THE EYE AND ITS DEFECTS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 871, 18 July 1910, Page 11

THE EYE AND ITS DEFECTS.

WARNINGS AGAINST CARELESSNESS. An interesting and instructive kcturo on "The Eye and it's Defects, was delivered on Friday evening.;.in the Municipal Concert Chamber by Mr J M Spear, M.P.O.CJ, Doctor of Optics! lira subject -vraA' profusely illustrated by a very fine sot of slides, projected by a powerful bioscope-, lantorn. In introducing the subject, the lecturer compared the uyo to a tiny photographiu camera, but -infinitely more delicate and perfect than tho finest instrument to be found in the. modern studio. Perhaps in no other branch of science had such progress been made, so much valuable relief to suffering limnnnity bcon iurnished as in the science of ophthalmology, and tile advancements havo all beon made in the direction of simplicity M explained by the well-understood physical laws of optics, which now accounted for so much that was formerly obscure and unintelligible. The exceusive use of tobacco (especially cigarettes) ami alcoholic stimulants brought on toxic amblyopia, with t?io result that the nervous layers of the retina were partly destroyed, and scrai-blinilneso was the result. Many people were very indifferent as to .the kind, quality, and position of tlio light they used, with the result that thero was a pjemature failure of the eyes. If a defectivo eye was loft uncorrccted, the defect had always a tendency to increaso, besides bringing on a complication of other troubles, such as frontal headaches, nervousness, loss of memory, floating spots, inflammation of the eyes, melancholy, and a general debility of tho tvlioLo system. Cases were not by any means rare where, after many ycarh, or a lifetime, of suffering, the function showud positive signs of giving ii-av, but the trouble rapidly passed away, onco tlio defect was corrected. ]\r. dealing with the anatomy of the eye, the lecturer explained in detail tho functions and uses of the various parts. Such ilulccts a3 Uypermetropia, tnyopiu, presbyopia, astigmatism, epiphora, strabismus, and diplopia, wero dealt with, 'i'ho different lonsea, with their various combinations, in use lor the correction of the individual defects, 'rercs also explained, and it was mentioned that at some future date a lecture on the diseases of the eye will be delivered in Wellington. 'flic lecture was hctu'd with interest, and a vote of thanks was passed at the close. Mr. H. Spwir, M.P.0.C., Doctor or Optica, presided.