EYE TROUBLES IK SCHOOLS

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1983, 13 February 1914, Page 8

EYE TROUBLES IK SCHOOLS

•*— r-4 VDISCUSSED BY. MBDIdAL CON(By Telesrraph.-Ertss Association.) Auckland, February. 12. At,the Medical Congress■ to-day s considerable number of papers of a i highly technical character, of interest to . few people outside the medical profession, w«re read and discussed in the various, sections of the congress. In the'section of dermatology and tadiology some excellent demonstrations were given, and valuable papers ennkibutco*. : ]>r. M'Murray (Sydney) exhibited n series of lantern sinks showing the use of radium and-X-*ajs in the treatment of caticor, rodent nicer,, mi tapirs, at the: Sydney Hospital, ai)d so.nio wonderful jrosultj Avcre recorded, j /j'ho most interesting paper was contributed, by Dr. G. H. Hogg., JLD,,. JMin.., of liawiecston, .'Tasmania, upon the important; jn?ttof' of . "Kyesfgli-fc in"School Children." 'iNatftre, he said, intended the e-yc. to be ijsed for, distant vision, and sot for. the near vision, The constant strain msßrmrablo - from. school life, the stooping of the child's)iea,d ever a task, nlsb inclined,the «ycs to 'strain and on-use' tJic devclopinefit of any defects to whicji a child may be predisposed or the exaggeration of any: wli.ieh aifeasjy cxis.tcd. Any system of education which compelled the eyes .of children to carry oil contintiouS Hear work and to foctos small objects at close range foi* several hours daily was more, or less tinnatural, and too groat earo coutd lioi hb taken to avoid as much as possible the «viT restijts which the. vio' lat.ioii-of a,natural, law invo-lved. ■ . Dr. Hogg pointed out that for years oculists Tiia-d speken and written oil tj>|a question, but lie was'.afraid that it was overlooked too oft'eiij Hot only by many ' in the aedicni prdfessioiij out, what was wdrse, hy educationists. The general principle of lightoitfi schools was that there could Hot be too much light;' windows should be on the left, placed ■so that the . light • ehtofod above the heads of the children, and luminous reflectioHs wem avoided. . The walls should always- be dulled anti not shining. Reds should not 1)e-:irncd: greens awl light greys were most' restful tt> the eyesand absorbed littfc light, The coilwg should ftlways be white.-. With regard to arti.fieial lighting, the.doctor.:said, "I ca-n----'liot. a*roo with tlie ' sMen-reuts, often 'odvanced .in'favour of electric lighting ■'that .its introduetion has never been fo'l- , 'lmt'edl by aii iijcrcaso -of eye disease and pfrofsof refrafttioH. .Wliiisfclliave lvevfef '■soenanv serious ;disc!Vsr> develop. I h.aVo 'ffequentlv noted irritability, and weakness of the e.vVs follow -uppft the use of _<>l<'ctrio 'lijrhtj esßcdially Where -motallic filaments have behn used, and I n,m sure it plays apaftia smite asthenoiiic 'cases!. X jthoW o,f; Ho better artificial; light than that 2JTen by high-grado oil lamps, SciiooJ -books and pa-ppr should ohvays bo opaque, atfd of. a soft rrenfii tint, and the typo' clftvr alid Well de- ■■ fined and not 'tro smiiii 'Nifilit wo.rl? ."should not be lillowcd the younger pupils. No homework before tlm age of eight .years is a .good rule to adhere to,"