The Washington herald., 1909-06-21
HELPING THE SIGHT.
By FREDLRIo }. HAsKIS.

4 lentlon OF the association rot lne le->-
important one being the best method OF
Riding the profession Of takers. Another
matter 70 be considered is that OF Sc
curing Uniform state legislation 10 put the
opticians profession on a footing with
that OF the physician. Il is probable that
no other profession has grown in I'M
lportance so rapidly in the past ten years
as has that OF the optician- There are
now so many OF rnem that they support
three different periodicals devoted solely
TO optical interests
! That America is fast becoming r nation
Of weak eyes IS conclusively shown by
/ the experiences Of the school authorities
I OF many cities. II was recently estimated
that there were 5000 children IN the
/ schools Of New York who were IN need
/ OF glasses, either 70 relieve eye strain or
/ defective vision. II was estimated that y
would cost $4,000 70 properly ft these chill
dren with glasses. OF which $4,000 would
/ 90 20 the opticians for consultations and
$500 would represent the cost Of the
glasses. Il was suggested that the par
/ ents OF those able 70 pay for glasses for
/ their children should do so. and that the
/ city should supply the needy But the
school authorities held that such a course
would make II embarrassing for the indi-
\ gent. so the glasses were bought for all
I for whom they were really necessary II
was held that IL was q cheap investment
10 buy the glasses. since were the pupils
fitted with glasses they would be better
able 70 take advantage of the educational
I opportunities Of the city.
II is said that the dulIness OF many q
/ pupil is not al all due 10 lack OF brain
power. but 10 eye trouble. 1t has been
found that many OF The little sufferers
from headaches get them as a result OF
I disorders OF the eye rather than from the
stomach or other troubles. Il has been
found that where tive eye disorders are
corrected the children entirely recover
from their headaches. and. IN many cases,
Idun children develop into the brightest pu-
/ pills IN school
/ IL is much OF a problem 70 the layman
whether the eyes OF the people are be-
coming weaker or whether Il IS sumply q
I case OF their being awakened TO the need
( Of glasses At any rate, il rs said that
I there are three people in the United States
and Canada to-day wearing glasses for
every one that wore them twenty-five
years ago. The opticians say that Il is
a case OF the people awakening 70 the
/ needs of their eyes. ard they are writing
much IN their papers discussing the ways
I and means best suited 10 reaching the
public and inpressing IL with the need OF
glasses.
/ Spectacles were first used IN the west
ern world about the thirteenth century.
I Most authorities claim that Il was Roger
-
Others accredit IL TO other sources. while
many say that China was using eye
glasses before the Christian era For a
I long tine the wearing OF glasses was rig
/ OrOusly opposed by the church The vicar
/ OF Chew Magma. for instance. opposed
I them on the ground that their use was
l immoral. causing men and women 20 see
things from q different viewpoint from
7 that OF the rest OF the world. II is said
I that the development Of the eyeglass
10 its modern state Of excellence IS due
more TO the astronomer than 10 the Dhysi-
clan Dealing with angles Of vision and
with lenses, y was natural that he should
I learn much about spectacles-
one gets q glimpse Of the progress
which IS being made IN the opticians pro-
I fessi0n by walking through an up-tO-date
optical store or visiting the Oculist The
latter writes out his prescription with al
I the exactness Of the physician who is
prescribing cyanide Of potassium OF other
deadly drug. There are instruments OF
( ali kinds for examining the eye and ex-
actly determining It's needs
/ Artificial eyes were known long before
/ spectacies were discovereo- They have
\ been found on the faces OF Egyptian
mummies-llterally on. for the eyes were
pasted onto the face and not inserted IN
/ the eye socket. The practice was TO paste
I the half Of a marble into q piece OF flesh
/ coIored cloth The marble was then
| painted to resemble an eye. and the whole
/ was pasted onto the face over the vacan NJ
/ eye socket One well may imagine that
/ the result was not entirely artistic. but
the munmies do not appear dissatisfied
/ with the artificial optics. Gold eyeballs
came later and these were in turn fol-
lowed BY glass eyes The art OF making
I artificial eyes has progressed so greatly
I that opticians can now supply eyes which
/ the wearer may move in his head IN 2
! manner perfectly natural II Is reliably
stated that there Is living IN New York 6
7 man who has worn glass eve for thirtv
+ years, during which tine he has married
/ and become the father Of i've children.
I and neither the wife nor the children
I know he was not born with the two ewes
he wears He has a new one put n every
I few years IN order TO keep I'd the perfect
resemblance 20 MS natural eve.
| Color blindness is one OF the stranrest
conditions OF the eve with which the eve
/ specialist has 70 deal Try as he VII. ne
/ cannot formulate a fully satisfactory def
milton OF the cause Of this allnsnt. Yet
I Il IS ccnceded 20 be growing more prev
alent as the years go BY Railroads
/ make particularly careful tests 10 ascer-
/ tain the existence OF color blindness IN
/ Jheir operating forces. This defect OF
/ vision has sometimes played embarrassing
! tricks on its victims. A story IS tsld OF
a grave old Quaker oficiaI IL the days IN
which knicserbocke-s were worn. who
( came % the meetins house one day wear
/ ing scarlet hose. The congregation cf
/ course. was shocked And matters were
made worse when the wearer Indignantly
7 denied that re had on any other than the
I regulation gray.
I One OF the lacest .Ceas in the optical
world IS q niclzel-in-the-slot spectacle
vendor. L Is intended 70 save the tine
I OF the salesman and TO aid the buyer IN
a careful selection Of spectacles. When
the customer drops his coin IN the slot
pair OF glasses. come out Il they suit
Z him. the transaction Is completed. II
/ they DO not. there Is another slot into
/ which they may be put. which in turn
/ releases another pair. In this way the
7 customer may take as much tine as he
desires IN the selection Of his glasses
4 without feeling that he IS taxing the pa
tience OF the SALESMAN. Z is said that
I many cases Of injured sight that have
i been brought 70 the attention OF ocuIsts
I recently have cone from looking at nov
( ing pictures, although Il IS believed i Is