Lower coast gazette., 1913-12-13
Eye.Strain and Crime.

Lt'Sudlll dllu LTlIlle.
A San Francisco schoolteacher, who
had suffered much from eye troubles
herself, at one of her visits to her ocu.
lists office described an incorrigble
child in her school who appeared to
nave some defect of sight This sus-
piclon had been repeatedly reported to
Els parents, but as they were poor as
we'll as ignorant, nothing had been
accomplished so far. She decided,
therefore, to make an independent ef.
fort in the boys behalf and solicited
the assistance of her occulist's aid.
Ihere were doubts of any good &C.
complishments being possible, as the
boy seemed both extraordinarily dull
and superlatively mean. His teacher
said that at the age of II years he
was the worst child in her experience
OF many years in school work. He
frequently played hockey" associ-
ated with the worst boys of all ages,
smoked cigarettes, swore like a troop.
er and lied outrageously; besides, he
seemed to take a stupid pride in learn
Ing nothing and thwarting all her ef-
forts. The only physical defect noticed
was that he held print unusually close
to his eyes. Examination showed one
eye had two.sevenths and the other
one-ifth of normal vision.
The boy was dumbly Indifferent in
the beginning to the eye test, but
after much labor and aggravation.
lenses were placed before his eyes,
giving practically perfect vision at
once; then he showed symptoms of
being almost human. The glasses were
ordered and the case gladly dismissed.
More than a year afterwards the doc,
tor saw the teacher again and inqui-
ries were made NTH misgivings. The
report was jubilant and astounding.
She said that after she procured the
glasses and had gained consent for
his wearing them, the child's trans.
formation was rapid and complete. He
had become the willing slave of the
teacher, where before he seemed to
resent 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 we'll as the Joy of
his parents, and so on.
The explanation of this metamorpho-
sis is simple and natural. The child
was more than thr~ee-fourths blind and
no n had known 1t. He could not
learn because he could not see, and
his eyes and head undoubtedly panied
him when straining to see. His in
correct and absurd answers made the
other pupils laugh at and guy him, so
he hated everything connected with
the school, and In playing truant he
met the worst possible associates 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 comfort. He,
therefore, was able to learn and his
ambition was aroused. Hence he
loved schooling and the opportunity to
show his real capacity, and by regular
attendance at school lost the bad CON-
partnership which was really respon-
sible for his show of criminal tenden.
cies. After the boy became the pride
OF the school, his parents took an in,
terest and aided him, where before
they ignored SO ENJOYABLE a 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 develop
ed into a criminal. 1t is no exaggera.
ton, therefore, to say that the de.
velopment of a dangerous braker OF
law and order of an extreme type was
prevented by a pair of glasses.