Los Angeles herald., 1910-09-18
THE cHlLDREN's EYES
LOUISA BURNS

infancy. From the time they first open
upon this world of varying lights and
shadows, these should be modified so
as to prevent injury to the delicate
structures In this climate especially
the sun shines with so great fervor
and the shadows appear SO very dim
by contrast that the eyes of both chill
dren and grown-up people are SUD
iected to tremendous strain.
Prevailing methods of dressing chill
dren are largely responsible for much
of the eye troubles of school chlldreh.
The little lace trimmed and embroid-
cred bonnets which are the only pro-
lection from the sun which the poor
little fellows are given are absolutely
worthless as a protection to the eyes,
however much they may add 10 lhe
appearance of the wee baby races.
Children are constantly carried about
the streets on the brightest OF can
fornia days with the eyes turned right
up into the blazing sky. Even when
they are asleep in their tiny carriages
their faces are not protected in any
way, as a rule, and the sun beats down
brilliantly upon them. There is no
wonder that they need the oculist early
in their school days.
l am just cruel enough to wish tnat
every mother who is responsible Tor
this needless and painful injury might
be compelled to endure for few hours
the same exposure. If any grown per-
son should be forced to turn his face
up to a midday sky with no protection
other than that afforded by thln lace
cap over the crown of bald head l
think there would be some rather Viz
orous protestations.
THE first need. after a child has be-
come old enough to meet the world
with his eyes, is that excessive sun
shine should be avoided. Too great
light is worse for the eyes than TOO
little, though too much SHADOW Is not
good. In a light room there is no neeo
of protection, usually. Even mere
though, if the light is greater than
would be comfortable to adult eyes,
living with the face turned toward the
light the direct light should be
screened from the baby face. A very
good test to apply is for the nurse 10
put her face in about the same posi-,
ton, with about the same light, ana
see whether the eyes feel perfectly
comfortable. The motto, LAS ye would
that others should do" applies in this
case very nicely. If it hurts grown
persons eyes to turn them unshadeo
toward cloudless sky, then 1t is best
that the baby face should be We'll
shielded.
After the child is large enough to
run ABOUT playing Tic uthSOA IL SAN
excess of light is less. Even then IL
does not disappear. Larger chlldreh
often do fail to notice the painful ex-
cess of light when they are playing
about upon the sahd, or in place
where there is no shade. But II they
play in a place where there is botn
shade and sunshine they will, without
thought, choose the shade when the
sun becomes too bright This choice,
made without the direction of grown
people, without any implication of
"fussiness," but simply in the line OF
comfortable playing, is one of the best
safeguards against injury. But such
choosing is only possible when there
are easily found both lights and
shadows.
With the beginning of school life new
problems appear. 1t is not necessary
to say that the child's own choice is
not altogether to be considered de-
cisive in this matter. Nowadays in
building school houses and in planning
the seating the direction of the lights
and the arrangement of the black
boards are made the subject of careful
thought. In many cities there are oc-
casional examinations of the school
children, in order to determine the real
condition of the eyes and the ears and
the nervous system in general. This
examination is made, as a rule, in the
case of children who do not seem to
advance with the other members of
their classes. 1t is, in some cities, made
as a matter of routine for all children.
When this is done many children are
saved from suffering and are made
very much more useful and happy for
NfW1ea