Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-22
WHAT THE ocULIsT SAYS
Over Use Of the Optics Causes Nervous
Troubles.
BENEFITS OF RELAXATION
Why q Few Moments Conversation
With Friend Frequently Wearies
one-Things to Avoid.

Written for The Star
| Among the principal ailments which make
| their appearance in feminine circles with
the breaking UP of winter is the acquisition
OF nerves" The school girl who has been
porting over her books, the housewife who
has been kept indoors by home cares and
duties. and the business woman who has
spent eight hours out of every twenty-four
at an Office desk during the past six or eight
months. alike complain of the one trouble.
q shattered nervous system. Spring resorts
and doctors offices bear evidence to the
truth of this. and the nervous prostration
invalid is found on every hand.
And the cause Of this prevalent malady?
The oculist will tell you it is the eyes, and
the oculist In eight cases out of ten is right,
for the average woman has very little, II
any. regard for her organs OF sight. and so
long as she can ''see we'll she uses them as
though they were pair OF dray horses in
stead of the most delicately adjusted MEM
bers Of the body.
Stop a minute and see If the oculist isn't
right about this. He says: The eyes are
the only duplicate organs which are obliged
to work absolutely in unison The arms
can move each in its own way without af-
fecting the other. Inc legs, too, are 1nde-
pendent of one another. The right ear has
practically no working connection with the
left ear, and the two sides of the face not
only are never alike in their shape, but
they have very little similarity of motion.
Here are the eyes, though. which, pro
vided both have good sight, must work to-
gether. or the individual is perfectly at sea.
II one eye does not move in harmony with
the other, double vision vertigo is sure
to result. and 1t is impossible to look, walk
or work straight.
Eyes Are Differently Formed.
"Also.'' continues the specialist, Sin
~,J,,a.l
are as differently formed as the correspond
ing sides of the face. while the muscles
which move them are seldom. If ever, of
equal length. Consequently, the moment the
eyes are brought into service. it is the
nerves back of them which force them into
parallel action, and drives them throughout
the entire DAY with an accuracy which does
not vary sixteenth of inch. Or If the
nerves do allow them to swerve out of their
beaten track. the entire body has to suffer"
Knowing this, is 1t strange that after
girls and women have used their eyes from
early morning till late at night constantly
for the past six months the Oyerworked
nerves of the organs of sight react on the
other nerves of the body and cause COM
plete nervous breakdown, or the foundation
for future of nervous prostration?
It is the inevitable result of the average
woman'S utter heedleSSneSs when 1t comes
to the care of these invaluable members,
and, as is always the case, Mother Nature
demands her pay for such misuse in full
with interest, and the nerves haye-t to
turn to their normal condition before any
relief from nervousness can be obtained.
So, whether you be a victim Of nervous
proStratfon, or have merely gotten into the
first stage OF 1t. which Is nerves" per-
haps may not even have a suspicion of this
haraSSing trouble, learn right now that the
eyes will endure just so much work and no
more. and if you would keep yourself free
from the twentieth century malady have
respect for your organs of sight.
Victim of Nerves.
II you are not perfectly assured of the
truth of this watch the nervous invalid and
see if her eyes have not a quick, jerky
fash, which amounts almost to ''cast,'
and see also If she Is not eternally bring
ing them into service.
How perfectly absurd?" she always ex-
claims Il don't use my eyes very much.
It's household cares and the incessant
bother with servants which is the cause
OF my worn-out condition"
Invariably she is the very woman who
never sits down for an instant without
book or a bit of fancy work in her hands.
Her eyes are In constant use steadily about
the house, at social affairs and, most try
ing of all, in the shops. Yet no sooner does
an opportunity come In which she thor
oughly relax and be quiet for a few min
utes than she harnesses up her eyes for
close work. and starts in to embroider a
lingerie hat for her oldest daughter or a new
bit of fipery for her linen closet. This isn't
one day either. 1t Is every day in the week,
and what Is more, she prides herself on the
fact that she is never idle. 1t does not
dawn on her that the doctors bill which is
sent for services to her at the end of the
year would pay twice over for those pieces
of fancy work. and she would have been
saved weeks of distressing illness.
Fancy work was an Invention of the evil
one to tempt Industrious womanhood to
work beyond her capacity, and it is unfor-
tunately true that not one but thousands
of eager women have yielded to the tempta-
ton with dire results to their own health
and a corresponding anxiety to their fam
lilies.
Aside from fancy work however, there
are thousand and one little ways in which
the eyes can be spared il woman will
only take the trouble to do SO. First and
foremost is the ability to let them rest.
Pay especial attention to making them re-
lax on every possible occasion when they
are not in actual service.
The eyes come into play constantly when
conversing with people. Pay attention and
If you are not making effort to have
them sparkle, as 1t were, every instant
while you are talking. This is all right for
a few minutes but keep 1t up and by the
time you have finished fifteen minute
conversation you will want to throw your
self on lounge from sheer exhaustion.
Use the Eyes Less.
Try, when you leave the companion al
lowing the entire facial expression to drop
oitl tfC eyes ucCOuc iHdluSISiil 10 I'LL sur
roundngs. Or should the conversation be
an extended one learn to talk with your
lips and not with your eyes. 1t will save
you about ten pounds energy to every fif
teen minutes of colloquy.
Learn to spare, your eyes when shopping.
Know what you want before you start. and
do not think that you must go through
every store in the shopping district to find
1t. Or IL you do have to hunt, don't stop
to gaze at all the other displays in the va
rious shops. Go directly to your own
counter or department and let the novelties
go until day when you can devote your
time simply to seeing the pretty things.
Remember your eyes on all these trips. let
them slip into their position of rest when
ever II is possible. and you will find that
the usual headache after the shopping trip
somehow never appears any more.
The street cars too make all sorts OF
demands on the eyes. Learn not to be
interested in every passing object, and
think OF the other passengers as mere
blocks OF wood. You will appreciate your
own family much more when you do arrive
home. ana the probabilities are that you
will be in such fresh state of mind and
body that they Will appreciate you much
more. The nervous tension OF the eyes In
street car Is a marked habit OF all travel
ers nowadays. and the strain IS evidenced
by the taut muscles of fingers and feet.
You will find that ypu are grasplng your
pocketbook as though some one were try