Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1912-01-10
Eye Stra;r, III School Children
Thy Percy R. wood. Marshalltown, 1owA1

~ IBy 40TCy n. WOe
Public health Is the dynamic Of pro-
gross and Of civilization and to guard
1t is the honored prerogative and duty
OF the medical profession. 1t 10 today
considered more philanthropic and hu-
name to preserve health than to en-
deavor later to regain 1t for the indi-
vidual. More lives are now saved thru
prevention of tuberculosis, typhoid
fever and the like than thru their care
when once acquired.
DIR. George M. Gould, of Philadel-
phia, and other eminent authorities
show from statistics of school children
gathered in large cities that at least
30 per cent OF civilization suffer from
eye strain, consequent ON abnormali-
ties OF the eye at birth. According to
the last report Of the London County
Council 10000 out of 61.676 children ex-
amined possessed visual acuity below
standard. In Utica, New York. exami-
nation of 5000 pupils showed So per
cent with defective eyes. In Minneapo-
lis S,162 or 80 per cent out of 1856 ex-
amined had imperfect vision. Dr.
Cronin, Of New York, found that 80
per cent of the school children Of New
York City were victims Of gross forms
of abnormalized vision. In Chicago it
was discovered that upon entering
school at the age Of years, 80 per cent
had visual defects. Thirty per cent Of
these were girls and go per cent boys.
In Berlin the detectives were 40 per
cent and decreased at an inverse ra-
ton from lower to higher grades. in
dicat1ng this as a cause of lessened
school attendance.
Ocular defects. acquire significance
because they pertain to that part of
the human organism upon which
learning and education largely rest, for
it takes no profound thinker to COM
prehend the influence OF disease upon
intellect and character. Therefore this
is the point of strain that demands
more aggressive and constant safe
guarding than any other of the sys-
tens OF apparatus that we each pos
sess. DR.. G. c. Savage, a noted author.
asserts that there is not a function or
part Of the body that may not be dis
turbed in sympathy with the centers
controlling the ocular muscles. Park
Lewis, another authority. observes that
the visual mechanism, by virtue of its
close relationship with other higher
nervous combinations, may so upset
every other mechanism as to ruin
health and precipitate chronic invalid
ism. Risley, a further writer on this
subject, states that eye strain induces
insanity Authorizations, morbidness,
neurasthenia and heart and kidney at
fections. History informs us that De
Quincy, Carlyle. Huxley, Browning,
a
other literateurs suffered from head
aches, nervous prostration, melanchol-
la, biliousness, sea sickness. hallucina-
unsuspected ocular defects and to such
an extent as to burden their lives. NOR
bidize their productions, and curtail
their usefulness to mankind.
The Starting Point Of Eye Strain.
Eye strain results from congenital
defect OF the eye ball. No anatomical
imperfection Of the human organism is
so common at birth or so demoralizing
to the health of such a large class of
individuals. This defect is such as to
prevent the natural focalization of light
upon the retina or back of the eye
Certain delicately co-ordinated mus
cles located both In and outside of the
eye ball. in their effort to overcome
the results Of this anatomical defect
and to secure thereby a perfect focus
are forced into a relentless and never
to-be-renounced activity extending
thruout every visual moment. This
exhaustss and strains them and because
Of their intimate association with the
brain and central sources of energy
transforms them into the greatest
MASTERS of vital forces. Glasses COM
pensa:e for this defect by bringing the
light to a focus on the back Of the eye
without the assistance Of these mus
cles. They are therefore put at rest
and the drain upon the system sus-
pended. Pain ceases and good vision
and health follow.
Relation Of Eye to Nervous System.
Vision is a mental process and rep
resents thought. and thought is life
force. 1t vitalizes and devitalizes the
body. cell. 1t determines physical and
mental status. It individualizes the in
dividual. What one thinks that he is.
Hippocrates, the father of medicine
told US this 1000 years ago when he
said, "The mind imparts q certain por-
ton of its influence to every part Of
the body" Virtue and vice are visual
concepts depending upon the state OF
mentality and are therefore influential
in LIES economy. Who can imagine a
healthful criminal? Just as consistent
is virtuous vice. Now ocular vision
is mentality functionating thru the
eye and this organ may syphon energy
from the highest spheres of the organ
ism and so reduce the moral, intellect
ual and physical tone of the individ-
ual. No two persons suffer alike. since
that part of the body is most affected
which surrenders the largest quantity
of energy to the defective eyes. To il
lustrate: One individual may exper-
fence only indigestion or constipation
or insomnia or melancholia or simple
headache or physical exhaustion fol-
lowing eye work or lack of power to
apply himself or irritableness. Any OF
the above singly or in combinations
may be present. So is it seen how diff
ficult may be the detection Of an eye
strain sufferer without careful and sys-
tematic examination. This close re-
lationship OF the eye with vital forces;
its highly organized brain structure
(the retina): it's exquisitively balanced
and mentally energized muscles; its
co operation with every internal and