Schwakzbach. — The Effects of School Life on Sight. 473 



efforts of some of our scientific men, who have repeatedly drawn the atten- 

 tion of the public and of the officials towards the causes which endanger a 

 whole nation to advance from the stage of short sight to that of weak sight. 

 Hirschberg in Berlin, Cohn in Breslau, Sibreich in London, and others, have 

 lectured and written on the subject ; and it is my intention in this short 

 paper to give a hurried synopsis of their opinions and of my own observa- 

 tions in this matter. 



The changes in the functions of the visual organ, which are imme- 

 diately developed under the influence of school-life, are the following : — 



1. Decrease of the range of vision. 



2. Decrease of the acuteness of vision. 



3. Decrease of the endurance of vision. 



1. Decrease of the range of vision, — short sight, — (Myojria) is that con- 

 dition of the eye in which rays of light are united in front of the retina in 

 consequence of an extension of the axis of the eye. 



As a rule, shortsightedness appears only feebly developed in children, 

 and with proper attention could be stayed, often removed. The most dan- 

 gerous time for such eyes are the years between eight and fifteen. The 

 visual organ is then in a state of change and growth, and very susceptible 

 to outer influences, the effects of which become easily settled and per- 

 manent. When the children look persistently at near and small objects, an 

 undue pressure on the eye is produced by the accommodation muscle, as 

 well as by the accumulation of blood, caused by the stooping position, thus 

 gradually expanding the visual axis. The young scholar not only remains 

 shortsighted, but the defects increase in proportion to the admittance of 

 injurious influences. The sedentary occupations of learned men, or watch- 

 makers, engravers, and others furnish us with a striking example how 

 easily the power of sight for distant objects may be impaired. Short- 

 sighted eyes should not only be guarded against over- straining, especially 

 against evening work, but proper counter-influences against the prime 

 causes should be instituted. In the same degree as excessive working on 

 near objects may gradually produce an expansion of the eyeball from the 

 front to the back, in the same degree could this be prevented by practising 

 the sight upon distant objects, by much outdoor exercise (also school-gym- 

 nastics) and carefully guarding against that which is obnoxious to a normal 

 development of the organ. And in sinning against this normally natural 

 development, the schools in particular may be accused. Excessive read- 

 ing predominates over oral teaching in too great a measure. I do not mean 

 so much in the rural schools or lower public schools, but in the universities 

 and colleges, where a vast amount of mental work must be accomplished 

 in order to enter with honorary degrees into professional life. If extensive 



