HYGIENE OF THE EYE. 501 



Hygienic Remarks. Since muscular effort is needed by 

 the normal eye to see near objects, it is clear why the pro- 

 longed contemplation of such is more fatiguing than look- 

 ing at more distant things. If the eye be hypermetropic still 

 more is this apt to be the case, for then the ciliary muscle 

 has no rest when the eye is used, and to read a book at a 

 distance such that enough light is reflected from it into the 

 eye in order to enable the letters to be seen at all, requires 

 an extraordinary effort of accommodation. Such persons 

 complain that they can read well enough for a time, but 

 soon fail to be able to see distinctly. This kind of weak 

 sight should always lead to examination of the eyes by an 

 oculist, to see if glasses are needed; otherwise severe neu- 

 ralgic pains about the eyes are apt to come on, and the 

 overstrained organ may be permanently injured. Old per- 

 sons are apt to have such eyes; but young childen frequently 

 also possess them, and if so should at once be provided 

 with spectacles. 



Short-sighted eyes appear to be much more common now 

 than formerly, especially in those given to literary pursuits. 

 Myopia is rare among those who cannot read or who live 

 mainly out of doors. It is not so apt to lead to per- 

 manent injury of the eye as is the opposite condition, but 

 the effort to see distinctly objects a little distant is apt 

 to produce headaches and other symptoms of nervous 

 exhaustion. If the myopia become gradually worse the 

 eyes should be rested for several months. Short-sighted 

 persons are apt to have, or acquire, peculiarities of appear- 

 ance: their eyes are often prominent, indicative of the 

 abnormal length of the eyeball. They also get a habit of 

 "screwing" up the eyelids, probably an indication of an 

 effort to compress the eyeball from before back so that 

 distant objects may be better seen. They often stoop, too, 

 from the necessity of getting their eyes near objects they 

 want to see. The acquirement of such habits may be 

 usually prevented by the use of proper glasses. On the 

 other hand "it is said that myopia even induces peculiari- 

 ties of character, and that myopes are usually unsuspicious 

 and easily pleased; being unable to observe many little 



