The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-11-07
Far Too Many Persons Are
Now Wearing SpsctacIGs.
SIGHT IS OFTEN IMPAIRED
Tests for Young and Old Who Are Par.lca-
larry Any Gus 10 Get Rid Of
lTouhescms Lenses

The spectacle and eyeglass habit has
raised contention In the medical pro-
fession. DIR. Norburne B. jenkins, a Chi
cago oculist started the discussion re-
Gently by saying I'm the New York Medi-
cal Journsl that most confirmed specta-
Gle wearer5 could have escaped the hab-
IL If the rignt glasses had been pre-
scribed t.. the first place.
lie also stated that II is impossible TO
lit glasses correctly by following the
rules and measurements established 80
years ago and laid down now In all the
medical works. OF course, such ideas
met the customary opposition OF the pro-
lessiou.
'Ine universal rule OF putting glasses
on people TOR every slight trouble of ne
eyes Is unscicnunc ard a grave e,ii
said DR. jenkins. Young people should
not be made dependent upon glasses ex-
cept AS last resort. and not even then
Unless perfect rest and the best expert
advice have failed.
"What would We think If many OF our
yourg people we're weak in the limbs
and wore braces For glasses are kind
OF artificial support, aud the universal
need FOR them IL sign that the race is
gradually failing IN eyeslght.
Too many people need glasses for
the more rest they give. The more COM
Portable they are. the less they should
be worn when not reading. Few need
glasses on the street, for more than half
who wear them see at q distance just as
well or better with the naked eyes.
GLASSES HAVE DRAWBACKS.
III the right lenses are worn for sew
eral hours while reading the eyes will
be rested so much that the useful ex-
ercises OF outdoor sightseeing may be
taken without epectacles Glasses at
best have many drawbacks. They are
Tar from comfortable, and are In many
ways like a deformlty brace, inssmuch
as they are on aid TO nature.
Perfectly fitting glasses take all the
strain OFF the focusing muscles. They
balan~a and ease tho eyes, and give them
their per exercise even I'm moderate
reading. At first thought, therefore, IL
would seem as If glasses ought to be
worn all the. time
But IL must be borne I'm mind that the
lenses do so much OF the focusing mus
cles work that these muscEs become
weak from lazincss and dlsuse. II
mans arm is tied 20 his body and not
used II will shrivc and become helpless
Everybody except a monocle dude
with a chOppy accent wants 20 escape the
Disagreement and discomfort of glasses
Many who have had the eyeglass habit
TX
knew how. II the glasses in use 1T bad
ly their wearers are probably tied to
Them for life.
''If perfect and worn all the time. the
result is almost as bad. for the focusing
muscle here n ruined by inaction, and
the eye is aged beyond calculation. That
is exactly the case I'm old age--the focus
ing parts quit work.
EFFECTS OF BAD GLASSES
The worst quality OF bad glasses is that
they are generally too strong. They mag
nifty 80 much that there is no work left
for the focusing muscles to do and the
muscles wither and perish, as in old age.
Another bad thing abott strong glasses
is they quickly overcome all kind of de-
fects, because anybody can understand
when such things as fine print are mag
nihed. finenGss and sharpness OF outline
are not missed.
Here Is a great temptation to the lazy,
the ignorant and the dishonest, whether
oculist or op'iclan, for nearly any kind OF
eyes can be broken in to use these
rragnifiers, which both substitute and
subdue the focusing muscles, and so ruin
all delicate and fine adjustments of the
eve that they practically make il a crude
instrument, like a photographer came
ra. Like any machine. IL is then easily
managed, but consider what has been
lost.
In breaking and curing the confirmed
habit the first thing is to find out bow
near or how far away the speotacles are
from a perfect fit. After 80 years of a,re
this is easy 10 do.
There is a test that will show the varia-
tons az once. Hold finest print about
l6 inches off. Put n card first over on
eye and then over the other, and see Z
the print is as plain TO the right eye -
IL is-to the left. While trying this keep
both eyes open.
If the print looks exactly alike TO Goth
eyes and II II can be read for five or six
hours steadily without discomfort the
glasses should be discarded III the glass
es are worn all the time. do not stop
wearing them at once.
Put them on the first thing In the morn
, Ing, Wsir them all day, aud try 10 do
without them for about an hour or two
In the evening. In a day or two leave
them OFF for an hour or 40 in the middle
OF the forenoon. Then. a few DAYS later
SO withou. for awhile I'm the afternoon
on no account, though, read or do close
work without the glasses.
Keep up this routine for several
weens, gradually, adding 10 the Time OF
freedom, rntil the lenses are no longer
used for nythins, except for reading and
close Work. If a man can see well enough
on the street to keep himself out Of dam
ger, why should he wear spectacles es-
pecially II he is hurting himself by doing
so?
Eyes need all the exercise with out
door nature tney can have. III the focua-
Ing muscle has not been ruined the eyes
Will gradually come 60 themselves again.
and for out doors nud sports, at ieast.
spectacles will not be needed
The benefit Of all this Is that tho sigb,
Is clearer and sharper at all distances
and the eye stays young and strong. n
great deal longer. The science OF spccta-
cles. like every other good science. Is
simply good common sense made tlp into
WtfI. nd ~ lfr.l s.slfI