The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1902-11-14
THE SENSE or SIGHT
HOW AN INFANT SLOWLY LEARNS
TO EXERCISE IT.
At First the Newborn Babe Has tho
Power Only to Distinguish between
Light md Darkncss-The Develop
ment of the Power of Vision.

The sense most carly exercised by
the newborn infant is the sense of
sight. but at first it has the power only
TO distinguish light from darkness and
is i'll comparison with its later devel-
opmcnt Blind. while in many Of the
lower creatures the senses are at birth
fully developed.
What 4 difference there Is between
the dull eye Of the newborn infant and
tho sharp vision of the young chick.
which is able 10 pick up with precision
grain Of corn or even snap up fly
while the c%.:shcll may be still stick
ing to its back. The eye Of the infant,
however, IS developed very gradually,
ard during infancy and childhood it
learns how to sec. In the first few days
it notices the difference between light
and darkness when the light is very
Intense, and 1t may even knit its brow
in sleep IL n bright light be brought
close TO It's face.
On the same principle striking
bright color will also be noticed when
held close to the face.
In ali these cases, however, the in
fant follows the object by turning it's
head and not by the movement of the
eyes.
The eyelids open and shut from birth,
but they arc not always moved Mt the
same time with the movements Of the
eyeballs until the infant has reached
the second or third month. Under two
or three months Of age infants do not
wink when the hand or an object Is
waved before the face, because they
do not sec the hand distinctly.
One Of the remarkable points Of in
terest in the development of tho in
fants power of vision is the way in
which it learns to appreciate the OBJ
iccts seen. 1t has to learn to discover
the distance of objects, their shape,
size, character, etc, and this it does
with tie assistance of the sense of
touch.
The face Of the mother or nurse is
made familiar in that it Is brought SO
close to the infants face.
After the infant has learned to sec
objects distinctly at tic distance of
several feet it begins to use both eyes
In common. At first the eyes net indie
pcndently Of each other, so that it un-
GoubtCdly has double vision and sees
everything double. This double vision
can lie produced by many ut will by
looking "cross eyed"
The infant having reached the point
when IL sees an object clearly. 1t must
also begin to understand objects OF
three Gimensions-t,!at Is, TO find out
the difference between n fiat surface
and solid body. Here the srnsc Of
touch also assists. The infant rrasps
an object and, putting it to it's lips and
face. satisfies itself as to the shape,
/ chara cter. etc.
1t is interesting in this connection to
note some cases In which person horn
blind RECEIVERS sight when grown.
In one case q 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 lie began
to see objects without understanding
| thcm-nct being able to judge their
| distances from his cye-and lie felt rs
IL everything was touching his eye, so
that 20 touch an object he Mt first
| would put one finger or the hand up
| before his face, pointing at the object
aimed ut, and reach forward until his
| finger came in contact with the OBJ
jcct.
After he had recovered the use of
both eyes lie began to find out that
everything was not fiat, but that many
things had certain thickness as we'll
as lcugth and breadth. and in this way
he began to see solid objects.
Hnt even for year or two after COM
rlctc recovery he was unable to decide
whether certain figure was fiat sur
face. rs in II painting, or n solid body.
He was also obliged to learn the diff
| fcrcnt animals and objects, not know
| ing the difference between cat and q
| dog until he had touched them.
We all 80 through just the same proc
css of learning how to soc in infality.
| The child may he two or three years.
| its eyes and can judge Of the distance
Of objects in the room. etc.
The care Of the eye is n question Of
| great Importance for mothers and
| nurses. The eyes Of newborn infants
| should be carefully washed with fresh,
clear water, and If anything unusual
Is noticed the physician should be seen.
The infants eyes are specially to be
protected against too bright light 1t
Is by no means an uncommon thing to
see nurse wheeling young infant in
the carriage while the light sun is
pouring into the childs eyes. This does
| tnc FOL fo ~, t.t
the sun when the weather is not too
warm, but the eyes should always be
protected against the bright glare,
whether direct or reflected.