THE PHYSICAL EXAMINATION 25 



child. The more common faults are these: 

 " squint," blink, redness of the eye, inflammation 

 of the lids, twitching, cross-eye or strabismus, di- 

 vergent eyes, hanging head and avoidance of light. 



By many the " cross-eye" has been considered 

 almost a "natural" condition. The fact is, how- 

 ever, that it is one of no little seriousness, for the 

 deflected eye frequently becomes almost if not 

 quite blind; yet the condition can be greatly 

 improved by early attention. As soon as this 

 condition is noticed, the child should be taken to 

 an oculist, who may be able in great measure to 

 do away with the defect. 



It is also very important to notice at once any 

 inflammation of the eye or of the lids, for there 

 are several only too common diseases which make 

 their appearance in this manner. The other 

 faults are generally the result of some defect in 

 the mechanism of the eye itself, that is, such 

 faults as blinking, twitching, straining, and the 

 like. If, when a child reads, he holds his book at 

 some very unusual length, this too is a similar 

 indication, and should, as with the others, lead to 

 an examination by a competent oculist. 



Indications of eye-strain, however, are not 

 limited to the eye itself, as frequent contraction 

 of the brows, or a continual frown, may likewise 

 be taken as important considerations. Again, 

 there may be no visible sign, but a child, in read- 



