ASTIGMATISM 436 



being along lines of hygiene and dieting. In 

 some cases, where the attack is of long dura- 

 tion, hypodermic injections inducing sleep have 

 to be administered to save the patient from 

 complete exhaustion. \\.A.E. 



ASTIGMATISM, as tig' ma tiz'm, a form of 

 imperfect refraction of the eye, in which 

 parallel rays of light are refracted or bent un- 

 equally in the different planes or meridians. 

 inequality of refraction is due, in the 



ASTOR FAMILY 



A PRACTICAL TEST 



In the above chart, if all the lines do not ap- 

 pear equally black to the natural eye, astigma- 

 1s likely to be present, In greater or less 



majority of instances, to the fact that the 



ire of the cornea (sometimes the lens, 



also) is abnormal. In the normal eye the 



ire of the cornea is equal in every 



.n or plane; in the astigmatic eye these 



curves vary like the curvature of a spoon, in 



from tip to point is long and 



leas acute, while the- curve from side to side 



is short and sharp. Rays of light passing 



through a cornea of the spoon-shaped variety 



would be bent or refracted unequally, and such 



a condition would be known as astigmatism. 



Astigmatism < ts from birth (con- 



genital) or is acquired through disease, prin- 

 of the cornea of the eye. The vast 

 majority' of persons have astigmatism in 

 greater or less degree, and it is the most com- 

 mon cause of "eye strain" and many other 

 distressing complaints such as headaches, 

 stomach trouble and numerous "nervous symp- 

 toms." Properly-fitted glasses, combined with 

 sensible regulation of ocular hygiene and at- 



tention to the general health, almost always 

 relieve such dist resting symptoms. 



A much used test for astigmatism is the 

 "clock dial chart" which is similar in appear- 

 ance to a clock dial, with a number of dark 

 lines radiating from the center to the differ- 

 ent hours, as from twelve to six o'clock, three 

 to nine, ten to four and two to eight o'clock, 

 etc. In the normal eye all the lines on this 

 chart should appear equally distinct and of 

 the same degree of blackness. In the astig- 

 matic eye certain lines may appear more dis- 

 tinct or blacker than those radiating at right 

 angles to them. For example, the lines run- 

 ning from twelve to six may be more distinct 

 or blacker than those running from three to 

 nine o'clock. This test, while suggestive, is 

 not strictly reliable, and other more scientific 

 and technical tests made by oculists are neces- 

 sary to determine with accuracy the presence 

 and degree of astigmatism. See EYE. R.J.T. 



ASTOR FAMILY, a family of American 

 capitalists, frequently called the "landlords of 

 New York City," because the founder of the 

 family invested most of his fortune in real 

 estate, and its gradual rise in value has placed 

 his descendants among the richest persons in 

 the United States. They are America's near- 

 est approach to the typical European heredi- 

 tary, land-owning families. Though the family 

 fortune was founded in a commercial enter- 

 prise, it was soon tied up in real estate, and 

 each succeeding generation has added to rather 

 than sold the land held by the family. 



John Jacob Astor (1763-1848), was born in 

 the small village of Waldorf, near Heidelberg, 

 Germany, where his father was a butcher. The 

 son emigrated to 

 New York in 

 1783, and almost 

 immediately be- 

 gan to trade in 

 furs, even prepar- 

 ing them for mar- 

 ket with his own 

 hands. So shrewd 

 and industrious 

 was he that in 

 six years he had 

 acquired a for- 

 tune of nearly 

 omnnn W JOHN JACOB ASTOR 



H' s The founder of the great 

 business gradu- American house of Astor and 



ally expanded, of the fortune of the famlly ' 

 and in 1811 he founded Astoria, Oregon, as a 

 permanent station for regular trading with the 



