The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1913-08-29
URGES CARE FOR
PUPILS VISION
Expert Says Many Children Should
Wear Glasses

Buffalo, y. T., Aug. Cdr. Lewis
{. Vessels, ophtbalmOlogist FOR the
Philadelphia board Of health. ad-
dressed the Fourth International Con-
eress on school hygiene today. His
subject was the defective vision Of
school children from an economic
standpoint and he said in part:
Medical inspection Of school child
rem has revealed the fact that at
least 20 per cent of all children at
tending school have defective vision
or eye strain sufficiently grave to re-
quirc the constant use of glasses. In
the majority of cases suitable glasses
cause these children 10 advance and
take Their places in class along with
the normal child. In consideration Of
these facts, the correction of defective
vision in the school child Is not re-
ceiVing the attention that it's impor-
lance deserves. Such corrections not
only increase the efficiency of the pu-
pil and teacher, but have an import
ant economic value as well, because
If a child Is backward and remains
In tho same class two or three years
ii is costing the stat" two OF three
times as much rs Is necessary To- teach
that child.
ls Expensive to State.
In Philadelphia each pupil costs
about s35.OO per year To teach. Under
normal conditions a pupil fourteen
years old should reach tho eighth
grade at a cost to the state m $4,000
child only reaches the fourth grade
in that time, IT has cost the state
$eS0.00 hut with only $1,000 worth Of
result. a loss To the state OF $4,000.
The loss to the child is considerably
more, because ut the age OF fourteen
equipped for the struggle for cXis-
tenCe, his earning power is curtailcd
for the want Of an education, SO he
can contribute but little toward his
own support. that of his family, or
that of the state. SO again the state
loses ana all for the want of suitable
glasses. While it is quite easy ter the
medical inspector or teacher to detect
defective vision. the recommendation
for glasses cannot always be carried
r1ii ON account Of poverty or igno-
rance. These cases can procure free
treatment n the dispcnsaries, but they
are too poor or too Indifferent to- buy
the glasses prescribed, and so they
continue 10 struggle along greatly
and fall behind on ac-
count Of their eyes.
Should Furnish Glasses Gratis.
"rhe department Of public health
and charities has solved this prob
lem in Philadelphia by establishing "A
division of Ophthalmology under the
bureau OF health, where poor children
can be rcfractcd and furnished with
glasses free We are now rerractinR
nearly $500 cases a year If We save
each one of these children but one
year during it's entire school life there
will he IN annual saving Of over $751;
200. not counting the Child's time and
It's increased efficiency. So the fur
nishing of free glasses To school child
rem is not a charity. per Sc, but is a
luty and an economic problem. Many
have come TO the dispensary
wearing glasses bought from some re-
fracting optician or from "A five and
len cent store. These glasses were
not only unsuitable but were posi-
lively injurious 10 the child's eyes.
But few children remain in school
after the age of fourteen, the legal age
IT which children are permitted to
work. This fact emphasizes the nee
,ssity of examining the eyes Of child
'cn in the kindergarten and the first
,ralea.
THE fact | wish to emphasizes In
his paper is the Importance at mu-
licipalities establishing their own eye
lispcnsarics for the rcfracting and the |
furnishing Of glasses free To nj least |
Door pupils. This is an economic !
problem rather than q charity. as " |
'cduces the cost OF education and at |
he same time II increases the cflicIcn- |
y of both the pupil and the teacher