The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-01-02
EYES CAN'T STAND PACE.
Harm Done BY Auto Speeding and
Moving Pictures.
New Iork sun D


According II observers there is a new
eye complaint developing in New York
city which. for want Of a better name.
is called picturitis. II Is a result Of the
popularity Of moving picture entertain
ments.
Thousands Of men, women and children
now patronize the moving picture shows.
which offer half an hours entertainment
for a nickel.
Some visit two OF three different shows
in one evening ana so spend practically
an hour or an hour and half in a dark
ened room looking inteEtly IT the jump
ing. rapidly shifting pictures on the
The light on these pictures is uneven.
and frequently sharp flashes Of light fall
on the Tetina- The effect on the eye is
the same as watching steadily nearby
scenery from the window of a rapidly
moving express train OF from q flying
automobile. which j. kn- wa to be very
trying on the eys because Of the rapid
changes on muscular accommodation de-
manded.
To many watching these moving pic
lures causes discomfort few minutes
Of II gives them a sensation Ct eye strain
and nervous headache. Others feel the
effect Of TIE strain afterwards and 90 not
! attribute their sensations to the entertain
ment.
one physician. in speaking Of the rec
ords of recent physical examinations Of
men who wished to d. gymnastic work.
said he had obSerN ed Il number OF cases
OF eye strain and nervousness which an
peared to BE- due to some eye trouble.
In d number Of cases" said he. the
condition could be traced directly % she
4 fact that the subject owned an autemO-
bile and was fond OF driving at a high
speed In many other cases, the major
ity. in fact. the men never used autOmO-
biles and their only travel was in the ele-
waited OF subway trains. some Of them
fond M sa1rFana
"On talking with them about it I dis
covered that the trouble was directly due
to this cause. IL Is certainly the only
plausible explanation.
u am not in position 10 state that
moving pictures are harmful IN all cases
as I have not collected sufficient data ID
form definite conclusions. 7 can say. how
ever that the strain on the eye from
speeding in an automobile does lead to
nervous arrangements AID lowered
physical tone.
This IS due partly 20 the constant
strain and responsibility people driving
at a high speed are under But much
Of u is due 20 eye strain coming from
watching fences and trees ard nearby
objects fitting By at rate Of sixty
miles ar hour
The rapid rate az which moriag pic
lures iiECle before the eyes. coupled with
the fact tfsat the iiEilt must necessarily
be Jess than that Of daylight and the
nesrness Of the pictures TO the specta-
tor. produces condition even worse for
the eye than speeding at II seve1ty-milc
ciiD in a car.
Certainly such conditions are not nor
NAL ones for the eve. Or course. when
We come 10 that extensive Use Of ar
official illumination. reading at uiEnt ard
using the EYES after dark in intricate
processes are not natural Primitive man
did his work by daylight and slept at
night. And probably to the fact that at
night he had or electric lights and no
finely printed newspapers ard books TO
read was due tie other fact that ne could
see much better il the dark than the
average city man Of today. AS it is the
cOuntTyman Of TODAY can get around far