S C R I B N E R ' S M A G A Z I N E Important ... - Rparchives.org
S C R I B N E R ' S M A G A Z I N E Important ... - Rparchives.org
S C R I B N E R ' S M A G A Z I N E Important ... - Rparchives.org
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November 5, 1913. A FAMILY PAf M.<br />
H O W W E A K E Y E S A R E<br />
S T R E N G T H E N E D B Y E X E R C I S E .<br />
By C. Gilbert Percival, M. D.<br />
I N this, wbich is undoubtedly the most<br />
active period in the history of man,<br />
every one of our faculties is called<br />
on to do more, and to respond to a<br />
longer continued extraordinary strain<br />
than ever before.<br />
"Take things ea.sy," may be very good<br />
advice, but most of us, who- know how our<br />
competitors are bustling, fear tbat the practice<br />
of it would furnish us with a free seat<br />
on a bench in the park, instead of a cash<br />
income.<br />
More energy, more concentration, are required<br />
to keep up with the leaders nowadays<br />
—hence our nerVous exhaustion is greater.<br />
Busy city lif(^ with its clang, clatter and<br />
rush, even most of our time-saving inventions<br />
and modes of travel keep tbe nerves on<br />
edge, and give them no opportunity to rest<br />
during our waking hours.<br />
Now the eye is one of the most delicate<br />
centers of the nervous system. Tbis is clearly<br />
proven by the fact tbat the first place a<br />
physician looks for symptoms of paralysis is<br />
at the base of the optic nerve—if there are<br />
none in evidence it is taken as positive proof<br />
that there is no danger.<br />
This will clearly evidence that nerve exhaustion<br />
means eye-exhaustion and finafly<br />
eye affection if nothing be done to correct it.<br />
If, however, the blood circulation in the<br />
eyes is kept normal by the proper kind of<br />
simple and safe exercise, they continue<br />
healthy, normal and strong.<br />
Besides this nervous strain that I speak of<br />
there are many other features of modern<br />
hfe which tax the eyes unduly.<br />
Our schooling, once confined to tbe simple<br />
rudiments of education, is now so extended<br />
that the book-s of a schoolchild of today<br />
tould cause a child of thirty years ago to<br />
look aghast—hence at tbe threshold of practical<br />
life we start to unduly tax our eyes.<br />
The glitter of city streets,—'the speed of<br />
traffic—the riding in fast trains—the viewing<br />
of scenery from train-windows as it flashes<br />
quickly by—and above all, the habit of reading<br />
every time we have the opportunity in<br />
our busy careers, under all sorts of unfavorable<br />
conditions—these all add to the extraordinary<br />
burden wbich our eyes are asked<br />
and expected to carry witbout assistance of<br />
any kind.<br />
And, remember that though your arms<br />
may rest, your body may recline, and every<br />
limb, and other sense may be to a great extent<br />
dormant at time's, your eyes are always<br />
seeing unless they are closed^always active<br />
during every waking hour.<br />
Hardly any wonder then, that eye strain<br />
is so common and up to recently so many<br />
liave had to call on artificial aid in order to<br />
see at all.<br />
You know the eye is just like a little camera.<br />
It has the lens with the iris opening<br />
which enlarges and contracts agreeably to the<br />
amount of light existing. It also has a dark<br />
chamber which may be compared to- a camera<br />
bellows, and the retina corresponding to^<br />
the sensitive plate. It has; three sets of<br />
muscles—one turns the eyes in any direction,<br />
one controls the iris, and one operates<br />
the focus.<br />
When, through nervous exhaustion or<br />
over-taxation, the circulation of blood in the<br />
eyes becomes weaker than is normal, these<br />
muscles become flabby and refuse to act up<br />
tO' their usual standard, and the eyes do not<br />
focus easily if at all. Premature old-sight is<br />
the result.<br />
The muscles still do their best to focus<br />
properly; eagerly struggle and strain to<br />
properly do tbe work which your brain commands<br />
tbem to do—strain and struggle so<br />
hard in fact that they affect the tired nerves,<br />
and not only cause headaches of wbich this<br />
is the most fruitful cause, but put tbe entire<br />
nervous system under a pressure which extends<br />
to the stomach and digestive <strong>org</strong>ans,<br />
and brings on nausea and dyspepsia.<br />
What eye specialist is there who has not<br />
heard fronr his patient: "Why I had no idea<br />
in the world tbat it could be my eyes." There<br />
arej many physicians in fact, who look to<br />
the eyes for one of the firstcauses of stomach<br />
trouble.<br />
It is perfectly amazing in reviewing the<br />
progress of science, surgery and medicine in<br />
the last fifty years, that the methods of correcting<br />
eye affections, even of tbe simplest<br />
•kind, seem to have been entirely overlooked.<br />
Science in physiology is correcting deformities<br />
which used to require harnesses or mechanical<br />
support Surgery is correcting<br />
displacements which heretofore caused lifelong<br />
confinement. Physicians are departing<br />
more and more from the old-fashioned practice<br />
of continual drugging, and using more<br />
rational methods of restoring and preserving<br />
health.<br />
Eut, until tbe recent discovery of this system<br />
of exercise to which I refer, no matter<br />
bow simple your eye-trouble was, you were<br />
told that you had to wear eye-glasses.<br />
Now eye-glasses are not necessarily to be<br />
despised. They are a great invention in their<br />
way—so are crutches.<br />
But you would not relish the anticipation<br />
•that you had to use crutches all your life—<br />
nor would you. Just as soon as your sprained<br />
ankle, for instance, were in condition to<br />
stand it, your doctor would instruct you to<br />
touch it to the ground gradually and exercise<br />
it to bring back the normal circulation<br />
necessary to enable you to discard your<br />
crutch.<br />
Exactly the same with a broken arm<br />
—exercise it as soon as possible to bring it<br />
back to normal.<br />
Tbe n'earing of eye-glasses is just exactly<br />
like using a crutch for life. Instead of growing<br />
stronger by tbeir use, the eyes gro'v<br />
weaker, and you probably are well aware of<br />
the fact that in order to see perfectly the<br />
wearer of glasses must change them from<br />
time to time for new and stronger ones.<br />
Let us see what authorities say on the<br />
subject of eye massage: Doctor De Schweinitz,<br />
of Philadelphia, Professor of Ophthalmology<br />
in Jefferson College, makes the statement<br />
that in treating so serious a condition<br />
as dreaded cataract of the eye, massage of<br />
the eye-ball "has -been followed by improvement<br />
in vision and deepening of the anterior<br />
chamber," Tbe Medical Record, in writing<br />
of the same serious ailment, urges the<br />
great value of "any means that would bring<br />
an increased blood supply" and considers<br />
tbat "the most feasible plan seem's to be<br />
properly applied massage."<br />
lit would of course be impossible to satisfactorily<br />
or even safely give this massage<br />
(or exercise) with the hands, but this problem<br />
was successfully solved a few years ago<br />
by a New York specialist, who realized<br />
•through experience bow many troubles of<br />
the eyes could be quickly corrected by this<br />
method.<br />
The greatest and most practical inventions<br />
usually seem the simplest and most obvious once<br />
they become known, and this one is no exception<br />
to that rule. So simple is it that anyone can use<br />
it in their own home without instruction, yet it<br />
is so safe that there is not the slightest chance<br />
of giving the eyes anything but great beneflt, no<br />
matter how long they may have been affected.<br />
This system of exercise is fully explained, also<br />
'.many interesting scientific facts about the eyes<br />
are given in a little book on the subject, which<br />
will be sent without cost if you address Charles<br />
A. Tyrrell, M.D., 134 West 65th street. New York,<br />
and mention having read this article in The Christian<br />
(Nation.<br />
It may, with reason, be suggested that at no<br />
time could this system have been perfected more<br />
opportunely than now. At no time has the<br />
world demanded more perfect men and women;<br />
and if your eyes are weak, whether you wear<br />
glasses or not, it is not necessary for any one<br />
to point out its disadvantages—perhaps you even<br />
consider glasses a disfigurement to a certain<br />
degree—surely they are an inconvenience.<br />
Of course you cannot put new muscles in an<br />
eye, as you would a new tire on an automobile,<br />
but you can restore health to these muscles and<br />
give them the same original strength that assures<br />
the thorough performance of their natural<br />
work.<br />
Personally I have seen this system in a few<br />
months make a boy of eighteen entirely independent<br />
of glasses who had worn them continuously<br />
for twelve years; also enable old folks over<br />
sixty to discard their glasses in an incredibly<br />
short time. Therefore, I believe it is safe to assume<br />
that many thousands of spectacles will<br />
cease to be useful as this system becomes generally<br />
known, and I am sure that everyone whose<br />
eyes are affected in any way, whether a wearer<br />
of glasses or not, will be greatly interested in<br />
the little book which tells so much about the<br />
eyes and their care.—Adv..