New Britain herald., 1928-11-20
Health Hints
BY DIR. NORRIS FISHBEIN
Editor Journal OF the American
Medical Association and OF Hy-
geta, the Health Magazine

M60lC0l hSSSNldtlU11 0Ilu VI Ay-
geta, the Health Magazine
During the last few years 4 half
dozen quacks Of assorted varieties
have sought public interest with the
scare head on their advertising mat
ter. Throw away your glasses"
Like quacks of all varieties,
they relied on the power of sug-
gestion, knowing that the person
who throws away his glasses will
make special effort to see with
out them, and will believe for a
while that he actually sees better.
unless Of course he suffer with
such severe grades OF nearsighted-
ness or astigmatism that he is un-
able to see at all without his
glasses.
Result OF Popularity
The director OF the National So
ciety for the Prevention OF Blind
ness has pointed out recently that
when glasses first came into popu-
larity and when eyestrain was a
popular topic of conversation.
glasses were frequently prescribed
when they were not necessary.
In many instances the people
came for glasses and would feel
that they had not been satisfac-
torily treated unless a prescription
was given to them; in other cases.
manufacturers were promoting
gla sses too strongly.
It is perhaps as a result Of the
reaction against overprescriblng
that the takers of today have been
able to get a considerable follow
ing of persons to throw away
glasses and thus to harm them
selves.
( The three chief reasons for
wearing glasses are: to protect the
eyes, to see we'll. and to see with
out fatigue. Nowadays in all in
dustries in which the eyes are
likely to be subjected to danger
from chips the workers wear spe-
cial goggles to prevent injury to
the eves.
In the case of difficulties Of Wis
ion. eyeglasses act exactly in the
same way as crutch acts to aid
a. weakened limb. They lend sup
port sometimes sufficient to per-
nit the eye to recover to a con-
siderable extent from its weak
ness. On the other hand. there
are many cases in which ths
structure of the eye is wrong and
in which eyeglasses can never be
dispensed with satisfactorily.
Beyond all this there are many
diseases and forms of intoxicatior
from food and bacteria which at
feet the eye particularly. In such
cases a correction of the disease
or a removal. of the dangerous
substance from the diet, will per
NIT the eye to overcome its de-
ficiency.
The chief reason for consulting
Z physician, at least in the yer,
beginning. in relationship to 4
disturbance Of the eye is the fac'
that he will be concerned with The
human body as q whole and with
| ulSSdsSS dS a "lolcs IdtllC
than with the eyes primarily. Or
the other hand. tine man who i!
primarily in the business of sell
ing glasses is likely to conceri
himself only with eye and will
prescribing glasses if there is thu
slightest excuse for such a pre-
.scription.
Some Good Advice
Proper glasses can relieve eye
strain; on the other hand. i'm
proper glasses may make the con
dition much more severe. The
director Of the National Societ!
for the Prevention of Blindness
gives definite advice az to the Sc
lection of a competent authorit!
on the eyes:
IT he keeps q store or has I
sign with specialist in letters I
foot high. or il his office look
like a high-class barber shop. Will
many machines and few books
you can be almost certain that h
is not the man you want for your
self or for your children"