St. Tammany farmer., 1905-09-09
BY DIR. OLIVE G. sMITHsoN.

uaI0ed LIDS
BY DR. OLIVE G. sMITHsON.
Copyright. 1905. by Joseph B. Bowles.l
The eye is, metaphorically as well
as otherwise, the most abused organ in
tne body, and different peoples, nations
and individuals are very much alike
in incautiously destroying the treas
ure of its sight.
The eye is beautiful, when beautiful,
in all colors. The truth of this state
ment will be- acknowledged by every
one, although everyone has an indi-
yidual preference for a certain color
of eye. 1t has been said that the
French have discovered that the much
disliked green eye is, when fine, prob
ably the most beautiful because it is
capable OF larger range of tints, and
consequent range of expression. The
color OF the cornea, the white Of the
eye. as related to beauty, is feature
which seems to generally escape atten-
tion, yet it has much to do with the
appearance of the eye. Normally, and
to be beautiful, it should be tinged
with the most delicate violet color.
The cornea that is very white, or
shows a glary appearance, is unnat-
ural and devoid of beauty. A yellow
color of the cornea is found in bilious
persons, and markedly in cases OF
jaundice.
A very popular error about the eye
is that it varies greatly in size among
different races and also among indi-
viduals of the same race The fact
is that the globe of the eye varies
very little in size, and the mistake
is due to the incorrect perception of
the very different degree in which the
ball OF the eye may be set in its socket
a characteristic of the Mongolian race
is that the eyes seem to be set slant
ing in the head, but this effect is pro-
duced by droop Of the inner part Of
the upper lid.
About four-fifths of the globe Of the
eye at the back is made up Of q tough,
whitfsh, opaque membrane, known as
the sclerotic membrane. This contin-
ues in front as translucent mem
brane, which makes up the remaining
one-ffth of the eyebal and is called
the cornea. So we have globe whose
back and sides are composed OF
white, opaque membrane, with q small,
circular membrane set into its front
as window-pane And it truly is
q window-for its purpose is the adj
mission Of light Just back OF this
window-pane is the iris, the richly
colored circle, upon which depends the
chief beauty of the eye The iris is
provided with little muscles, which
increase or diminish its
opening in the center, called the pupil.
in accordance with the desirability Of
the admission of more or less light to
the interior Of the eye. Back Of the
opening OF the pupil is the tiny clear
lens, which receives the rays of light
that enter the eye and throws them
upon dark screen at the back of the
eye. This dark screen at the back
Df the eye is called the retina and cor
to the sensitive plate OF
camera The optic nerve, through
which the brain receives the impress
sion, is closely associated with the
retina. This in brief is the mechan-
sm for seeing.
The eye 10, nevertheless, not per
,ect organ. 1t is liable to be deficient
u its power to produce color effeets,
md persons who possess the organ
With this imperfection are said to be
color blind. !"
The causes which lie at the founda-
Jon of the perception OF color are not |
ret clear. There Is one interesting
heory, known as the Young -Helhomltz I
,heory, which is quite generally ac-
.epted by the profession According
o this theory there are only three
colors concerned in the
of all the different tints
perceived, the variety Of these de-
lending upon the arrangement Of the
:olor mechanism Of the eye, by which
he three fundamental colors are SO
combined as to produce the Infinite
lumber of tints which we recognize.
No general improvement of the ten
leEcy to all sorts of abuse OF the eye
an be hoped for without general ap-
recitation of the fact that all organs
# the body are delicate instruments,
ir,iilar in their liability to injury.
This fact should be well meditated,
specially with reference to the ex-
eedingly delicate instrument OF sight.
The greatest habitual carelessness is
observable among people generally as
0 avoiding straining the sight. For one
o.orv. r,1o