Americus times-recorder., 1919-10-01

Chambers county would be almost in
the middle. So that for all practical
purposes it represents Georgia about
as well as does Alabama. The find
ngs in Chambers county ought to in
terest Georgians.
Studies were made in the schools
Of Chambers county Of eyes, lids,
teeth, height, weight, nutrition, ad-
vancement and retardation This is
Just to tell you about the eyes. The
rest will be saved for another story
for several other stories.
The best general eye test at our
disposal is known as the "Snellen"
test.
The Snellen test consists of chart
Of letters. The top row is of very
large letters. The next row is not
quite so large. The third row still
Jess large, and then they get smaller
and smaller to the bottom.
And each row Of letters is labelled.
showing how far away it can be read
By the normal eye. The top row can
DO read at distance of two hundred
Geet, the next row one hundred, then
eighty feet, fifty feet, twenty feet, and
ten feet.
To use the chart it is hung up on
the wall, and the child placed back
twenty feet from it, One eye is test
ed at time, the other being covered
but not closed. If he can read the let
ters that should be read at twenty
feet, he has 1920 vision in that eve.
or normal vision. But if he can only
read those that should be read at
forty feet, he has 2O/4O, or half Wis
ion, and so on.
NOW here is what was found:
One child in every four had 2O/2O
vision in both eyes, Three out of
four children had less than 2O/2O Wis
ION In at least one eye!
But vision that is just a little
sub-normal in one or both eyes NAV
not be serious. Say a vision of 1920
with no other signs of eye-strain, would
not be taken seriously, but should be
kept under surveillance About so out
OF hundred children were lust a
little below 20/20. In these cases
the teachers were advised to keep
on the lookout for evidences of eve
strain, and that was all. If eye strain
should develop in one of these chill
dren, he should see an oculist at once.
Then comes the serious group
those in which one or both eyes had
vision of 1920 or less. There were
about twenty out of a hundred that
showed a vision that defective.
In many cases it was only one eye
defective, while the other checked up
to 2O/2O. When one eye is all right
and the other little off this is what
happens: The good eye does most of
the work, while the other loiters on
the job Now the eye that is not
working suffers from disuse, and &C.
tually gets worse and worse. Chill
dren even go blind in one eye with
out the parents ever discovering it,
Once in a group of 100 children, the
writer found six that had practically
the vision in one eye through disuse.
sometimes when one eye falls into
disuse, 1t goes crossed This will very
readily happen II the muscles that
hold 1t straight are a little out OF
balance. Did you ever hear of a doc
tor putting glasses on a child to cor
rect cross-eyes? ALI he does Is to
correct the error or refraction and put
the eye to work, and it straightens it.
self out)
In Chambers county, Alabama, 1t
was found that some three out of a
hundred children had almost lost the
vision Of one eye through disuse And
there is no reason to assume that
Chambers county, Alabama, is essen
TALLY different from Troup county,
Georgia, or any other county in Geor-
gfR or Alabama, for that matter. The
essential difference Is that Cham
bers county has found out about it,
and has taken steps to have it cor
rected. That is the difference note.
When you read this if it makes you
want to start something in your coun-
U, just see your County Health Of
ficer and Superintendent of Schools
and the president of your Woman's
Club, and then one of you write to
the State Board of Health, Division
Of Child Welfare, Atlanta, for infor-
nation and help in getting started.
II you really mean business speak up,
and you will get all the help yoV,
are looking for! And not just fofA
eyes either, but for whatever ails
them-whatever is necessary. . to pre-
vent one-third of them growing up
physical unfits.