aids in making one see objects clearly
may not become tagged out just as the
larger muscles elsewhere do. Place a
heavy weight on your shoulders, bear
the weight all day long, and a very
tired condition of the supporting mus
cles of the body naturally follows. 1t
does not require much elaborate think
ing to conceive what results must fol-
low upon the prolonged abnormal use
Of the eyes. This focusing muscle is
potent enough to disturb the whole
physical act of seeing, and by indirect
action also be a factor in producing
headaches.