The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-27
CARE OF CHILDREN'S EYES.
PRECAUTIONS OFTEN NEGLECTED
BY PARENTS.

Nine mothers out OF ten neglect the Eyes OF
their children. The question is often asked,
why do we see so many children wearing
glasses nowadayaf' Eye specialists reply with
another question, why do we sec 30 few young
people wearing g~lassesi'' and they answer their
own question by saying, because parents are
30 ignorant of the Importance of caring for the
eyes Of their children" The average mother
looks after the teeth OF her babies from almost
the timo that the first little grains of rice, rs she
calls tlcm, make their appearance, but IL does
not always occur to her that her chlld's bright,
pretty eyes may be in a condition that will
lead to poor sight or even blindness.
An effort is being made in the public schools
OF this city to have n care for the eyes OF the
children. but those interested are hampered by
want Of money to carry on the work. For ten
years or more Superintendent Jasper has been
interested in looking after the eyes of the public
school children, not merely 80 far as diseases
of the eye arc concerned, but also as TO refrac.
ton, plain and simple. He says that the day is
surely coming when the eyes OF each individual
pupil will BIO examined by q specialist, and those
that are not normal will be properly cared for.
such n REFORM" no continued, cannot be
effected in a day or q year. 1t takes both time
and money, but 1t will come"
Last June the President OF the Board of Edu.
cation appointed a commission of thrco experts
Nhtiohb t"O SNuhtobo Va ~ Guy " ~ W tlo
board its opinion with reference to tho color
most desirable for use in the new school build.
ings, and in others when the tints are changed.
AT the same time tho board expressed a wish
that n corps of experts might be appointed and
paid by the Board OF Health, whose duty should
be TO examine the children Of the public schools
with reference to defective sight. and hearing,
objective breathing, and any abnormal or de-
fective physical condition.
~ At 49,. n-a
man Bull, DR.. Henry d. Noyes, and DR.. Emil
Gruening. the commission, reported that they
had visited a large number Of schools. They
suggested that it was not advisable to place
blackboards OH the wall directly opposite the
windows in any classroom. as was done in
several buildings. They found that the
blackbosrds were correctly placed in most
buildings, so that tho light was not reflected
in the eyes Of the pupils. They objected to
painting the wall space between the surbase
and chair rail a dark maroon, as that made a
too marked contrast with tho side walls.
They advised tho use of dark yellow or light
brown without any admixture of rcd. and
suggested light buff tints for ceiling and side
walls as satisfactory to eyes of teachers and
pupils. These authorities reported that the
quantity OF light in "A room was greatly infiu-
enced by the color Of the walls. and that the
red end Of the spectrum should never be used
in decorating schoo!rooms. as much light was
lost in the employment OF certain colors. Lighter
and more delicate shades, such as yellow or
gray. were suggested as the best. The quantity
of light in q room also varied greatly, and the
color chosen should be estimated for the least
favorable conditions. The commission advised
the choice of light.colored woods for all school
furniture and the woodwork OF the buildings.
The Building Committee is doing all it can
toward carrying out the suggestions OF this
special commission so far as concerns locating
blackboards, arranging desks that the light
may fall on them properly, and in decorating
walls and ceilings.
That is a step in the right direction" said a
prominent eye spccia!ist in speaking Of this
effort Of the School Board, but the care of a
child's eyes should begin at home long before
he enters n kindergarten.
Really the care of the ey es should begin be-
fore the birth OF ones great. grandmother. but
since our ancestors took no thought Of this
precaution in our favor. We must do the best
we can for ourselves by having our eyes OK.
amined comparatively frequently, and by TAX
ing good care of them IL they prove normal. or
by treating them properly il not normal. 1t
would shock many u inotner 10 learn That her
child is blind through her own ignorant careless
ness, and yet this Is true in n great many cases.
Our a:ylums for the blind are filled with PEG.
were not cared for when young. The educated,
thoughtful! mother OF Today who neglects a
child's eyesis almost a criminal; II q mother has
taught herself to look & at her child In the. right
way, his actions and speech not only, denote
also the actual physical condition of his eyes.
Frequently a child suffers from violent head
aches and neuralgia pains, and has a peculiar
manner Of looking at people and objects. The
ignorant mother calls this manner a queer
habit says 1t IS cute, and encourages the child
too keep iJ.up. These headaches are as common
to childhood as rheumatism, which parents tell
tho little sufferers is nothing hut growing pains.
and nine times out OF ten nre the direct result
Eye strain is frequent in children without
nized by mothers, though. Many, people ask
wearing .nns i gls1 ,Sis today ,n There .as. are F' three 81 go sS
our ancestors were careless about our eyes, and
then tho methods Of modern civilization are
people generally are being gradually educated
TO the necessity OF wearing glasses. The en-
vironment OF our forefathers and our own en-
vironment combined are the conditions that
put glasses on SO many noses.
Take the Indians, for example. You never
found an Indian raised on the plains in need of
glasses for any condition Of the eyes except that
CO Sot tom a aSld negro as Re y With T ot&er th ian' normal oGa h" sys a
sight. Seamen and the children OF seamcu have
proverbia!ly good eyes, On the other hand, the
fraction, not eye diseases. Mark Twain may
when he said u German father would not ac-
cept u child as his own unless y was born with
Blh5btb, DuI nc WAS uIlDObJ JusllHel III ndklnB
the statement. This condition OF the eyes OF the
Germans can be accounted for on Two grounds,
their studiousncss and their stolidlty. An
American may he just as studious as a German,
but no Is not stolid, and while dGvoting himself
to his books gets out, covers a lot of ground and
changes his range OF vision constantly. Not 20
with the Gcr.nan. lie limits his range Of vision
to such a short distance that the musc.e of ac-
commodation known as The ciliary muscle,
whose business IL is TO adopt the eye SO that IL
may SEQ objects close Ut hand, Is in u constant
state OF contraction. There is no muscle in the
body intended 10 DO in this condition, Even |
the muscles of the heart nave regular periods
of rest. Anybody with ordinary gumption can
readily understand that this poor oye muscle.
overworked. overexerted, must cry out to the
being which governs its action in the only way
that a muscle can @ y, and that Is In pain. This
accounts tor the many conditions Of so;callcd
neuralgia and rheumatism of the head from
which our grandparents suffered through their
own Ignorance and the ignorance OF the doctors
OF their time.
This continued dragging and pulling on the
ciliary muscle is bound after n time to have q
bad effect on 60 delicate an organ as the eye.
and by changing or interfering with the passing
and exit oil the fiuids through the interior OF the
eve, rive rise To a degeneration and disease of