Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-06-01
EYE STRAIN WARNINGS
BY H. ADDINGTON BRUCE.
Y you go to a motion picture theater in

wv ~ W IL IuOIlOu picture IuSdISI III
quest of entertainment. You find the
- pictures shown really entertaining.
I But, you tell me, when you come out of
the theater you notice that your eyes are
strangely tired, and sometimes your head is
aching. You blame the movies" for this,
and perhaps have made up your mind to
keep away from them in future
What it the trouble is not so much with
the movies" as with your eyes themselves?
What if the tired feeling in them is a warn
ing that you ought to consult an oculist?
This is a possibility which you certainly
should take into account. Consider, with
reference to yourself, the following state
ment by an official of the United States Pub
lie Health Service:
1T is safe to say a person may witness a
picture play lasting about an hour and a half
each day without straining tn , eyes or expe-
riencing any discomfort, provided the eves
are good and there are no hidden defects of
vision. ~
"In this connection it may be pointed out
that employees of motion picture playhouses.
who spend large part Of the day looking at
the pictures, do not seem to be troubled with
their eyes any more than the average indi-
vidual.'
For the matter of that, attendance at a
regular theatef may similarly serve to pro-
vide warning that all is not right with the
eyes.
There are people who experience uncom-
LII "a JIG SJ Z oCuodClOLS dILer watching three
or four-act play. During the play itself they
perhaps appreciate that it is an effort for
them to see the faces of the actors with any
dlstlnctness, even when seated fairly close
to the stage
Their inclination may be to attribute this
to aulty lighting. And possibly the stage
has been lighted badly. But if similar sensa-
tons are experienced whenever one goes to
the theater, the likelihood is that the eyes
are at fault, not the stage lighting.
So too tiredness of the eyes after attend
ing game of baseball or football may we'll
sc warning OF ocular weakness. 1t is GER
tain to be such a warning if the tiredness
always develops, no matter how favorable the
lighting conditions for watching the game.
further, OF course, warning of eye strain
to be found in any dimming or blurring
u vision, however slight, experienced in read
ng ordinary sized print.
1t would seem unnecessary to mention this
But the fact is that thousands of people dis
regard this surest of eye strain signals until
they perhaps do their eyes serious injury.
They may even experience throbbing head
aches after couple of hours of reading-or
writing, or sewing, or doing other close
range work with their eyes-Without sus-
oecting that the headaches are symptomatic
u eye strain. SO that it is we'll to empha-
size the suggestion:
eff fatigue, eye ache, headache, or other
abno rmal sensations are habitualy felt after
steady use of the eyes for even compare
lively short time, it is a safe rule to have an
examination of the eyes made by compe-
.ent eye specialist
The wearing of spectacles is, no doubt,
1oro or less Of a nuisance to the one who
rs to wear them. And conscious or uncon-
'o5oUG prejudice against spectacles is perhaps
largely responsible for the inattention so
commonly paid to eye strain warnings.
But if spectacles really are needed the
sooner one recognizes and accepts the inevi-
table the better it will be for the general
health, as we'll as for the health of the over
burdened eyes.
Copyright, 1920, by the Associated News
papers.)