The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-08-27
MYoPIA IS NEARsTGHTEDNEss

4He uCeFai meaning or n1yOp1a IS wink or half close the eyes. Com mon terms for it are nearsighted- ness and shortsightedness It is a condition in which, in consequence of elorgation of the globe of the eye, parellel rays of light are focus sed in front of tn retina or sem sitive film at the back of the eye. Hence the myopic child or young adult does not see distance things clearly and squir1ts or half closes the eyes in the effort to shorten the eyeball and bring parallel rays to a focus nearer the retina.
 The length (front to back) of the globe of the eye depends primarily on the shape of the skull. Thus individuals and races with long races with short and comparatively narrow Gear to ear) head (dolicho- cephalic) are more likely to be nearsighted than are individuals or races with short and comparatively wide or broad head. For example the typical Teuton peering through thick lens spectacles, or the typical Indian seeing so clearly things at 8 great distance without any artifi- cial aid.
 To the extent that the, shape of the skull is transmitted myopia is hereditary, or the tendency to de- velop nearsightedness is. But it is only rarely congenital (present at birth), developing generally when the child is eight or ten years old. If the child inherits a long (do- lichocephalic) shape. of skull, no matter how near-sighted one or both parents may be, the child does not necessarily develop myopia of sufficient degree even to require glasses But whether or not seri- ous near-sightedness develops, at ten, twenty or thirty years, depends largely upon these factors:
 l. The amount of strain of the
 eyes, either from overuse of the
 eyes in childhood and early youth in reading, studying and
 other close work, or from poor
 lighting.
 2, Nutritional deficiency and frail
 health 0ack of vite).
 g. Prescribing or prescribing of
 glasses by any one who is
 a physician.
 4. The amount of open air activ-
 ity, play, exercises. sport or
 work the child gets in the
 teens.
 In talks to follow I'll discuss these factors in practical detail.
 Many growing children with un- recognized mylopia are handicapped in school because they do not see the blackboard writing as well as do children with normal vision, and too often this is wrongly interpre- ed as "inattention," "dullnesses, :" "poor application or stupidity when in truth the child's mind is normal but the lighting in the schoolroom is inexcusably bad and the medical inspection of the pu- pills, If any, is worth just about what it costs per pupil per year.
 Heart TOn1c
 Is it all right for a person with a weak heart to take the quinine preventive treatment for stage fright? (R. O.
 Answer-Yes. Quinine in any cir- cumstance is more or less tonic to the heart. Instructions in pamphlet "Quinine in Modern Medicine"-fo copy send stamped envelope bear ing your address. It is hard to get quinine now.
 Apples
 I love apples and would like to eat one every day at lunch, but 1t always puts my teeth on edge.
 (M. R.)
 Answer-Perhaps your calcium and vitamin D intake is deficient. Send stamped envelope bearing your address, for pamphlet "The Calcium Shortage" Inclose ten cents coin. Copyright 1945, John F. Dille Col