The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1914-06-02
BENEFIT VISION
Do Moving Pictures, Holds
The Scientist
Claim They Are Accomplish
ing Great Good
(From The operator)

VI AOlA ING OpSi
Those who foolisnly speed their
shafts at motion pictures on the
ground that they hurt the eyes receive
severe setback in an article recent
iy prepared by Leonard Keene Hirsh-
berg, A. b., NJ. d., NJ A., CJohus Hop
klus), one of the foremost eye spec
ialists of the country DR.. Hirshberg
says, and proves his contention with
scientific accuracy that motion pic
lures make one see better, that photo
plays are a valuable tonic for tired
eyes, that they make the vision more
acute.
Everybody goes to the movies" he
says. Not only are the moving pic
ture theatres cheaper, but the per
formances are as good as, if not bet
ter than, in the two dollar theatres.
| You have pleasure, music, comfort, en-
tertainment and instruction in NOV
| ing picture theatre to greater GER
| tainty than in many so-called legiti-
mate houses and at far less expens
What harm is there in visiting the
movies? Are the eyes injured? Is the
health of the patrons destroyed? The
answer to these queries is an emphat-
ic No
But certain amateur psychologists
and opticians continue to attack this
form of entertainment and instruction.
In their ignorance they declare that
defective vision, styes, granulated eye
lids, eyestrain, pinkeye, inhamed lids,
crossed eyes and other troubles may
each and all develop from attendance
at the moving pictures
Or. Herbert Harlan surgeon-gener-
al of Maryland, perhaps the ebst op-
thalmologist in the South, and the en-
voy sent by the government to study
the dreadful malady, eye trachoma, in
the wilds of West Virginia, says these
charges are all nonsense. DR.. Harlan,
with whom feel in hearty concord up
on this matter, asserts that the hour
or so spent each day in watching the
moving pictures can result In no harm
to the eyes.
In fact, ! go eyen farther and as
sert that two hours day in the dark
ened auditorium Of picture play
house watching the moving films is
actually a valuable tonic to tired eyes
"One scholar maintains that the
! Germans have become better observ
ers than other nations, and were ahead
Of even Americans until q short time
ago, because the motion picture thea
tres swarmed in all the Teutonic ci
ties five or six years before they
spread over the United States.
Undoubtedly children and adults a!
better educated in many respects since
motion pictures have acquired such &
vogue Recent psychological testi
made upon children Immediately aftel
leaving a motion p.elG.e exhibition
prove that they 5tinguish color'
more acutely recognize form anC
shape more sharply and remember fig
ures, sizes and other visual differenc
es better than they did before the!
went in to see the pictures. They sur
passed in all tests children who hat
not Visited the movies, bu twho were
nevertheless, subjected to the sam,
kind OF excitement and mental stimu
liant by witnessing a play performet
by actual fiesh,ald.nlood actors,
! Instances OF weak eyes, stigma
r tism. near.sightedness, granulated eye
lids and other troubles OF the optica
apparatus, commonly attributed b.
careless observers to motion photo
graphers. are found upon fair an
thorough investigation to be due t.
a different causes
> "Twitching OF the eyeiids is erronc
ously blamed upon visits to the 'moN
: les was recently required, as tn
{ chairman of the scientific researc
committee OF a national organization
to Investigate and run down the caus
of this trouble. In a large America
, city where there are several hundre
> moving picture theatres and half a
{ many eye specialists it was soon mad
+ clear that not one true example of eye
i twitching could be blamed upon mC
a tion pictures. Many of these case
o were due to the need of eye-glasse
/ Others were results of nervous d,
u fects."