Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1910-01-01

AEN4AW tn1ng OF the past In 1act,
SSATyN the eminent eye specialists
M of New York say that there
is a bright outlook for the
human eye by reason of the great
progress made in the treatment of eye
diseases.
Medical regulations making the care
of the eyes in babies and the constant
inspection of the eyes of school chill
dren obligatory by law are rapidly
diminishing the causes which, in
years gone by. resulted in blindness.
says the New York Herald.
Nevertheless experts are agreed
that the distinctive feature of the
American eye is hyperopic astigmatism,
or farsightedness, due to the nervous
strain of American life, which causes
shortness of the eyeball, as result
of arrested development, as differenti-
ating from Germans, among whom
myiopia, or near-sightedness, is most
prevalent.
Hyperopia, or farsightedness, is,
however, not IN eye disease but mere
1y condition which causes headaches
nausea and nervous ailments peculiar
to the nervous tension of American
life There is another cause, how
ever, that has much to do with the
strain on American eyes, and that is
the habit of reading badly printed
newspapers, books and magazines on
railway trains and street cars.
Too Close Print to Blame.
Even in the home the reading of
close print is acknowledged to be
prolific cause of eye weakness There
fore the action of the Herald in using
L.
been widely commended.
So eminent an authority as DR.. j.
Herbert Claiborne in the treatment of
the eyes says 1T was the rational
and reasonable thing to do in view of
the existing conditions. l have for
long time been preaching in favor of
having all newspapers and books,
especially those devoted to educational
purposes. printed in large type
Spaces between letters and between
printed lines should be wider in order
to give ease to the eyes when reading
This fact has been at last recog-
nized by the board of education, which
is now taking care that all school
books shall be printed in larger type
DR.. William H. Maxwell, city superin-
tendent of schools, in speaking on this
subject said: 81 have read a great
many things written by doctors on the
subject of the effect of iliegible type
on the eyesight. The board of educa-
ton adopted a new list of books last
June, and in doing so care was taken
that all the books accepted were
printed in large type"
Furthermore, one of the chief cares
of the department of health of New
York city is to see that the eyes of
the school children shall be in perfect
condition. Mr.. Thomas Darlington,
commissioner of health, says: 1.-THE
child of to-day will be the man of to-
morrow. and the hope and outcome of
our existence as a people rests upon
that assurance of physical virility
which we can offer to the future
Service of Patriotism.
1.-The world is awake as never be-
fore to the import of this danger that
threatens. Saving the babies and
keeping the children healthy is not
merely humanitarian impulse. 1t is
civic and national service and the
highest type of patriotic duty.
In considering the health of the
baby and it's chance for life. we must
take into account the conditions sur
rounding its birth. For this purpose
the division of child hygiene was
formed. This year five different
agencies have volunteered the services
of nurses who have worked under our
direction. The department has had a
staff of its own, numbering Al Dur
ing the period between April Is and
September 1. total of 57,015 first
visits were made. OF these 1876
visits were made to births reported
by midwives- There were reported
81 cases of sore eyes and a confirma-
tory diagnosis of ophthalmia neonato-
rum by the ophthalmologists of the
department. was made in % cases at
tended by midwfves. This remark
able result is undoubtedly due to the
fact that the department insists upon
the use of one per cent solution of
silver nitrate dropped into the eyes
Of 81 new born infants. In other