Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1905-12-22
Brattleboro, Friday, Dec. 22, 1905.
The Cause of Defective Eyesight.


that the cause of such general impair,
ment of vision as those tests indicated
might be found in the poisoning due
to food, drug and drink authorizations,
As far as we can Judge, none of the
state papers took stock in our argu-
ment along this line, but contented
themselves with railing against chalk
dust, blackboards, improper lighting
and horizontal desks.
While we admitted that some local
damage might be done in the ways
enumerated by our contemporaries, we
were unable to see how any or all of
them could account for the fact that
every other adult one meets wears
glasses or has some serious eye trou-
BILE; we were unable to reconcile the
fact that the highest percentage of
defective eyesight was found in the
larger centers of population, where
schoolhouses are constructed on mod
ern scientific principles, with the the
DRY of eyestrain due to improper
lighting; and we reflected that the |
horizontal desks were in use and text
book study upon them almost con-
slant years ago when it was rare
thing for child to complain of any
sort of eye trouble.
On the other hand, we noted that
defective vision was most common in
the larger villages and cities where the
consumption of adulterated food and
drink would naturally be most COM {
mon; the people of the rural districts
living on the product of their farms,
raising and preserving their own fruit,
storing their vegetables, butchering I
their own livestock and making their
own cider, wine, fruit syrups and vine :
gar. h
A partial confederation of The Re- p
Luz Hltl 10 Julo WtCh III
the statement of DR.. L. d. Crothers, of +
the Walnut Lodge hospital at Hart t,
ford, Conn, who has just returned from
a European trip where he has been T
studying inebriety. He declares that b
The amount of wood alcohol which is #
Used in beverages and drugs is appall- it
ng. He says: &C
1t is finding its way into beverages as well Id
IS drugs because has been found to m
eutralize its acrid taste. Its effect is chiefly
manifested by form of paralysis of the legs
which victims mistake and often treat for rheu co
natism.
The increase in blindness and dimness of re
ison is due to the of wood alcohol in tn
averages and also for internal purposes In
he latter enough Of the poison is absorbed
affect the eyes.
In hospitals less and less of the ordinary liquors
re being used for the reason that other drugs va
ave been found which are not only less harm
Il but also more powerful. Statistics Of hos qu
tal mortality show that where the liquor bills
ere large the mortality was equally large, and
ce versa
aw
The reports Of the government 81,
lemists and state health boards have
Town that wood alcohol is used to -.
lulterate many favoring extracts and
,usehold remedies. There is likeli-
,od enough that we are being poi TIL
ned with this and other dangerous the
lulterants to make strict precaution spe
Id investigation wise. our
School boards, teachers and parents
ould consider these facts and argu- l
ents which we here present. We be- knt
we that in the children and not in frol
= schoolroom or its furnishings they tax
II find the greatest and most danger nan
s cause of the trouble they seek to ing
rect. Until the weakness in the pu- abs
is remedied, the time and effort
ey expend on these minor causes is B
solutely wasted is
We shall watch with much interest pres
4 anxiety the tactics employed by side
lgress in dealing with the national Pris
re food bills during the present ses- all-n
n. A determined effort is being less
de, by those who have investigated CRAP
best understand the adulteration OF e.
|, to put through some kind of a
which will afford relief to the
timized public; and an opposition -
determined and thus far successful
being offered. The house has twice !,
=, =, -, prod
evid,
senate in which body certain in
sted influences have a strong hold. .,
~ states have passed stringent
} food laws but their regulations
conflicting and the need of wise -
onal law to which all may conform "a
rgent. :,
INC light,
onal meaning follow the congress The
Il records during the present ses- the a
and see what legislation is Of the ,
ana what action their congress liquor
j representatives take upon it. 1t should
st as well to know whether your eist Z
ests are being protected and pro- the st
d among the national lawmakers physic
IT; and if not, why not irity OF