EFFECTS OF STUDY ON THE EYESIGHT. 83 



Stevens himself, " the crucial test " of the correctness of his theory. 

 Yet no such result icas observed. Nevertheless, in his later essay, 

 he insists that " correction of the eyes of the patients does relieve 

 their nervous symptoms. . . . This is no place," he says, before the 

 Albany Institute, " to relate cures in medical practice ; but, after a 

 sufficiently extended and careful series of observations, continued dur- 

 ing more than four years, I can safely prophesy that this principle 

 will be found of more universal application, and more successful in 

 its workings, than any which has been advanced for the mitigation of 

 this class of affections." 



The distressing confusion and disappointment resulting from the 

 unbalanced action, in the over-sighted eye, between the arrangement 

 for adjusting the lens and that for converging the eyeballs, is very 

 clearly explained by Dr. Stevens in the same paper. Referring to its 

 effect upon school-children he says : 



" How often do we see children of our schools, frequently the brightest and 

 most ambitious of their class, struggling with irritable nerves, at a disadvantage 

 in their studies, laying the seeds of future trouble, and often, as the time comes 

 for selecting a pursuit in life, forced to abandon a chosen course of studies, be- 

 cause the confinement at such work is too great a strain upon them ! I look 

 forward to the time when these children, who from this single peculiarity are 

 placed at so serious a disadvantage in the struggle for life, shall find the relief 

 that science is ready to afford them, and which would remove the weight that 

 would otherwise prove a serious hinderance in their course." 



Resuming now the consideration of near-sight, we proceed to sug- 

 gest some of its principal causes, as follows : 



1. Too early use by school-children of books, slates, and writing- 

 paper, or copy-books, when blackboards and models would be better. 

 Type and script letters and figures, and their primary combinations, 

 at least, should never be taught from books, but from large and per- 

 fectly-formed models, printed on cards and hung on the wall. When 

 the eye and the memory are sufficiently trained to easily recognize 

 and name each letter and figure at sight, and when some knowledge 

 has been gained of the power of letters and figures in combination, 

 then the same forms in books will be at once familiar as old acquaint- 

 ances, and may be studied without straining the sight. To train the 

 hand without straining the sight presents a greater practical difficulty. 

 In the large schools, of course, all the children cannot go to the black- 

 board. But a considerable practice in drawing large lines and simple 

 objects on good-sized slates, in a sort of free-hand style, should pre- 

 cede the formation of letters and figures; and, when these are begun, 

 they should be made of generous size. A correct position, meanwhile, 

 should be an imperative requirement ; and, until it becomes habitual 

 and easy, good work should be held to be of secondary importance. 

 Hard slate-pencils and greasy slate-surfaces should not be permitted ; 

 both should be subject to systematic inspection. 



