The Washington herald., 1912-10-13

should draw attention to the eyes. 80,
far-reaching are the effects Of eye strain.
upon the health that migraine. general
nervousness. st. vituS dance. nausea,
and other gastric disturbances are often
caused by IT, A child who has never
seen properly. or who has certain eye
or head aches. has no means OF knowing
what or how he ought to see. He does
not realize that o<lRer children have bet-
ter vision or more comfortable sights
hence he may not call the attention Of
his parents to his need.
In this particular the magnificent work
OF the school physicians in the District
in examining the eyes Of every scholar
Is most notable advance In the direc-,
ton Of the child's welfare.
The difference between an oculist and
an optician should be emphasized The
oculist Is graduate physician. and ini
addition II especially skilled in rhs treat
ment Of the eyes. The optician makes
and sells spectacles: in the majority OF
instances he also advertises to examine
eyes. So delicate is the eye 20 fmpor.i
tant Is the correct performance Of ita
functions, and % far-reaching are thei
results of its pistreatInent thsk ID
should be in the hands only Of thoss
best capable Of tho work
A very common and much neglected
condition Is CROSSED eyes" or st1abas-l
mus. While IN many instances this
trouble 10 attributed to q fall, yet sell
dom is such accident more than a coin
cidence. The real cause is an error
which, IN the majority Of cases, can be-
corrected by glasses. There are cases
in which the eyes are perfectly straight
most Of the time. and turn only when
the patient is tired or studying intently.i
These are easiest to cure. As a general
proposition. crossed eyes" can be cured
by glasses II the child be treated before
the age Of six or seven: after that age
glasses may cure, but an operation Is
usually necessary. &
Manifestly the eye that turn Is not
used. and from disuse sight gradually
disappears. 1t Is therefore most urgeno
that prompt attention be given to all
cases Of strabismus. Many an eye with
a grave optical error. II treated early
and glasses prescribed, will preserve or
develop excellent vision. which would be
lost irretrievably by a few years delay.
The popu.ar belief that crossed eyes"
will straighten themselves II Wrong and
dangerous.
Rules for Conditions.
Do not think that absence of ocular
pain indicates absence of disease or ?
other trouble. If the sight be blurred,
IL spots be seen dancing before the eyes, I
the cause may be eye strain. or 1t may
The wearing Of glasses is for q two
fold purpose; to correct vision when
necessary and to relieve the symptoms
of strain, such as headache, nausea, and !
crusting of the lids, when these symp-
toms are present. Though an eye sees
perfectly. this acute vision may be ac-
complished by an unconscious strain
which may be of such a degree az N
produce headaches. Therefore, if one
has headaches, If one has nausea, do not !
think that because the vision Is perfect
the eyes need no attention.
We hesitate, OF course. TO put glasses
upon child. and prescribe them only !
when it cannot be avoided But once.
they are ordered, they should be worn.
in spite of prejudice on the part of par
ents or child 20
A feT simple facts for everyday use:
Do not rub the eyes hard when they
smart or burn: rather battle them in
cold water. This will drive away the
congestion and relieve the symptoms
Many severe infections of the eyes can
DC accounted for by the carrying of in
feCtive material from street car straps
AMI railings. into the eyes by rubbing 1
T. achoma, that dread eye disease. the
presence of which in an immigrants eyes,
excludes him from the United States, Is,
SO carried.
When sand or dirt gets into the eyes,
do not try to rub il out. Eyes have
been lost from infection following ulcer.
ations caused by rubbing grit against
the eyeball Rather keep the eyes closed,
With handkerchief held against them,
until some one can wash out the foreign
matter with boric acid solution or tepid
water.
In case of injury TO the eyes. as . first
aid treatment, II is safer to bathe the
eye in cold water until skilled treatment
"a ha he Want .f 81 ~,
so-called black eye, hot bathing is best;
but unless there is obviously no injury
to the eyeball, do not use neat.
If an eye be cut, tie a clean handker-
chief over it and hasten to your physi-
clan.
Do not use eyedrops in eyes Of others
than those for whom they are ordered
This is very common practice. and
most reprehensible-often dangerous