St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1898-08-20
LOSS OF VISUAL AcUTENEss
An Expert Observer Gives Reassns
that Tena IL Make Childrea
Need Glasses

II IL Is Interesting 10 compare lne VI8DSt
acuteness OF the normal eye before and
after the effect Of some purely physical
cause, that may be within the realm OF
either nature of civilization Taking =
few instances Of each for illustration. /
viii cite from nature first. II ik well
known that severe illness greatly i'm
pairs the acuteness of vision Of an other
wise strong eye. Almost the first thing
a convalescent will do is to call for .
book or newspaper to while away the
tetiium of the sick room. Unless warned
not to try his eyes too much. he is apt.
through forgetfulness, to overtask his
accommodative powers or injure the al
ready weakened ciliary muscle. When
the rest of his body recoverx its normal
strength the eyes more, in the vain hope
that his sight will improve, the person,
if he is wise, will consult experienced
help; if otherwise. he will pick up the
first pair of spectacles available. regard
less Of whether they should be too
strong or too weak for lis eyes, Should
he finally go to an optician, the latter
will often find il difficult to fit glasses
satisfactorily. =
Other natural causes that affect eyea
are wind, dust. light and heat, when
excessive. Eyes otherwise good enough
become weak under such conditions.
The weakness may be due to an error Of
refraction, and under most conditions
the accommodative power Of the eye is
strong enough TO overcome the error
But under such atmospheric or climatic
conditions as / have mentioned, the ac-
cOmmodation is lessened, and the eye
cannot find relief, except by the use oi
glasses- They should generally be con-
vex.
Having mentioned those losses Of
visual acnteness due to natural causes
rext in order are causes produced by
civilization. At the outset will say that
II the patient were to change his eccu-
patton and take plenty Of fresh air and
exercise, the opticians service might
never be needed, but these IFS are in
the way, and are not to be got rid Of By
the average individual.
Take boy from the country, bring
him to town and place him at clerical
work, writing, perhaps, all day and into
the night. Put him behind counter.
and let him stand all day with one hour
free out Of 12 or more, or let him sit at q
work bench, following trade that
keeps his eyes fixed steadily. hour after
hour, IL or IS inches in front of him
Take this same youth with hitherto
good eyes and bid him use them day in
ard day out, reading for q profession.
nr let him occupy his time in a dinfy-
lighted room, or bend over desk be.
meath artificial light all the time. J
might go on, giving instance after In.
stance, without particularixing any ca.E
| ing ax more harmful than others to this
eyes.
Is it q wonder that the children oi
this generation are wearing giassci
along with their grand sires? Old ags
II no longer the reason for wearing
glasses. In niEr cases out Of ter ths
young man needs convex glass to as.
sist his ovcrtaxed eyes in fulfilIing theii
duties.
In addition to these causes of weak.
eped vision, it is hardly necessary k
mention the common evils Of tobacco
and alcoholic stimulants. Again, II the
strong constitution Of q boy cannot sase
ais eyes from their thousand and ont
uses, how can frail women escape? The
ever increasing army of women workers
in shops and Offices, and the new aren.
ues of employ ment opening 20 them
swell the number Of spectacle wearers
1t has been my purpose to point out thai
it is not the serious and very p!aiE
errors of refraction that cause the most
Of q opticians patronage. and be must
often attribute the loss Of visual acute
ness to other rcauscs--Jewelers'W Weekly