Evening journal., 1898-09-07
HOW SIGHT is IMPAIRED.
Ing Need OF spectacIes Among
People.


1t Is interesting to compare the
visual acuteness OF the normal eye
before and after the effect Of some
purely physical cause that may be
within the realm Of either nature or
civilization. Taking few instances
of each for illustration, ] will cite from
nature first. It is well known that
severe sickness greatly impairs the
acuteness Of vision Of an otherwise
strong eye. Almost the first thing a
convalescent will do IS TO call for
book or newspaper to while away the
tedium Of the sickroom. Unless
warned not to try his eyes too much,
he is apt. through forgetfulness, TO
overtaslS his saccommodative powers or
inj,fre the already weakened clliary
muscle. When the rest OF the body
receivers its normal strength the eye
remains weak. After straining the
eyes more, In the vain hope that HE
eyes will improve, the person, IL he is
wise, viii consult experienced help,
IL otherwise he will pick up the first
pair Of spectacles available, regard
lNNa VI MutAntA oAbAt0 w A't
strong or too weak for his eyes. Should
he finally go TO an optician, the latter
will often find It difficult TO fit glasses
satisfactorily.
Other natural causes that affect
eyes are wind, dust, light and heat,
when excessive. Eyes otherwise good
enough become weak under such con-
/ rHI.n al. l.a Ia. 20.
an error of refraction, and under most
conditions the accommodatiye power
Of the eye is strong enough 10 over
come the error. But under such at
mospheric or climatic conditions as
have mentioned the accommodation is
lessened, and the eye cannot find re-
lief, except by the use of glasses. They
should generally be convex.
Having mentioned those losses Of
visual acuteness due to natural causes,
next in order are causes produced by
civilization. At the outset will say
that if the patient were TO change his
occupation 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 indi-
yidual.
Take a boy from the country. bring
him to town and place him at cler-
ical work, writing, perhaps, all day
and into the night. Put him behind a
counter and let him stand all day with
one hour free out of ~ or more, OF
let him sit at a work bench following
trade that keeps his eyes fixed stead
ily, hour after hour, u or IS inches IN
front of him. Take this same youth
with hitherto good eyes and bid him
use them day in and day out reading
for q profession, or let him occupy
his time in n dimly-lighted room, ol
bend over a desk beneath artitlcig
: light all the time. might 60 on
/. giving instance after instance, withou
, particlarizing any calling as NOR
harmful than others to the eyes.
is II wonder that the children o
= this generation are wearing glasse
along with their grandsires2, QldAg
, is no longer the reason for wearing
y glasses. In nine cases out of ten tn
p young man needs convex glass 4
! assist his overtaxed eyes in following
y their duties. In addition 20 thes
1 causes of weakened vision Il Is hard
Il ly necessary to mention the commol
j evils OF tobacco and alcoholic stimu
{ lants. Again, II the strong constitu
- ton of a boy cannot save his eye
o. from their thousand and one uses, hoy
b can fraii women escape? The ever
n increasing army Of women workers &
r shops and Offices and the new avenue
{ of employment opening to them swel
( the number of spectacle wearers.
: has been my purpose 10 point out tina
q it is not the serious and very plai
d errors Of refraction that cause tn
most OF an opticians patronage, an
he must often attribute the loss of Wis
il ual acuteness to other causes.-Jev