TALKS ON HEALTH

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 78, 1 April 1931, Page 5

TALKS ON HEALTH

By A FAMILY DOCTOR

Care of the Eyes. As we have only one pair of eyes to last us all our lives, and as we cannot buy a new pair if the present ones fail us, we may as well pay a little attention to the care of them. That should begin at birth. The eyes of a new-boni-baby must be washed with pure water, and then the nurse must put some drops of a weak solution of silver nitrate into them. , Only a skilled midwife understands this., The old woman from next door, though very kind, has not had the proper training. If a few hours or days after birth the infant’s eyes become inflamed and filled with nasty matter, the fault lies -with the mother or the nurse who failed to put the drops in. The “Weakness” Excuse. Now, do not attribute the inflammation to the weather, or to the doctor, or to the eclipse of the sun; above all, do not put it down to “weakness.” Whenever a mistake is made, or neglect leads to illness, those in authority over the child always call it “weakness.” They do so in order to shield themselves. Too often “weakness” means “neglect” or “ignorance.” As the child grows up and reaches its third or fourth year, it may develop a squint. This is a danger signal; it means that attention is urgently needed. One eye is weak and the other strong. The condition can be cured when the child is young, but may become permanent if neglected. Glasses may be necessary, or even a small operation. Using One Eye Only. When the child is older and is moved up into the senior department at the school, lie begins to use his eyes for reading and close work. For the first time now, at this age, a defect in the sight may show itself. The child, if a girl, may thrust her nose down into her needlework. Or she may hold the book very near her face when she reads. The most deceptive condition exists when the child has one perfectly good eye and one very weak-sighted. In all his occupations he uses the good eye only, and does not realise that one is weak. He can read the advertisements across the road i he can recognise liis friends when they are a long way off down the street ; but in every case he is. only making use of the good eye Cover up first one eye and then the other, and the difference becomes apparent at once. If the defective eye is nol treated the sight may fade away altogether and the child be left with only one eye. A Word to Parents. For many occupations good sight ir the two eyes is needed; it would be very sad if a promising lad were presented from following the employment

he had chosen because he could not pass the doctor. If men with two eyes apply for a job it will not be given to a man with only one eye. Then the young man comes home and says to his father, “Why did you not have my eyes seen to when I was young? You only had to walk into the hospital. There was nothing to pay.” It is no excuse that the parents did not know; it is their business to know. One or Both? When the eye becomes red, there are two things you must notice. The fir«t is this: Is only the one eye affected, or are both eves the same? The point is that if only one eye is inflamed the pain is probably due to something in the eye, and a careful examination should be made for a speck. It is a serious blunder to describe a redness due to a foreign body as a “cold in the eye.” All of you make the same mistake; the one precious word vou to in all situations is “ weakness.” You don’t know what it means, nor do T, but it sounds all right. And so the unfortunate child, or enginedriver, or whoever it is, continues tc suffer from “weakness” in the eyes when the removal of the speck would restore the eye to the normal condition. A Piece of Coal Dqpt. It requires some skill to examine an eye for a foreign body. Everyone ought to know how to turn an eyelid inside out, because it so frequently happens that the speck is stuck on the under lid, and no amount of poking

about will remove it without this slight manipulation of turning up the lid. Sometimes a sharp piece of coal dust, blown by a strong wind, will strike the front of the eye with some force; the speck will then sink into the front of the eye like a stone flung at a piece of putty. It is very difficult to see the black coal against the black pupil, and the plan of looking at the eye from the side must be adopted. Merely rubbing the eye is useless; every rub scratches the tender lid against the sharp bit of grit. If you cannot find any skilful person to remove the grit you should leave the eye alone; the watering of the eye will very likely wash the offending particle awav. If the pain and inflammation persist, you must see a doctor; the eye is so delicate that it does not pay jrou to neglect it. Risk of Infection. The second point I want you to notice about an inflammation of the eye is this: Has anyone else in the home or the school got a similar inflamation ? .If one person has given it to another, it shows clearly that it is infectious. The most stringent preca-i----tions must be taken to prevent further spread. The complaint is not carried through the air. it is only conveyed from one to the other by means of towels, handkerchiefs, pillows, or, in the case of children and relatives, by direct contact in kissing or sleeping together. A Special Lotion. I need not tell you that the inflammation is not due to weakness, but to germs that live and float aboflt in the tears. If the tears run over on to the face, and the second face is rubbed against the first, the infection is easily carried. The persons infected must keep themselves to themselves; they must sleep alone, have their own special towel, and wash their faces and hands very often to prevent giving the complaint to others. A special lotion must be obtained from the doctor or the eye department of the hospital. Sores on the Scalp. When the scalp is the site of infection, it will save trouble in the long run if the hair is cut off round the sores. Boys should have a close crop oyer the head. Girls should have the hair cut. away wherever necessary. If the hair is left long the discharges from the sore places form a matted tangle, under which the germs flouYish. The removal of the crusts is the first part of the process, and the most important. The second part is the application of the ointment. It is safer to use some flat instrument, such as the blade of an old knife or a pair of scissors, to apply the ointment.