The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1913-12-29
EVE. STRAIN AND CRIME.
One Often Follows the Other, Says
Medical Association

That there is a definite relationship
between eye strain and crime is shown
by this instance cited by the Bulletin
of the American Medical association:
"A San Francisco school teacher,
who had suffered much from eye
troubles herself, NJ one of her visits
To her occulists office described an in
corrigible child in her school who APP
DeaTed 10 have some defect of sight
This suspicion had been repeatedly
reported TO his parents, but as they
were poor as well as ignorant nothing
had been accomplished so far. She
decided. therefore. TO make an indie
pendent effort i'm the boys behalf and
solicited the assistance of her occu-
lists aid. There were doubts of any
good accomplishments being possible,
as the boy seemed both extraordinarily
dun and superlatively mean.
His teacher said that at the age
of IL years he was the worst child i'm
her experience OF many years i'm
school work He frequently played
hockey associated with the worst
b'NS w bll dEfS. Sftloktu cigarettes,
swore like a trooper and lied outrag-
eously; besides, he seemed 10 take a
stupid pride in learning nothing and
thrawting all her efforts. The only
physical defect noticed was that he
held print unusually close to his eyes.
Examination showed one eye had two
seventies and the other one fifth of
normal vision.
The boy was dumhly indifferent i'm
the beginning To the eye test, but aft
er much labor ana aggTavatiOn lenses
were placed before his eyes, giving
practically perfect vision at once;
Then he showed symptoms of being
almost human. The glasses were or
dercd and the case gladly dismissed
More than a year afterward the doe
tor saw the teacher again ana inquir-
les were made with msgivings. She
said that after she procured has glass
es and had gained consent for his
wearing them, the childs transforma-
ton was rapid and complete. lie had
become the willing slave Of the teach
or, where before he seemed TO resist
her every interest in him; he never
missed "a day in school, where former
ly playing truant was chronic with
him. lie was the head of his class
now, where previously he was too duh
to be classcd at all he had volun-
tarily stopped his numerous bad habits
and had become the marvel of the
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 fourths
blind ana no one had known il. He
could not learn because he could not
see. and his eyes and head undoubt-
edly panied him when straininc to see
His incorrect and absurd answers
made the other pupils laugh at him
and guy him. SO he hated everything
connected with the school. and in play
ing truant he met the worst possible /
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 |
able To learn and his ambition was
Hence he loved schooling |
and the opportunity to show his real |
and by regular attendance 4
at school lost the had companionship |
which was really responsible for his |
show of criminal tendencies After |
the boy became the pride of the school
his parents took an interest and aided |
him whore before they ignored so |
a child. A hoy who at the
ace of II was the worst child in the
school and ncighborhoo6 and was abb
solutcly callous to all moral suasion,
would probably have developed into a
II is no cxaggeration. there
fore, 10 say that the deveopment OF
a dangerous breaker OF law and order
Of IN extreme type was prevented by
a pair OF glasses