The broad ax. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1895-19??, 1916-09-16
A PRECIOUS POSSESSION.

Eyesight is the most precious of
human possessions. True, the loss of
hearing in childhood is a calamity
which it is difficult to estimate, with its
associated dumbness. To blot out of
ones life all the beauties of music, its
refining influence, its joy, and to rob
US of the ear as the means of COM
munieation with the outside world
would be a severe punishment; but the
eye is the door through which come
the sensations that are most impress
sive, most pleasurable and most last
ing. To hear an act explained is of
great value. To see it done is to learn
how to do it more quickly and accurate
ly, but it is not merely the loss of
sight that is to be avoided.
Four hundred thousand children are
entering our public schools this fall.
Upon the integrity of their eyes will
depend largely their progress toward
future usefulness, to say nothing of
their immediate comfort. During 1913
our school health officers examined
nearly $4,000 children's eyes, almost
5000 of these revealing defective
vision. Inflammation of the eyes, in
feeted lids, faulty muscles and various
errors needing correction are common
among children. Many defects simply
need proper glasses. Even simple
troubles, easily remedied, if neglected
are often followed by more serious
complications.
If these abnormalities are not cor
rected, the child enters the strenuous
competitions of the year with its con-
eentration of attention and prolonged,
continuous use of its eyes. Eye strain,
headache, inattention, lack of interest
and restlessness result and the young
ster is not up to grade. Falling be-
hind in the class and developing habits
of listlessness, it easily becomes dis
orderly and misehievous and a dis
turbing element in the sehoolroom. The
child may even develop digestive
trouble, anaemia and general i'll health.
The trouble is not with the child $
brains; it. may even be brighter than
the average. The fault lies in the
eyes.
But it is not merely to find these
disorders in the child entering school,
and to correct them at the beginning,
that is in mind. How about the eyes,
normal or not, that may be harmed be-
cause of abnormal conditions in the
sehoolroom and improper use of the
eyes during school hours, as well as by
wrong use and bad reading conditions
at home7
A glare of strong sunlight streaming
directly into the face of the reader or
rejecting from the white page will
shock the sensitive retina of the eye
to a degree, even as a straight look at
the sun itself will blur vision and
cause blindness, if prolonged. A bright
electric light shining into the face of
the reader is Objectionable for the same
reason. The other extreme, reading by
dim or fading light, will also strain
even strong eyes very quickly. A
good, diffused light shining profusely
over the shoulder from behind the
reader is the best. The printed page
should be held at right angles to the
line of vision. The book should be
held about eighteen inches from the
eye.
It is bad to read lying upon one IS
back. Do not read with back bent
and shoulders all bumped over. The
blood supply of the eye is as i'm
portant as that Of the brain or heart.
An easy uncramped position promotes
good circulation. The parent as well
as the teacher should be alert to cor
rect and prevent these faults.
How many parents and teachers
know about the proper lighting Of
schoolrooms, the arrangement Of the