Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-10-31
YOUR CHILD'S EYES
BY H. Addington Bruce

n n OST parents, not unnaturally, take Il
| M for granted that their children's eye
sight is all it should be. Unless they
nave manifest reason to suspect the con-
trary' they do not dream of subjecting the
children to an ocular examination.
Which, to an extent difficult to overes-
innate, helps to explain why MANY of these
children in later life are afflicted with
chronic ill-health or are industrially tneffi-
| Gent and as a consequence reap the sad
harvest OF suffering and poverty or semi
poverty resultant from ill-heath and in
efficiency.
For, as is now we'll established, serious
defects of vision may be, and frequently
are, present in early life without giving
| rise to eye symptoms. Left untreated they
are likely to have, far-reaching systematic
effects, particularly in the way of pro-
ducing headaches, dyspepsia, and nervous
exhaustion.
Almost inevitably they interfere, too.
with mental growth. Thus they lessen
their victims opportunities alike for hap
plnesS and for success.
"No physical defect" to quote from an
official utterance by the Eyesight Conser-
walton Council of America, contributes
| more directly to fatigue and ineffciency
than eye-strain, or is more responsible for
waste of vitality, effort, time, and mate
rial.
LAS an example Of inefficiency and result
IuS waste, ~ per cent OIL the inspectors IN
a large factory were found to be unable to
see sufficiently well to perceive defects in
the product they were inspecting. In an
other manufacturing establishment more
than 70 per cent Of the employees were
found with eye defects.
''There are 100000 persons gainfully
employed in the United States. More than
25,OOO,OO0 are handicapped by defective
vision eye-strain."
Authoritative statistics from other sources
are even more impressive. Of special inter
est to parents are the findings of investi-
gators of the eye health of school children.
Many group examinations have been made
during the past few years, and always have
revealed surprising amount Of unsupported
eye trouble.
Testing Of New York City's 1000 900
school children, according to DR.. I. H. Gold
berger, director of the board of Education's
Bureau OF Hygiene, indicates that at least %
per cent of the children have defective vision
in some degree. Throughout the country,
it is estimated by Professor T. w. Wood,
Of Teachers College, Columbia University,
100000 children are burdened with eye
defects, which can be corrected or mitigated
to a great extent.
Keeping in mind the possible evil conse-
quences of such defects in their bearing
opment, and the working power Of those
bUrdened with them, it clearly is dangerous
for any parent to assume that his or her
children have nothing wrong with their
vision
Positive assurance should be had, and
always this Can be gained through examina
ton OF the eyes by those competent to apply
the necessary tests. No great expense is
involved, and the outcome, if some eye de-
feet actually is present, may be the saving
to life of usefulness of a child otherwise
fated to discomfort and incompetency all
his days.
Surely eyesight conservation is as much
a duty Of parents as is the proper training
Of their little ones Indeed, it is duty
which must be fulfilled if training is to
yield dts best results.