Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1902-10-31
rpr SENSE OF SIGHT
.,,, AN INFANT SLOWLY LEARNS
0' TO EXERCISE 1T.

.s..be power Of Eiaton.
-,,sa most early exercised by
-As r-rorn infant is the sense of
tue INF Of first it has the power only
s'=- -..-.rrrfsb light from darkness ana
10 -. morrison with its later devel-
IS ~ hind, while in many OF the
0l-'''' ,..ar,rps the senses are at birth
fnr1v developed. ,4o,,,
-o What difference there is between
I'm .,ra of the newborn infant and
,Ls | .rsrn vision of the young chick,
'I '..L +. able to pick up with precision
II LIN, If corn or even snap up ny
L 7, ,r.a eggshell may be still stick
, WHO IFS back! The eye Of the infant
tD7 is developed very gradually
Io g drfng infancy and childhood it
a., az how TO see. In the first few days
!, aa+fcas the difference between light
"a darkness when the light is very
' ','t@ and it may even knit its brow
. u. alasn If bright light be brought
crose to its face.
o'1 Nm fine same principle a striking
....l,+ color will also be noticed when
Mold close to the face.
IN oil these cases, however, the in
can't follows the object by turning its
regd and not by the movement of the
rhocveIfds open and shut from birth
,o+ ,Iy-ovC moved at the
came time with the movements of the
ovoballs until the infant has reached
mo second or third month. Under two
ar three months of age infants do not
wink when the hand or an object IS
viewed before the face, because they
do not see the hand distinctly.
One of the remarkable points of in
+presr in the development of the in
fant's mower of vision is the way in
which it learns to appreciate the OBJ
ipcts seen. 1t has to learn to discover
the distance of objects, their shape,
size. character, etc, and this it does
with the assistance of the sense of
touch.
9Tbe face Of the mother or nurse is
made familiar in that it is brought so
close to the infants face.
eAfter the infant has learned to see
objects distinctly at the distance of
several feet it begins to use both eyes
in common. At first the eyes act indie
pendently of each other, so that it I'M
doubtedIy has double vision and sees
everything double This double vision
can be produced by many at will by
looking cross eyed"
The infant having reached the point
when it sees an object clearly, it must
also begin to understand objects Of
three dimensions-that is, to find out
the difference between a fiat surface
and solid body. Here the sense of
touch also assists. The infant grasps
an object and, putting it to its lips and
face, satisfies itself as to the shape,
character, etc.
1t is interesting in this connection to
note some cases in which person born
blind RECEIVERS sight when grown.
In one case a young man who had
lost his sight in early infancy was so
completely blinded that he could not
distinguish even the strongest light
from darkness.
After on operation on one eye had
been successfully performed he began
to see objects without understanding
them-not being able to judge their
distances from his eye-and he felt as
II everything was touching his eye, so
that to touch an object he at first
would put one finger or the hand up
before his face, pointing at the object
aimed at and reach forward until his
finger came in contact with the OBJ
ject.
After he had recovered the use Of
both eyes he began to find out that
everything was not fiat, but that many
Things bad certain thickness as well
as length and breadth, and in this way
ne began to see solid objects.
But even for a year or two after COM
pIete recovery he was unable to decide
whether a certain figure was fat sur
race, as in a painting, or a solid body.
lie was also obliged to learn the diff
ierent animals and objects, not know
ing the difference between a cat and a
Jog until he had touched them.
"eall 90 through just the same proc
tss OF learning how to see in infancy.
Inc child may be two or three years,
VI even older, before it has control over
us eyes and can judge of the distance
OF objects in the room, etc.
Inc care Of the eye is a question of
great Importance for mothers and
nurses, The eyes of newborn infants
should be carefully washed with fresh
gear water, and if anything unusual
AZ ~, uouced the physician should be seen.
1ue infants eyes are specially to be
projected against too bright light. 1t
a. ny no means an uncommon thing to
see see d nurse wheeling a young infant in
.ue carriage while the bright sun is
pouring INTO the child's eyes. This does
t I0I argue against taking infants into
,u9 sun when the weather is not too
warm but the eyes should always be
pt0'ected against the bright glare,
whether direct or reflected.
lie Wasn't One of the Two.