THE EYES HAVE IT

New Zealand Listener, Volume 3, Issue 76, 6 December 1940, Page 48

THE EYES HAVE IT

YES have been called "the windows of the soul." Down through the ages poets have rhapsodised on the theme of milady’s eyes. Melting, passionate, wistful, flashing, dreamy, languorous; they dominate the poetic page. Occasionally a word of praise is tossed to raven or golden tresses-to the milk-white skin or a mouth like a flower-but in general, the eyes have it. Yet in this prosaic age of ours, eyes have lost some of their romantic significance. Mostly it is left for lovers to discover, in lone rapture, the beauty of their lady’s eyes. But they no longer sing of them. Walk along the street, ride in a tram or bus, and you can study eyes to your heart’s content. Blue, grey, brown, black, hazel, they will regard you indifferently, stonily, abstractly or in a friendly fashion. And behind them is the living, thinking man or woman. It is only when its possession is threatened that we realise this gift beyond price-our sight. Woman Optician Thinking of eyes led me on another -step-and finally landed me in the consulting room of a woman optician. Her small, blue-curtained waitingroom looked friendly and somehow comforting. If your eyes were weary they would be refreshed by these pleasant surroundings and a tiny window box where small, sturdy flowers are growing. The optician herself was a reflection of her surroundings. She gave an impression of calm and serenity. If you had to hear some bad news about your eyes, you felt it would not seem so bad if she told you about it. Optometry has its aesthetic as well as its practical side. That is why, in my opinion, a woman is essentially qualified to make a success of it. Yet, among women, it is a rare calling-there are only about six others practicing in New Zealand. Vanity is a part of our human makeup. And it is only the compromise of improved -and attractive-looking spectacles that persuade many peopleespecially women-to wear them. Many will endure pain, discomfort and headache rather than submit to glasses. Shades of Spectacles The optician took some spectacles from a little case and explained them to me. One tortoise-shell rimmed pair, she told me, went beautifully with blonde hair. A darker tone was for brunettes. A lovely pinky sort of shade, I learnt, went ideally with white hair and pink cheeks. The latest type from America was rimless, but this optician thought them more becoming to men than to women, Bringing up the rear

was a pair of old-fashioned gold-rimmed glasses. We have progressed so far from these that I could not help smiling at their outlandish appearance. "Imagine," said the optician, "a woman wearing a pair of ‘spectacles like this to-day?" Why, she would look like an antiquated old maid!" "What type of spectacles do you think most attractive?" I asked. "Tt is impossible to say," she said. "A person has to try them on-all of them-till she finds the one that suits her. There is one for every type. Some people are most averse to the idea of wearing glasses, till they see themselves in a pair that suits them-then they become reconciled." "Do you have more women than men patients?" She considered the point. "I should say about an even pro-portion-though it is an admitted fact

that women are more prone to errors of vision than men. Take an average working man’s family. His job takes him out all day in the open. His wife has the manifold duties of the home to sustain; sewing, mending, and other duties that call for close application, Then women read so much more than men-it all results in some form of eye-strain," The Strain of Modern Life To-day, she said, you see so many people wearing glasses, not because the standard of sight has altered, but because of the abnormal mode of living. Eyes were never intended for close work all day long. To-day girls in their teens are apprenticed to tailoring, machining, or clerical duties and other trades that all lay an extra burden on the sight. She thinks it is a good thing to see children wearing glasses. It shows a process of enlightenment. A few years back children’s eyes were taken for granted or neglected. That is why so many adult people to-day suffer from squint. She hazarded the opinion that, with the present care of children’s sight, squint will eventually disappear. In New Zealand, I learnt, there is a very high standard in optometry — actually one of the highest in the world. It entails three years of training, including a study of anatomy, physiology, mechanical work and practical methods of testing eyes. The Old Lady Wasn’t Impressed "Actually," she said, "the mechanical side calls for a sound knowledge of mathematics. I don’t know whether all this scares women off from taking up the profession. Personally, I was interested in optometry-and it became my life work. I persuaded my daughter to take up the study-but it did not attract her. You have to be really interested to follow it through." "Do you think people have confidence in a woman-in your own work, for example?" "Yes, I think so, I have been practicing since 1924, and in all that time I have only met with two people who expressed disbelief. One, just recently, was an old lady, who came in to have her eyes tested. She asked to see the optician. When I told her I was the optician, she flatly refused to allow me to examine her. When you meet with prejudice like that, of course, it is absurd to argue." Tragedy and humour stalk side by side with destiny through the optician’s consulting room. "We have some pathetic cases at times," she said. "Someone comes along who has been recommended by a satisfied patient. They expect us to repeat the miracle-when actually we can hold out to a few of them little hope. The eyes often indicate some disease of the body, and when we find a condition of this kind, we immediately refer them to a doctor. It is a great satisfaction, however, when we can really help a patient towards regaining the clarity and perfection of his sight." The gift beyond price...