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The Vision of Students
EDITORIALS
609
crowded with articles dealing with has long been known to oculists and small, petty points, which are a hinder- occasionally forced on the attention of ance rather than a help. High quality educators, with regard to the handicap and not quantity should be the goal that defects of ocular refraction place on their possessors in school and col of a constructive investigation. To attain originality, a thoro ac lege work. This handicap may be a lit quaintance with the work done before tle more serious for the student of is essential. The literature of the engineering, who must do a good deal subject must be reviewed not only in of accurate mechanical drawing; but current medical publications, but in it is serious enough for the average the original sources as well. For that pupil in the grade or high school, or reason a selected Ophthalmological Li the college student. When it comes to brary is of the greatest importance to the extended reading now required for gether with the Laboratory, to the the study of "English," or history, or the dictionary work required in the student. pursuit of foreign languages, or the In the proper environment for re search, another very important re great mass of reading to be done in quirement is the facility for a full ex the professional schools of law and change of ideas with men engage'd in medicine, or the accurate instrumental other fields of medical investigation. discriminations to be made in many When another field different from his fields of science, the handicap is felt own is touched by the student, he will by many who do not actually break do well to consult and get sugges down or fail to pass. tions from persons who have exper School and college announcements ience and see his doubts and problems very often contain suggestions with re under different lights from a higher and gard to the health and convenience of a wider point of view. The time has prospective pupils. Is there any sug passed when an isolated worker is able gestion more important than this re to cover a large range of subjects. garding the health of the eyes, on the The proper financial assistance is active and continuous use of which, often lacking to young investigators, the pursuit of most courses of study All educational but this should be overcome by a trust directly depends? fund in the hands of the professor, to schemes make much of the examina be allotted to those deserving such aid. tions to determine whether the stu Often original investigators will not dent is prepared, by mental ability and ask for such assistance in order that mastery of preliminary studies, to go they may avoid being tied to show forward in his course. Yet none seem some results. This subsidy should be to consider it worth while to inquire forthcoming from the clinic or some whether he is really physically fit for the work which the curriculum must special organization. Around every professor a retinue of entail. How many medical schools scientific workers will generally make sure that their students have the gather, and it is highly advisable that visual power that they will certainly research should be encouraged and if need for reading and laboratory work; possible "taught" to the selected stu altho careful to preserve their class A. dents by the objective lessons of prac standing by requirements of college tical endeavor, thru the work of the credits. Whether it is forty per cent or professor or some of the assistants. twenty-five per cent that actually fail M. URIBE TRONCOSO. on account of the visual handicap, or break their health with recurring T H E VISION O F STUDENTS. headaches, or lay the foundation for The suggestion made under corre later loss of vision, or lowered nerve spondence (p. 617) is a definite, con tone and efficiency, the prevention of crete contribution to ocular hygiene, these instances of wasted effort, dis carrying into actual operation what appointment, discouragement and low-
610
EDITORIALS
ered usefulness is worthy the attention of all who have, or can make, the op portunity to prevent them. E. J. CONSERVATION OF VISION The question of educating the public with reference to the care of their eyes is brought up from another point of view by the communication on page 618. The Eyesight Conservation Council was proposed, we understand, by certain benevolent gentlemen, largely interested in the optical busi ness. Its purpose was to bring be fore the public by literature and speak ers, the importance of the correction of defects of refraction by the wearing of properly chosen glasses. The desire of these gentlemen to win the confidence and attention of the public led them to seek the as sistance of certain oculists. The need for education of the public in this mat ter is known to all of us. The oculists to whose attention the plan was brought considered it with sympathetic interest; and it was so presented that some of them permitted the use of their names on the list of the Board of Councillors. For various reasons such names do not now appear on that list, the only physicians whose names do appear there, being the head of the Teachers' College of Columbia Uni versity, the State Health Officer of North Carolina and a member of the U. S. Public Health Service. The other members of this Board are physicists, engineers, social workers, educators, ministers, and a "publicity director." These names, presumably, help to give standing to the "Council" and secure attention for its propaganda; but none of these gentlemen seem to have any special knowledge of the eye, its dis eases, dangers, physiology or hygiene. The object of this corporation is stated in its by-laws to be: "To pro mote the general conservation and bet terment of vision." This it seeks by the circulation of literature, and the organization of a bureau of speakers to address meetings of local organiza tions such as Rotarian and Kiwanis clubs, chambers of commerce, schools and colleges.
The publications are chiefly small folders, suggestive posters, and a vi sion chart for schools; that are supplied at cost. We have examined them and found in all the moral of the story, the climax of the appeal points to the wearing of glasses. "When Joe re turned to school last week he had on a becoming pair of glasses." "Tom probably needed glasses before the ac cident that made so much trouble." "Many of these cases merely require lenses to correct the defect which causes the eyes to cross." In a manu facturing establishment "the following condition was discovered: Glasses worn and satisfactory 8 per cent; glasses needed and ordered 83 per cent." "Every manager should see to it that the eyes of all associated with him are corrected to compensate for defects." But in all this propaganda for "eye sight conservation" there is no point ing out that vision is sometimes defec tive from congenital conditions other than errors of refraction, is impaired by disease not due to eyestrain, or should be guarded from injury in any other way than by wearing goggles. There is no hint that this highly dif ferentiated organ of the body should receive the care of one who had medi cal training, to say nothing of the special studies of the anatomy, physio logy and pathology of the eye. The "General Director" of the Eye sight Conservation Council in an article on "Eyesight as a National Problem" (Journal of the National Ed ucation Association, v. 11, p. 362) says "The most desirable solution is an ar rangement by which each pupil re ceives a thoro eye examination by a competent refractionist." Nowhere in all this literature do we find any distinction between oculist and optician or optometrist; all are alluded to under the terms "refraction ist," "specialist," "skilled men," etc. The whole tendency is to continue and extend that confusion in the public mind regarding educated and unedu cated advisors, which always favors the short cut "doctor," or the trades man seeking professional recognition.
609
crowded with articles dealing with has long been known to oculists and small, petty points, which are a hinder- occasionally forced on the attention of ance rather than a help. High quality educators, with regard to the handicap and not quantity should be the goal that defects of ocular refraction place on their possessors in school and col of a constructive investigation. To attain originality, a thoro ac lege work. This handicap may be a lit quaintance with the work done before tle more serious for the student of is essential. The literature of the engineering, who must do a good deal subject must be reviewed not only in of accurate mechanical drawing; but current medical publications, but in it is serious enough for the average the original sources as well. For that pupil in the grade or high school, or reason a selected Ophthalmological Li the college student. When it comes to brary is of the greatest importance to the extended reading now required for gether with the Laboratory, to the the study of "English," or history, or the dictionary work required in the student. pursuit of foreign languages, or the In the proper environment for re search, another very important re great mass of reading to be done in quirement is the facility for a full ex the professional schools of law and change of ideas with men engage'd in medicine, or the accurate instrumental other fields of medical investigation. discriminations to be made in many When another field different from his fields of science, the handicap is felt own is touched by the student, he will by many who do not actually break do well to consult and get sugges down or fail to pass. tions from persons who have exper School and college announcements ience and see his doubts and problems very often contain suggestions with re under different lights from a higher and gard to the health and convenience of a wider point of view. The time has prospective pupils. Is there any sug passed when an isolated worker is able gestion more important than this re to cover a large range of subjects. garding the health of the eyes, on the The proper financial assistance is active and continuous use of which, often lacking to young investigators, the pursuit of most courses of study All educational but this should be overcome by a trust directly depends? fund in the hands of the professor, to schemes make much of the examina be allotted to those deserving such aid. tions to determine whether the stu Often original investigators will not dent is prepared, by mental ability and ask for such assistance in order that mastery of preliminary studies, to go they may avoid being tied to show forward in his course. Yet none seem some results. This subsidy should be to consider it worth while to inquire forthcoming from the clinic or some whether he is really physically fit for the work which the curriculum must special organization. Around every professor a retinue of entail. How many medical schools scientific workers will generally make sure that their students have the gather, and it is highly advisable that visual power that they will certainly research should be encouraged and if need for reading and laboratory work; possible "taught" to the selected stu altho careful to preserve their class A. dents by the objective lessons of prac standing by requirements of college tical endeavor, thru the work of the credits. Whether it is forty per cent or professor or some of the assistants. twenty-five per cent that actually fail M. URIBE TRONCOSO. on account of the visual handicap, or break their health with recurring T H E VISION O F STUDENTS. headaches, or lay the foundation for The suggestion made under corre later loss of vision, or lowered nerve spondence (p. 617) is a definite, con tone and efficiency, the prevention of crete contribution to ocular hygiene, these instances of wasted effort, dis carrying into actual operation what appointment, discouragement and low-
610
EDITORIALS
ered usefulness is worthy the attention of all who have, or can make, the op portunity to prevent them. E. J. CONSERVATION OF VISION The question of educating the public with reference to the care of their eyes is brought up from another point of view by the communication on page 618. The Eyesight Conservation Council was proposed, we understand, by certain benevolent gentlemen, largely interested in the optical busi ness. Its purpose was to bring be fore the public by literature and speak ers, the importance of the correction of defects of refraction by the wearing of properly chosen glasses. The desire of these gentlemen to win the confidence and attention of the public led them to seek the as sistance of certain oculists. The need for education of the public in this mat ter is known to all of us. The oculists to whose attention the plan was brought considered it with sympathetic interest; and it was so presented that some of them permitted the use of their names on the list of the Board of Councillors. For various reasons such names do not now appear on that list, the only physicians whose names do appear there, being the head of the Teachers' College of Columbia Uni versity, the State Health Officer of North Carolina and a member of the U. S. Public Health Service. The other members of this Board are physicists, engineers, social workers, educators, ministers, and a "publicity director." These names, presumably, help to give standing to the "Council" and secure attention for its propaganda; but none of these gentlemen seem to have any special knowledge of the eye, its dis eases, dangers, physiology or hygiene. The object of this corporation is stated in its by-laws to be: "To pro mote the general conservation and bet terment of vision." This it seeks by the circulation of literature, and the organization of a bureau of speakers to address meetings of local organiza tions such as Rotarian and Kiwanis clubs, chambers of commerce, schools and colleges.
The publications are chiefly small folders, suggestive posters, and a vi sion chart for schools; that are supplied at cost. We have examined them and found in all the moral of the story, the climax of the appeal points to the wearing of glasses. "When Joe re turned to school last week he had on a becoming pair of glasses." "Tom probably needed glasses before the ac cident that made so much trouble." "Many of these cases merely require lenses to correct the defect which causes the eyes to cross." In a manu facturing establishment "the following condition was discovered: Glasses worn and satisfactory 8 per cent; glasses needed and ordered 83 per cent." "Every manager should see to it that the eyes of all associated with him are corrected to compensate for defects." But in all this propaganda for "eye sight conservation" there is no point ing out that vision is sometimes defec tive from congenital conditions other than errors of refraction, is impaired by disease not due to eyestrain, or should be guarded from injury in any other way than by wearing goggles. There is no hint that this highly dif ferentiated organ of the body should receive the care of one who had medi cal training, to say nothing of the special studies of the anatomy, physio logy and pathology of the eye. The "General Director" of the Eye sight Conservation Council in an article on "Eyesight as a National Problem" (Journal of the National Ed ucation Association, v. 11, p. 362) says "The most desirable solution is an ar rangement by which each pupil re ceives a thoro eye examination by a competent refractionist." Nowhere in all this literature do we find any distinction between oculist and optician or optometrist; all are alluded to under the terms "refraction ist," "specialist," "skilled men," etc. The whole tendency is to continue and extend that confusion in the public mind regarding educated and unedu cated advisors, which always favors the short cut "doctor," or the trades man seeking professional recognition.