The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-08-29
WOOD ALCOHOL
DEADLY ENEMY
TO YOUR EYES
Many Occupations Offer
Similar Danger to Per
feet Vision. 2

New facts regarding the care and
preservation of the eyes, the servants
of our most precious sense, sight. are
being discovered almost daily by sci
entists- One of the most recent stud
les of the eye was made in its rela-
ton to occupationa1s disease, and the
result was a report In the journal of
the American Medical Association
containing a great many surprising
statement According to this report,
the absorption of poisons by the
workers in numerous trades has pro-
duced serious eye diseases. Among
these trades, are those in which 'tobac-
CO, wood alcohol, lead, bisulphide of
carbon, nitto-benzol. aniline dyes,
and other such products are handled.
One of the. most dangerous Of all to
the eye is wood alcohol. Sometimes
ignorant persons drink this alcohol
and not infrequently it causes death
or blindness. Even ten drops have
produced such results. Turkish bath
attendants have sometimes used wood
alcohol with disastrous results to both
themselves and those they were rub
bling The use of wood alcohol by
the painter as a solvent for shellac,
frequently produces. blindness.
In one instance brought to the at
tention Of the American Medical AS
ISOLATION, an entire roonfu1 Of girls
suffered from serious disturbances of
vision because they worked with shell
lac which was dissolved in wood alco-
hol. These disturbances passed away
with the removal Of the cause. Wood
alcohol, under this or any. other name,
should not be manufactured or sold,
says the Journal Of the American
Medical Association. It is entirely too
dangerous to the eyes.
Another vocation eye disturbance is
found where. the eyes are exposed to
sudden flashes Of great brilliancy, as
in blowout or short-circuits. These
accidents overpower the nerves of,
sight and partial or complete blindness
for "a variable length of time may re-
suit.
Constant and intense electric light
also produces an exhaustion of the
optic power, and an excessive pupil
larry contraction which overworks the
muscles of accommodation, produces
great ocular fatigue. People who work
continually on polished surfaces, such
as gi1ders, metal .polishers and glass
workers, experience the same troubles
while factories over=iIluminated by
incandescent gas and electric lights
employees, as these lights contain an
effect very similar to snow-blindness.
These rays also sometimes very seri-
ously affect the eye of stokers, bot.
tlemakers, and glass blowers, and cat
aract is not infequently the result
Another kind of occupationa1 eye
disease is found In people compelled
to work for hours at a stretch at oc-
equations requiring close inspection
of small things-bookkeepin draw
ing, Matchmaking, sewing and den
tistry-wh1ch means strain on the
muscles of accomn1o dation, even of
people having normal eyes. Many
have @errors or refraction for which
glasses should be properly fitted.
Where there is no error Of refrac-
ton, or where it is corrected by
glasses, there is still a strain of the
eye muscles where the eye is unwise-
ly taxed. This accounts for the head
aches, tired and red eyes and nervous
exhaustion, in those who work long
and hard at occupations requiring
close visual attention, and where at
the same time the light may be poor
1y arranged.
Shortshightedness is condition
aggravated by the close use of the
eyes, and is found in the eyes of stu
dents, typesetters, engravers, and in
those pursuing any vocation where
close, continuous use of the eyes is
demanded.
The proper adjustment of glasses
by an experienced oculist,s optometrist
or optician is essential in such cases
as well as health. building, open air
life, proper lighting, and the judi
cious use of the eyes; for shortsig ht-
edness is a progressive disease and
blindness sometimes ensues.