The Ocala evening star., 1911-05-29
AN IMPORTANT NATTER
Attempt to bring Optometry from "a
Science Back to the Level eff
PeddIing

Why has the care of the eye been
overlooked so long? Our people have
allowed every class Of men TO fl glass
es without so much Investigating
what knowledge they had of the eye
Just SO that they brought our objects
more clearly. The writer finds that
thousands of dollars are spent every
year in lighting tuberculosis flies and
mosquitoes, but not one penny to as
sist a handful of men in the United
States to develop vision and fight fax
ers and so-called eye doctors. Two
years ago a small number of OptOme-
trists managed to get a law through
in our state to protect peoples eyes.
Look a the good they have done al
ready. In looking over the list I find
over two hundred and fifty called
opticians in our state and when the
law went into effect only eleven could
show credentials out of the two hun
dred and fifty who claimed to know all
about the eye. The optometry law has
been in existence two years today and
only forty-three have been able to
show knowledge of correcting the eye.
This small handful of men have spent
all of their earnings trying to show to
the people the necessity of having laws
the good they have done and the pro
lection they have given the people in
the two years since they took up the
fight The time has come when these
few men should have help and more
! protection from the faker who enter
i our state. When is the man who used
| to come to our cities, displaying a large
| card and calling himself a noted eye
specialist, and charging easOnable
| prices? He is a thing of the past he
could not show any credentials Look
| ing over the Senate and House calendar
| [ find several amendments to the op-
! tOmetry law. On invests ga ting the
nature of the amendments, I find that
| the parties are trying to take all power
out of the law and allow all takers and
so-called opticians to come TO our state
and force the optometry board. to issu,
! them certificates to go over our state
again, destroying the eyes of our peo-
| pie. who would he compelled 10 go
! through life wearing glasses Shuules
the amendments become la w. | am ad-
viSed on good authority that the board
would resign before they would sub
MT to signing certificates for incom-
] petent men. Letters viii be published
at the proper time to show our people
!
has been so badly needed. Just TO carry
a selfish point to gain a case that has
/ been pending for the past year. It viii
all come out in the trial and letters
and motives will be published at the
! proper time as they are now on file
! The optometry board i composed of
men that hold the respect Of their
various towns and Will not submit to
any unjust acts or be bluffed into Civ
! ing certificates TO incompetent men Ia
rove over our state, destroying vision
| by improper correction of glasses
/ The writer thinks il would be well
for any person who has 10 wear glasses
[ or is otherwise interested. TO write A
letter protesting against amendment
and forward it 20 be president Of the
State Board Of Optometry at Ocala for
him 10 use in case he has 10 90 before
the legislative committee in behalf OF
the law Specialist