The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1917-03-12
EYE SPECIALISTS SPEECH
CONTINUED from Page IL
vent satisfactory progress but stifle
ambition as we'll.


ambition as WE'LL
MY Decatur friend says he was
whipped through every grade until
he entered high school, then exhibits
the deeply curved and much warped
lenses he is now wearing to show
he could not help having badly
warped vision both physical and
mental-possibly moral, with the eye
defects they indicate.
Teacher sends Johnny home with
a note that says: Johnny has COM
pound hyperopic astigmatism and
needs attention"
Chastened Johnny returns with a
note from Father that reads: II
have licked him twice, you wallop
him again." which is the way many
a physical or mental handicap has
been treated by well-meaning parents
and teachers in the past.
Nature Ruthless
Now I know many good people will
say that Nature does things we'll and
is undeniably efficient. agree with
you, but her efficiency is of rather
a ruthless kind. She cares nothing
for the individual and eliminates
the unfit. The cause of the unfit
ness may be trivial-but the law
applies just the same.
And objection may be used to en-
ploying artifice to Improve nature,
but the fact is, this Great Northwest
would be quite uninhabitable in
winter without artificial heat and
in improving the conditions sur
rounding the school work of our
children today, we must not lose
sight of the fact that it means CIV
ing them a chance to meet the decld-
eddy complex requirements that
modern society has created.
The one commodity most needed
to fight the battle of existence Is
nervous energy. Every physical and
mental act expands this force. Mus
cles can do but one thing. They can
pull and only when energized by
nerve power. The eyes use more OF
this nerve force than any of the
other organs. They are working
all of the time during waking hours
and making a heavier drain on our
vital energies because their percep-
ton is keener-it has been estimated
that it takes 20 times as much
nervous energy to see as to hear.
Think a moment. Even original
sources of light are not perceptible
through any other channel than the
eye. You connot hear or feel it
or taste it, or smell it, but you can
not only see it but all that through
reflection it reveals.
Means Little
But the statement Is often chal-
lenged that 80 many eyes are i'm
perfect of young people,
who ought to have strong" eyes.
Passing by the use of that expression
"strong", which. generally has but
little meaning, let US see why the
eyes of many children as we'll as
adules need attention.
One Of the first reasons of course,
is occupational. More and more,
steam, gasoline and electricity are
taking the place of hand labor and
the principal work Of the work is
being done with the eyes.
Natures eyes are far-sighted eyes.
Modern conditions demand near
sight the greater part Of the time.
Children's eyes often are not fully
developed eyes, indeed we do not ex-
pect that their bodies and limbs will
develop full strength until school
days are practically over. Yet we
impose upon, these immature eyes
tasks as exacting as any eyes can
possibly perform without ever stop
pong to question whether they are
fit for it or not.
So much for occupational causes,
and you will see that the subject
could stand much more extended
discussion.
The structural causes are even