Evening journal., 1897-04-24
GHILDRENs EYES.
A PHYSICIAN ON THE IMPORTANCE
or CARING ron THEM.


prrottios, s'an~tirnca Infected by rrou-
bio Of the ryesieht Benefits Of Using
Properly Adjusted Glasses = valuable
Advice 70 Parents.
About two years ago a lady brought
two of her sons, aged respectively 9 and
IL, 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 procaution, as she
was well aware that both herself and
her husband had defective eyes, and some
of her children were already wearing
glasses for troubles which were without
doubt hereditary In answer to ques-
tions about the general health Of the
children, their disposition, complaints
they made regarding headache, etc she
made the following statement.
~ really am puzzled to know what
20 do with the Older hoy He seems SO
irritable and cross after few days at
school, and be always seems TO be spoil
ing for a lght His hoalth seems very
good, with the exception Of hciglGchc
after study, but he is not nearly ae far
advanced in school for his age as Is his
younger brother
After making q careful examination /
prescribed glasses for the Older one, but
told the mc,h0 that the younger one
did rot need them at the present time.
Ibid not sec any thing Of the children or
the mother for six months at which
time, when Ttcting the mother, She
told me iho glasses had worked a mar
yelous change ia her SON, and he wore
them constantly and could not bear ia
be without them. lie was now picking
up m his sohcoi woIi. and was better
naturod than Sac had over known him
before
Tais child is only one Of many thou
sands in cur schools today who are hgv-
ing their dispositicns ruined and arc
called dull and stupid by their parcnts
and teachers through no fault Of THEN
own Being perhaps born with de-
feet in sight they do not know Of any
different world from that which they sec
through detective eyes, consequently
cannot relate their troubles 60 their par.
ents as they are entirely unconsciou.
of their detect. Therefore / wish to en-
phGsizo most omphatically that it is Tn,
duty OF all parents ard teachers TO mari
very closely amy popularity that chill
dr,n may havo in looking at objects al
long distance or close ut hand such a,
squirting their eyes, trcwning, looking
sidcwiso from partially closed eyes mc
particularly regarding the distance al
which they hold their reading matter
from their eyes. for it is natural for ,
child or for q grown person, fer tina
matter who has normal sight to hole
clearly printed reading matter about Il
inches from his eyes should this b,
varied 10 amy extent, cach as drawing
the reading quito close to the eyes @
holding it at arm S length, it is almos
sure sign that there is something
wrong.
People who have strong eyes usual.
have hut little sympathy for those VIII
are less fortanato in this respect.
The necessity OF glasses to assist
child in school work, which viii pu
it on more even footing with tn
other students, is not appreciated h.
many parents who are otherwis
thoughtful and considerate Of the wei
fare of their children, and who are il
many cases undergoing privations tina
thcir children may secure an education
DO not be too ready to judge these chill
drcn as having fad for glasses or wish
ing to wear them because some of thei
playmates 90. Better be q little ova
cautious in having the child's eyes ez
amincd than to take too much responsi
bility i'm this matter in your own hands
for no honest optician viii advise yo
20 put glasses ON child unless they ar
sure 60 prove an advantage.
Another point which think shoul
be proclaimed loud and long TO the dil
ferent parents is the fact that nine q
every ten cases OF s;rabismUs (cross eyes
existing among children under the az
Of l2 cam le wholly cured by the yer
simple and painless method of wearin
glasses whcrecs if this matter is lei
until the child has reached maturity
requires O painful operation, which /
tho majority of cases is not altocethl
successful then, for 10 is not alone Oh
matter OF appearance that the parent
are responsible for But children VIII
are cross eyed and allowed to remain i
tins condition amy length Of time are "a
most certain 20 lose the use of one oy
wholly or in part owing to the lengt
Of time they Ie allowed 60 go in th
way. Very few children are born Gro.
eyed, and almost cvcry mother will &c
you that this misfortune was due (
some sickness, fall or something
the kind which happened when the
were beginning towalk, when i'm reaiii
the accident on sickness only marked II
time that the child FIRST began to use i
eyes TO discriminate small objects, an
the straining OF the eyes TO see cause
them to cross
Another reason why many clildrC
are allowed 10 grow up cross eyed is b
cause physicians in general prco6
have heretofore been SO grossly ienorm
of these subjects that they have il
formed the mother that the child Voc
probably outerow this trouble This
a mistake Cross eyes are produced 7
etrnininr tho siubt and vei-- ,.af,al,-