166 On Light in some of its Relations to Disease. 



which were often the most completely wrong, concluded 

 that he was growing old, and losing his power, and so, 

 with as good grace as possible, submitted to the great 

 cross and humiliation of his lifetime. 



!N"ow, however, we know that more than one-fifth of all 

 the children in our schools have anomalous refractions, 

 and that the wearing of glasses for the correction of these 

 errors is neither an indication of age nor of foppery, but a 

 sensible acceptance of the great benefits which science con- 

 fers in such cases. ITo longer do those who are well in- 

 formed in respect to such troubles seek a shop where glasses 

 are kept on sale ; for one might about as well, if he desired 

 his photograph taken, request his neighbor to sit for him, 

 or search through the show cases of the photographer for a 

 good picture for himself! He must sit for his own photo- 

 graph, and he must sit for his own glasses, and often the 

 highest scientific knowledge of the surgeon and the most 

 consummate skill of the artisan are brought into requisi- 

 tion for the correction of a refractive error, of the very 

 existence of which the patient is scarcely aware. Hitherto, 

 this knowledge of the surgeon and skill of the worker in 

 glass have been almost exclusively of service when the 

 patient complained of visual troubles. Henceforth, I am 

 convinced that these visual troubles will be sought for in 

 order to afford relief for and protection against many 

 nervous affections. 



It is said that " the proof of a pudding is in eating it,*' 

 and the crucial test of a doctrine such as I have presented 

 is its applicability in the management of the affections of 

 which we have spoken. Does the correction of the eyes 

 of patients relieve their nervous symptoms ? I answer 

 unhesitatingly, yes. This is no place to relate cures in 

 medical practice, but, after a sufficiently extended and 

 careful series of observations continued during more than 

 four years, I can safely prophesy that this principle will 



