The Prescott daily news., 1913-12-05
EYE-STRAIN AND CRIME

A San Francisco school teacher,
who had suffered much from eye trou-
bles herself, at one of her visits to
her oculist's Office described an in
corrigible child in her school who APP
peared to have some defect of sight.
This suspicion had been repeatedly
reported to his parents, but as they
were poor as well as ignorant, moth
ing had been accomplished so far.
She decided, therefore, to make an in
dependent effort in the boys behalf
and solicited the assistance of her oc-
ulist's aid. There were doubts of any
good accomplishments being possible,
as the boy seemed both extraordinar-
lily dull and superlatively mean. His
teacher said that at the age of IL
years he was the worst child in her
experience of many years in school
work. He frequently played "hookey,"
associated with the worst boys of all
ages, smoked cigarettes, swore like
trooper and lied outrageously; be-
sides, he seemed to take a stupid
pride in learning nothing and thwart-
ing all her efforts. The only physi-
cal defect noticed was that he held
print unusually close to his eyes. Elk
animation showed one eye had two
seventies and the other one-fifth of
normal vision.
The boy was dumbly Indifferent in
the beginning to the eye test, but af-
ter much labor and aggravation, len
ses were placed before his eyes, CIV
ing practically perfect vision at once;
then he showed symptoms of being
almost human. The glasses were or
dered and the case gladly dismissed.
More than year afterwards the doc
tor saw the teacher and inquiries were
made with misgivings. The report
was jubiliant and astounding. She
said that after she procured the glas-
ses and had gained consent for his
wearing them, the child's transforma-
ton was rapid and complete. He
had become the willing slave of the
teacher, where before he seemed to re-
sent her every interest in him; he
never missed a day in school, where
formerly playing truant was chronic
with him. He was the head of his
class now, where previously he was
too dull to be classed at all; he had
voluntarily stopped his numerous bad
habits and had become the marvel
of the neighborhood as well as the
joy of his parents, and so on.
The explanation of this metamor-
phosis is simple and natural. The
child was more than three-forths blind
and no one had known it. He could
not learn because he could not see,
and his eyes and head undoubtedly
panied him when straining to see.
His incorrect and absurd answers
made the other pupils laugh at and
guy him, so he hated everything con-
nected with the school, and in playing
truant he met the worst possible as
sociates and learned from them his
notable array of vicious habits. When
he put on his glasses he saw the world
for the first time clearly and in COM
fort. He therefore was able to learn
and his ambition was aroused. Hence,
he loved schooling and the opportuni-
ty to show his real capability, and
by regular attendance at school lost
the bad companionship which was
really responsible for his show of cri-
minal tendencies. After the boy be-
came the pride of the school, his par
ents took an interest and aided him,
where before they ignored so unlov
able child. A boy who at the age
of II was the worst child in the school
and neighborhood and was absolutely
callous to all moral suasion, would
probably have developed into a cri-
minal. 1t is no exaggeration, there
fore, to say that the development of
dangerous breaker of law and order
of an extreme type was prevented by
pair of glasses.