Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1914-04-02
TELEPHONE WORK
NOT INJURIOUS TO
OPERATORS EYES
GIRLS ARE NOT SUBJECTED TO
AS MUCH EYE STRAIN AS
AVERAGE CLERK.
DOCTOR GIVES VIEWS
BASED ON EXPERIENCE
Says Conditions Blamed on Occupa-
ton Invariably Clear Up Un-
der Proper Treatment.
BY lie Roy Thompson, M. D.

to which the human race falls heir
is traceable to many different causes.
Among the most prominent in the bus
mess world are abnormality in the
shape of the eye itself, resulting in an
imperfect optical instrument; contin-
uOuS use of the eyes for near work
without intervals of relaxation and i'm
proper illumination Of work rooms.
AS evening manager Of one Of the
largest telephone exchanges in Chi
cago for four years / had an oppor-
tunity to study and observe the effects
Of telephone switchboard operating on
the employees health, with particular
reference to the eye, and have come
to the definite unbiased conclusion
that they are not injured by such
work
Glasses Aid Recovery.
Where symptoms such as headache,
insomnia, vertigo or other forms OF
nervousness appear, we found that it
was due to some abnormality in the
operators eyes themselves, which
would have given trouble had she been
employed at any of the other ordinary
girl occupations of today. The recov-
cry was prompt when proper glasses
were fitted by an oculist or treatment
instituted where it was necessary.
One observation that ] would like to
draw special attention to is, tele-
phone girl is like any other girl, she
dislikes to wear glasses, and this fact
combined with an attending family
physicians neglect or ignorance pre-
vents many girls from getting prompt
relief from her otherwise improperly
diagnosed sickness, which really had
its origin in eye strain.
AS oculist and aurist for the Chi
cago Telephone Company and chief
physician for the Employees Benefit
Association for the past three years,
having practically all cases of sick
ness among the employees come under
my observation, | have been enabled
to continue accurate investigation in
occupational diseases or physical
strain which was begun while active.
ly associated as manager.
Good Eyes Required.
Before a girl is taken into the en-
ploy of the Telephone Company she
is given a physical examination and
her eyes are examined as far as prac-
tical vision is concerned. OF course
this keeps out many who would other
wise suCcumb to eye trouble of one
kind or another, but it is impossible
to eliminate everyone who suffers
only slight abnormality. | think
the efficiency of such an examination
is aptly illustrated by what | saw on
visit to an exchange the other day.
One group of twentyseven girls,
all active, healthy looking specimens
of young womanhood, and not one
was wearing glasses. Another group
of nineteen, and only three wearing
glasses. Go into any large Office and
look over the clerical force, and you
will be astonished at the number who
are forced to seek the assistance of
| glasses in their work
Has Chance to Rest Eyes.
The telephone operator sits facing
the switchboard, with her face ap-
proXimately sixteen inches away.
measurement taken at the level of the
eye, The maximum distance at which
she uses her eyes when reaching to
complete call or pick 1t up Is TWEEN
ty-nine inches. When answering Il
call or completing connection she
usues her focusing eye muscle only
| three to five times and never twice at
the same distance consecutively.
This point cannot be emphasized too
strongly, as the varying distance, even
though not far enough for complete
relaxation to take place, is neverthe-
less enough change to rest the eye
much more than in many other occu
pations.
Compare the work done by type
settlers, bookkeepers, stenographers
and craftsmen and you can readily see
how much more relaxation a tele-
| phone operator has than any of the
others who continuously apply them
selves to their given occupation, which
is all practically at the same distance
from the eve.
Opals Give Protection.
The signal lamps. the strongest of
which is less than one candle power.
| ilNS Il plNiSNtltlC NpNtI. OF opal rs II
is called, made of glass which is semi,
transparent. They measure nine mil
limeters across at their greatest di.
ameter and six millimeters thick, be-
ing made in three colors, white, red
and green. These opals amply protect
the eye from ultraviolet or chemical
rays. Heat, of course, is not factor
worth consideration from SO small an
amporage and candle power
Telephone operators are not sub,
jected to as much eye strain as the
average clerk Conditions which are
apt to be blamed on the occupation
have been absolutely proven to clear
up after the eye condition was treat,
ed and glasses fitted where necessary,
the operator continuing at the same
occupation under exactly the same
working conditions as before.