The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1934-08-02
LIBBY DOCTOR ELECTED
HEAD OPTOMETRIST ASSOCIATION

president of the Montana OptometriSt
association at their annual convention
held in Lewistown recently. The Lewis
town Democrat News had the following
to say regarding the convention held
there:
With another successful day of the
meetings concluded yesterday. the dele
gates to the state optometrist conven-
ton here expect to conclude their work
about noon today. Yesterday was filled
with two interesting graduate clinic
schools conducted by DR. A. M. Skeff-
mgton, a business meeting when of
ficers were elected, the banquet and
dance. in the evening
Kalispell was selected as the conven-
ton city for 1885 at the business meet
ing. All officers of the association were
reelected, the president being DR.. A. E.
Ostroot, Libby; vice-president, DR.. J.
]. Kelley, Butte, and secretary, DR.. H.
M. Smith, Miles City. DR.. f. B. Keller.
Bohemian, will succeed DR.. Smith in the
editorship of the publication of the
M onta Opt m etrist," official
pamphlet
At the banquet last evening, DR.
Skeffington gave the principal address
in which he emphasized the import
ance of women's auxiliary He pointed
out the value of women in contracting
pupils with defective vision in our
schools. P. G. Davies, who is connected
with the optical supply house in Spo-
kane, sang with an excellence which
has won him much recognition over the
radio. About forty were present at the
banquet, DR.. N. A. Lyman, presiding as
POSTMASTER
Following the banquet, all drove to
the country club for an evening of
dancing.
Eyes Affect Nerve Centers.
Scholastic breakdowns occurring with
increasing frequency among American
high school pupils often are the result
of Intellectual treatment Of cases of APP
parent visual ineffectiveness. according
to DR.. A. M. Skeffington, Chicago elm
ician, in charge of clinical sessions at
the Hotel Burke
Investigation has shown the greater
tension placed upon pupils by expanded
high school curricular requirements
have caused cases of visual trouble.
generally classified as lack of visual
adaptation, to increase to such an ex-
tent that 6ogge of pupils are effected, in
stead of the former 20oso," DR.. Skeffing-
ton said
The principal danger lies in the fact
these cases too often are completely
overlooked. The cause of the trouble
lies in the association tracts in the
brain
DR.. Skeffington commented unfavor-
ably on the usual eye tests in grade
schools, asserting juvenile delinquency
often results from undiscovered visual
ineffectiveness.
Nothing could be more absurd than
the present eye-sight tests in grade
schools, where letters are placed on a
wall and if the child can see those
letters he is adjudged to have effective
vision he said This catches the half
blind and the near-sighted but utterly
fails to catch the boy or girl who may
see perfectly and yet is usually inef-
| fective.'
Seeing with the eyes is not as i'm
portant as being able to absorb through
the eyes all the things which require
mental concentration, DR.. Skeffington
said. The thinking world must COM
pletely alter its conception Of the value
of eyes. Man can not use eyes adjusted
to buffalo hunting in this modern age,
he stated. 1t is essential to realize that
the sole value Of pair of eyes today
| is their power to absorb.
"We see with the conscious mind he
said, This seeing is not in the eye
balls. but in the higher nervous centers.
There must be an adaptation of these
centers to the requirements of the desk,
machine and book"