The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1932-09-02
is EYE EXERCISE BENEFICIAL
TO THE EYESIGHT OR THE
Appearances

Several readers have told me, all
of them firmly, some Of them gently
that my opinion, recently given here
in reference to eye exercise, is
wrong. I referred to eye exercise as
"eye water" and asserted that the
best exercise for the eyes is looking
off at distant scenery, particularly
forest, field, hill and valley. natural
scenery. It is an excellent habit for
all who do much close work with the
eyes to look up and away from the
work for few moments at regular
intervals-I said look up, and throw
the head back to do SO.
An optOmetrist who calls himself
doctor" but does not reveal by what
right he uses the title, writes to say
he had believed that regarding
things at distance is rest for the
eyes, and he would thank me to in
form him what muscles such use Of
the eyes exercises.
Maybe he would
Did I say anything about muscles?
Exercise has q broader meaning
than many suppose. One may eXer-
else the mind where there is no ques-
ton OF any muscular action. One
may exercise or practice relaxation
OF muscles, for Steadiness, calm, poiSc,
etc, as well as contraction of muscles
for movement.
An oculiSt, that is, real doctor
of medicine who is an eye physi-
clan. finds that the bowed posture
in which many persons work. study
or use their eyes is factor of near
sightedncss from actual elongaticn of
the shape of the eyeball from pro-
longed dependency of the eyes. This
is the reason why every one who does
close or fine work with the eyes
should make it a habit to look UP
and away from the work for few
minutes every five or ten minutes.
Gives a chance for the hanging or
sagging eyaball to flatten out again
to something like it's normal spher-
ical shape.
This observation lends more weight
to the belief of some persons that
gentle massage Of the eyes with fin
ger or thumb, through the closed
lids, for a few moments two or three
times day, relieves fatigue and
strain and helps to maintain good
eyesight. They simply rest the
thumbs on the temples while they
stroke the upper lids in an outward
direction few times with middle
fingers, and the fingers on brow
! while they stroke the lower lids in
ward with the thumbs. This is more
or less an instructive rubbing of tired
eyes.
Student aged "a years had consid-
cradle trouble with his eyes. frequent
changes of glasses for far-sightedness
and eye strain, he says. Neverthe.
less, his eyes ached and he felt tired
after three or four-hour period OF
close reading. Most normal eyes do
for that matterD More to please the
whim of classmate than in any
hope of getting relief he began doing
an eye exercise consisting of rolling
| the eyes slowly around in their sock.
cts, as though following a ball re.
vOlving around the extreme outer
circumference Of the field of vision
! with the head held erect and no.
! turned with the eyes. Three time:
| around one way; then three tipe.
| around the other way, then repea
once or twice, but never enough tt
tire the muscles. At first he sale
this caused swapping and cracking
Of the muscles, or some such sensa
ton. He performed this exercise two
or three times in the course of al
evenings study. His eyes soon ceased
to trouble him.
Take it or leave it, folks. All
know is that it will do no harm.