The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1913-11-22
AND
IMPORTANT PROFESSION

Martin, Delivered Before the Flor
ida State Board Of Examiners in
Optemetry at Brooksville, Florida,
November IS, 1913.
Mr.. President and Gentlemen of the
Florida State Board of Examin-
ers in Optometry:
I desire to emphasize the welcome
to our town which has already been
you by Judge Ramsey, and
assure you that ! have seen both the
mayor and the marshal, and have Sc
cured the freedom of the city from
the center of the earth to the sky 1t
is all yours.
1t is not my purpose to make you
a speech, seldom make speeches,
but 1 do often talk to the courts and
juries. l have often been accused of
making political speeches, yet I as
sure you that these youthful indis-
cretions will be forgiven and be for
gotten in the passing unrelenting
years. But there is one thought 1
wish to impress upon you gentlemen
as the Representatives of a great and
progressive profession: The profess
sion of optometry is essentially
modern profession. Its history COW
ers perhaps less than a third of
century and that history is record
of the solution of many problems
and the achievement of great success
in a noble work.
All other sciences have been your
handmaidens in the solution of these
problems and the achievement of
this success. l can remember in the
few fleeting years which l have lived
when the grandfather, the son, the
grandson used indiscriminately the
same pair of spectacles, and when
not able to see through them, they
either looked over them or under
them. But the day of guess work
and loose fitting glasses is, happily,
numbered with the things that were.
use of the modern and improved in
struments to measure the eye and
locate its defects with mathematical
accuracy known to no other depart
ment of the healing art; and with
the same accuracy the optometrist
can supplement the defects and ad-
minister to the wants and relieve
those who suffer from defective Wis
| ion.
l desire to say to you, and through
| you to the members of your profess
sion, Of which you are honored
members, that there is no profession,
no, not even my own, that adds SO
much to the sum total of human hap
piness as your profession does. Clear
vision is essential to human happi-
ness, and the eye is the most service
able of any of the five senses. 1t Of
ten falls to my lot as a professional
man to bring suits to recover the
possession of real estate and proper
ty, but l opine my clients would take
small pleasure in their possessions
| if they were denied the privilege OF
seeing them. Looking after the
welfare Of the eye is your business
your profession, the science Of OPTIC
metry is truly the most important
branch Of the healing art.
To young gentlemen who are here
to be examined by this board of ex
aminers touching your qualification:
to practice this profession, | will say
that l desire to congratulate you or
your choice of profession. But l also
!; want to say to you that il you think
you have found an easy snap, a neal
cut, or a sinecure, then you are bad
ly mistaken No professional mar
lives up to his opportunities and thu
obligations Of his profession viii
5 ever find easy sailing. If you arr
mot willing to work, honestly, dill
gently assidiously in the solution o
the many problems which will con
front you in your chosen profession
. then you had better retire from it a
once. and enter some line of endeav
or which will be less exacting in it
demands. l want to say further t.
you. that should you enter any othe
profession and hug the delusion tina
you have found a soft snap, you vii
soon, very soon, awake to the reali
ziation of the fact that you are eithe
!, a failure or fool.
. Gentlemen, there is a great field o
human endeavor and scientific ach
ievement in your profession whic
invites and asks for your best ener
gies. May you succeed. and may yo
, do more than succeed, may you de
serve it.
prociJonf prankSviI1a i- ynnr