The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1917-01-12
MOVING PICTURES AND
THEIR EFFECT ON EYES
Normal Eyes Can Endure Four
Sittings of 80 Minutes
Each, Per Week.
CAUSE AND EFFECT ON EYES


the Nation. Eye Defects Are Irri-
tated by Pictures Which Takes In
diviouai to O.otometrists fer Correct
Glasses and Eye Safety.
About twelve years ago the first
moving picture machine was exhibited
before the public. Since then they
have been improved and their number
increased until the cil-ematograph has
now become the central feature in a
business extending all over the world
and involving investments of many
millions Of dollars.
While the acknowledgement was de-
vised solely to amuse, time has wild
ened it's scope until it now seams
likely to become Of inca1cuable value
to education, science and ait.
The day is near when every public
school and similar institution vii be
equipped with a moving picture ma
chine. Even now they are no small
factor in the education Of the public
The moving picture is to our eyes
what the telephone is to our ears.
The individual in good health with
normal eyes-that is, both emmetro-
pic and OrthOphoric, will not suffer
much, if any, at the moving picture
show, provided it is not visited to ex-
cess. The majority OF persons with
normal eyes can endure four sittings
of thirty minutes each per week with
but little or no temporary unpleasant
d. symptoms and no permanent i'll effect.
There is practically no difference in
the effect on eyes naturally normal or
those made normal with properly fit
ted glasses excepting in those cases
where reflex conditions caused by eye.
strain have not had sufficient time to
become normal.
There is no evidence to show that
movies" are imperiling the sight of
the nation. Careful investigation
leads to the opposite conclusion. In
directly they are good things for the
eyes of the people, and in this way:
Latent eye defects that would ordin-
arily worry and annoy for years from
common usage are localized and irri.
tated by the pictures in very short
time until the individual is led to
seek relief. This takes him to the
optometrist and he gets his optical
/ correction, together with eye safety
and comfort for the future. Many per.
sons now wear glasses who had hard.
1y thought of their eyes, much less OF
glasses, until they became patrons OF
the movies, because these visits re-
:vealed hidden defects.
} Without any doubt the moving pic
ture is relentless sleuth when il
goes searching for eye aches or pains
1T has a search warrant that permits
it to try every nerve test every
muscle, explore every part of the ocu
lar system, both mechanical and ply
steal, and if it doesn't uncover trouble
none that will cause discomfort exists
For scientific discussion of the eff
feet OF moving picture on the eyes
we must also include the cause of the
moving picture On the eyes, we mus
also include the cause of the effect
AS Shakespeare says:
/: Find out the cause of this effect
or rather say, the cause of this defect
for this effect defective comes b,
cause"
Cause of ocular disturbance from
viewing moving pictures may be sub
divided under two heads, viz: Ma
chanical and physical
Mechanical causes are:
I: 1. Glare. 2. Light Vibration. 3
Illumination with which may be in
cluded absence OF color T. FAULTY
Tor defective films. s. Unskilled O.
careless operators handling the ma
chimes.
i Physical causes are:
1. Muscular anomalies. 2. Error
of refraction. g. Nerve disorders O.
disease.
Recent improvements and create
care have almost entirely eliminate.
the mechanical causes in the bette
picture houses, SD that about the onl,
remaining mechanical causes tina
could at all prove detrimental t.
eyesight is that of glare, and the ali
sence OF natural colors, which latte
will doubtless soon be remedied witt
color films
It may thus be readily seen that tn
only harmful results in viewing tn
movies is found in defective vision, O
uncorrected eye defects, which optom
etry can remedy with proper lenses.
Errors of refraction exception pos
sia1e simple myopia cause most c
the trouble, the amount depending O.
the nature of the defects and the ten
permanent of the Individual. TIL
symptoms in these cases are abou
the same as those resulting from cor
: tinued close application of the eyes i
ordinary work