To Strengthen the Eyes.

Lake County Press, Issue 904, 29 March 1900, Page 7

To Strengthen the Eyes.

A Yery Simple Method. By an Old Workman, in the “ Weekly Scotsman.” I wonder whether there is still extant a copy of a leaflet printed and distributed many years ago by De Quincey Adams, one of the Presidents of the United States of America ? The object of the leaflet was to describe and recommend to public notice a mode of dealing with defective or weak eyesight, of which he himself and several others had felt and appreciated the benefit

The system ur mode of treatment so strongly recommended by one who was so high in social position as was De Quincey Adams has in a very marked degree the great advantages of extreme simplicity. There is nothing to prevent even tlie youngest to apply it, and with juveniles, at all events, it possesses tin; delightful peculiarity that there is nothing nauseous to take, no pills, no potion. “ no nothing.” There are, broadly stated, two classes or kinds of eyesight—the “ near” or “short” sight, and the “long” or ‘‘faroff’ sight. In the first the eyeball requires. when artificial help is needed, concave-glassed spectacles. In the second, “long” sight, the eye demands couvex-glassed spectacles. For those two classes of eyesight the De Quincey Adam system has two separate modes of operation, which are the same in principle. That may be simply described as,one of “ stroking”" or pressing upon the eyeball when the eyelids are closed, the pressing being accompanied by a lateral or from side-to-side movement. I might, in fact, call the operation “eyeball massage.” And here the reader must take special note of this point ; that it is in the direction in which the lateral pressing or stroking movement is made which constitutes the difference between the two modes of operation—one for “near.” the other for “long” sight.

There are two methods of performing the simple operation wliieh constitutes the “cure” for weak eyesight—for so President Adams asserts most, strongly that it is. Suppose the patient is “short" or “ near” sighted. Place the tip of the forefinger of each hand in the inner cavity near to the nose ; then the fingers are drawn slowly outwards with a varying pressure, according to the feeling of the patient, till the outer extremity is reached. The forefingers are again placed in position at the inner or nasal corner of the eyes, and the outward lateral or down sidedo-side movement repeated. This may he done for six or eight times at each operation, and the operation may he repeated ■several times a day at the first. Tt is so pimple that it may he gone through at any time and in any place. Here is another method, and one simpler, inasmuch as the movements are quieter and much less observable than in the method above described. In this the second mode, one hand only ;s employed in giving the lateral rubbing stroke. Thethumband middle finger-balls or tips are placed in theinnercorner —for “ near" sight—of the eye. and the movement is then made outward, the tips of the thumb and middle finger pressing upon the eyeball. It is scarcely necessary to say that for cases of “long” sight the lateral movement. ‘is to be made in the direction opposite to that described above for “ near.” That is. the movement is begun at the outer corner of the eyes and finished at the inner or nasal corner.

T first became, acquainted with the system several years ago on the occasion of a visit to America, my attention being drawn t<> it by a friend who had himself been greatly benefited by following it. and who knew several who. like himself, thought very highly of it. I can now give the testimony of n personal experience extending over very many rears. This testifies very strongly in favour of the system in relieving tlm pain accruing from overworking or st rain ins of the eyes. One department of niy professional work necessitated work.' After such work the pains in the uve or eyeball were very trying. and at their last were bad enough. Tint T found nothimr to equal in efficiency the system as above described, in relieving quickly, and. as a rule, ultimately for the time removing the pain, and that ueaiy ponvse of fulness in the eyeball with which manv workers with the eyes are but too familiar. It would be a delight for me to know if even but one of the l )am l of those who at present suffer in this way would, in trying the T)e Qniaeey Adams system, find the relief which T have found from using it perseveringiy.