The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-01-22

4uNG GVIQyGJ0ty vail tnC POI tou VIC 1--we
in the ''age Of steam" or the "age Of cleo
tricity," but 1t would perhaps be more
accurate to. call 1t "the age of spectaclcs. =
Look where we will, in the schools. the
churches. the shops, the courts, the marts
OF business or the resorts of pleasure. we
find q large proportion of the people using
spectacles in some form or other. IN tho
Emitted States ut least 80 per cent OF tho
school children IRE myopic. or near
sighted. and this is only one Of the defects
from which eyesight suffers, AS people
grow up and grow older the vision is at
fcctcd in other ways, so that 1t Is not IN
reasonable to say that the. vast majority
Of the people about us wear OF ought TO
wear spectacles
In the June Review of Reviews Dir. ALI
port of Minnesota discusses the subject of
the defective eyesight of American chill
dren. He shows that human eyesight Is
degenerating and that. this degcnrracy has
become hereditary. The cause OF the de-
generationis the excessive strain upon the
eye produced by Intellectual pursuits. In
other words. the intellectual progress aud
the ocular degeneration Of the human race
are inseparable companions.
This relationship Is proved by the fact
that among savage races. or those which
have made little or no intellectual prog
ress, the eyes are normal and the per-
centage Of defective sight very small.
Among Indian children only per cent
are affected by myopia, and among negroes
only az per cent. or 1000 Mexican chill
dren examined, eight were near sighteds
sixty far-sighted and ten astigmatic In
The United States 90 per cent OF the school
\ children have defective eyes. while in Ger
many. where all sorts of intellectual pui'-
suits abound and the Typography of books.
is of the most exccrable description, 80
per cent Of the children are myopic.
Dr. Airport does net argue from these
statistics that we must abandon study and
revert to ii state OF nature. Nor docs he
conclude that we Will necessarily lose our
4 eyesight altogether and become per-
manently blind but he urges the absolute
necessity OF watchfulness over and care
of the eyes Of the children. School priu
cipals particularly should be trained in the
detection of eye disorders and boards of
education should employ skillfnl oculists
10 examine the school children and also to
instruct the teachers
This system has been introduced in
Minneapolis with the most favorable re-.
suits. Last year a3,0a9 pupils In the public
schools We're examined and 1898. or about
81 per cent, We're found defective. The per-
centage of detectives in the different school
buildings also varied greatly, ranging from
10 10 81 per cent, the maximum number
being discovered In building of notori-
ously poor and unhygienic character. This
shows the necessity OF heathful and prop
erly constructed school buildings. where
the light may be unobstructed.
This subject, which Is of such vast inn
portance to the welfare and ilsefulnes OF
the rising generation, might well occupy
the attention of our board ofteducation.
Defective eyes can not in all cases be
cured, but they can be SO alleviated by the
IN mr. ist rnt In "A hratt ybt
upon them and the defects are not in-
creased. In the case OF children this prac-
tically saves the eyes.
believe that many have defective sight
who IRE entirely ignorant of the nature of
their trouble, even though they may be
wearing glasses, and I submit the follow
Ing. which may be Of interest to tho peo-
pie who are familiar with the terms near
sightedness, far-sightodness. etc. but who
have not the slightest idea what the con
ditions are that produce these troubles:
Myopia, or r-sightedness Usual
cause, diameter OF the cyeball too long,
II may be due to error of refraction or
diseased condition and may be either
congenital or acquired. Fifteen per cent of
the school children in the high grades
have II.
Symptoms Prominent eyes and large
pupils. Distant vision Improved by suuint-
ing. Vision OF distant objects poor. Vision
good at very close point progressive In
early life. Handwriting small. Persons with
this difficulty see perfectly when objects
are held near the eyes but distant objects
are dim and often invisible. Near-sighted
children often injure their eyes endeavor-
tng to see during blackboard exercises. IT
Is the duty OF a teacher to report all such
cases TO parents and to see that the child
Is fitted with spectaclcs. Great care should
be taken IN the collection OF glasses for
tho near-sighlel, as too strong glasses
AZ r~~ss
likely 10 terminate In blindness.
IJypermetropis, or far-sightedncss- Err
FOR Of refracsiop, Diameter Of the eycbaI
too short ThiE Is tho mosts common cause
and Il copgenital. Flattcned condition of
the cornca.
not BE- poor Fine print can not be read;
letters run together. Small eye. Pupils
small, Pein In syeball. Looking cross
eyed. Squintiug while reading.
= plyent II troubled with hyper
metropis thsir children arc more than
Z sen thousands Of children are born with
4effsttye tysf These can not use spec
teslee toq oArly.
Gtigmatism Il one OF the most COM
nan tSouAlss thet the human eve is heir
to,N ifty yeere aEos II was thought that
but 81 tho present time 1t Is known
that ona In every ten Is affected. while
many gcepe6ially among children) are un-
etle t0 yeRd q word except With ono eye,
v In conefQuenco Of this disease, Persons
Mo rHa perfectly with one eye do not
A; IA isR tbe other Until pycr,se or accident
3 3 les We sound Dne, Every man we-
pssf Hllli ais1uil is'y each eye separate
V ~ IN {liey can read cuuAlly Wall
N rptli, EonlpQVsid difficulties often
4x18t Atlf no Rrla issH, For example onr
p3}t Il, { thu eye. % y be acar- ighted and
u VI IN f1c Il; IL if al The e3ie may bs iars
n ~ QJs she y n;gg 90 ipapi'esaca upon thns
I ~ hi Il mr. ,sbe III deiineh 81 requires d
< y a h III etcrt The nature N
4 " NJ q! {Ies n1)d 10 seifel and combine
= Il A N gyerrnne fheIn.
s 4 Al Oh ldrcu'p WSrk a speciality
x; y, nj because confne my
ii 3(qQIx y them, but because
: RI ~ * y, Sreater Held In this
N NDQrR at 70 injure their
4 n n ~ work imposed on
1<f Il f34 31hlld Will often euffer