The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-03-05

time to have a bad effect on so deli
cate an organ as the eye, and by chang
ing or interfering with the passing and
exit Of the fluids through the interior
of the eye, give rise to a degeneration
and disease of the delicate coating in
| its interior. Eventually 1t leads to an
| elongation of the eyeball ITSELF which
| Is a condition known as myopia or
near-slghtedness. Many a child can
| thank its mother for being near
| sighted. She has encouraged it to
| strain over books for first honor or
| some silly prize and the result is
bad case of ar-sightedness. The elon-
| cation of the eyeball is not as a rule
| congenital or hereditary, but tend
| ency to it certainly is, and when such
| is the case a confinement over books
| will surely cause 1t.
| when a child has what is known as
| far-sghtedness, or hypermetropia. a
| life led in the open is not nearly so
| injurious as a confined life. If a far
! sighted child is allowed to romp and
play in the country or in the park the
best part of it's time, it will probably
| go through its whole life without any
4 Il a
tendency to increase, but most au-
thorities agree that it turns into near
sightedness If the subject does confin-
ing work. Because a child sees as well
as it's playmates does not signify that
it has no need for glasses. If the
youngster is far-sighted, that poor
little muscle in the eye is compelled to
work hard all the time for distant vis-
ion, and all the harder for near vision.
CROSS EYES.
THE exterior appearance Of a child s
| eye rarely shows a difference from nor
NAL in it's refractive quality, unless the
child has a squint or is cross-eyed.
| The eyes of almost every cross-eyed
child, If taken in time, can be straight
ened permanently by the use of glasses,
! and the necessity of an operation and
much mental irritation consequent up
on continual pain avoided later in life.
Mothers do not always attend
| promptly to signs of Inflammation
about the eyes of their children. 1t is
! very seldom that an eye specialist sees
case unless it has been referred to
him by the family doctor after he has
expended all his skill in endeavoring to
cure the child of headache. Few fam
| lily physicians realize that most of
| childhood's headaches are due TO eye
| strain. The question arises, can suf-
| fiCient permanent injury come from
| the conditions of the eyes mentioned to
justify any community in expending
money toward discovery and relief?
| Yes, ten times yes for the reason that
there are very many persons in our
| blind asylums today who are parasites
III
were neglected in childhood.
| "A child's eyes should be just as care
fully observed during the period of it's
| growth as its morality. Then is the
time that the eyes are most strained.
In view of the ignorance of parents,
teachers and the children themselves,
it would he very wise to have an eX-
animation made by experienced eve
specialists of the refractive condition of
the eyes Of every pupil in our public
schools. A record of each examination
should be kept and where there is a
tendency toward near-sightedness, far
sightedness OF any of the conditions
mentioned the teacher in direct charge
of such pupils would be instructed by
the doctor as to the proper amount of
eye work advisable in each case. After
would be but little trouble. A general
examination Of the eyes would hardly
be necessary more than once a year.
EXAMINATION.
THE re gular examination of a child $
eyes should begin at birth and should
then be made by an eye specialist. 1t
is q simple enough matter to examine
a child's eyes and an expert does it very
rapidly by means of a little iEStru-
ment known as the ophthahnOScope.
With only those eyes showing a con-
dition other than normal by this instru-
ment would it be necessary to go
through a longer and more thorough
examination. The moment that a
mother, be she poor or rich, sees that
child's eyes are inflamed in the least
she should take it at once to a special
list. These who are not able to pay
for advice should patronize the dispen-
saries where special attention is given
to the eye.'
us color blindness common" asked
the reporter.
Not very" answered the physician
"a lot of people are color blind and yet
can differentiate between colors, but
not shades of color. 1t is only by care
full testing that color blindness can be
discovered, and it is sometimes the
forerunner of atrophy of the optic
nerve. The sense of green goes first
then red, next blue. and finally white
A condition Of color blindness is sci.
dom called to the attention of the spe-
calist. True, examinations as to color
blindness are made by railroad man.
ayers in employing men, as a protec-
tion to themselves and the travelling
public, but as this is about the only
occupation where business interests
and life depend on a differentiation OF
colors, l hardly feel that it would be
wise or just IN this proposed examin
alton of the eyes of all children to tacl
upon them the stigma of being color
blind.
PRECAUTIONS.
Mothers should not allow growing
boys and girls to read or study a
night, and they should train them tC
change the range of vision frequently
A child of two or three years can bt
taught that when it's eyes are tiret
from looking at objects close to it, i
will rest them to look at things off II
the distance. Children should also b,
taught to read and study sitting IL
almost a vertical position, with tn,
book nearly on "A level with the eyes
and at an angle so that the light shines
on II from over the shoulder Tho cp,