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Home Medical and Vet Remedies, as Recommended by 19th and 20th century Doctors and Vets! |
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Home Medical and Vet Remedies, as Recommended by 19th and 20th century Doctors and Vets! |
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Squinting.Both of these impressions are erroneous. The fact is, that squinting is utterly beyond the control of the individual, and cannot be corrected by punishment ; nor can it be communicated from one individual to another. In fact, it would be quite impossible for a person to acquire at will a habit of genuine squinting. Squinting is, in the vast majority of cases, the result of defective formation of the eyes. It .nay result either from an undue depth or an undue flatness of the eyes - that is, from myopia or from hypermetropia. If the child be short-sighted, he is apt to have that form of squint in which one eye turns outward ; if on the other hand, he be far-sighted in a high degree, he is prone to the common form of squint in which one eye turns inward. In fact about nine cases out of ten of this common form of squinting occur in individuals who are " flat-eyed," that is, hypermetropic. This deformity is usually manifested at about the time when the child begins to use his eyes critically in the examination of external objects - say from three to five years of age. When the habit of squinting is first developed it usually seems to affect both eyes, that is, the eyes turn inward alternately. Sometimes the child looks with the right eye while the left is turned in toward the nose ; at other times, perhaps while he is still looking at the same object, he reverses the proceeding, directing the left eye toward the object under inspection and rolling the right eye inward. For a considerable time it seems to be a mere matter of accident as to which eye is made to squint, but as time elapses it will be noticed that the child neglects one eye or the other constantly, employing either the left or the right eye for examining objects and permitting the other to turn inward. This is the time for action in correcting this deformity, for when the individual has acquired the habit of using one persistently to the neglect of the other, the sight of the latter undergoes gradual impairment. Hence it frequently happens that if the squint be neglected until the person has reached adult age, the squinting eye is almost completely blind, or at least practically worthless. This impairment of sight results simply from disuse, just as an arm or leg becomes gradually weaker if it be not used. By employing proper measures to compel the individual to use both eyes, or rather to permit him to see with both eyes without straining these organs, the squint may be entirely avoided and the sight may remain perfect in both eyes. It is, therefore, a matter of supreme importance that a squint should be rectified at its very beginning. People generally are inclined to think that the only disadvantage of a squint is the impairment of beauty ; this is, of course, a matter of considerable moment, especially in girls. But if this were all, the squint might be neglected, since the eye can be straightened almost any time by a slight operation which involves no danger to the patient nor to the eye. But no operation can restore the sight which is lost by permitting the squint to persist for years. By correcting the squint at its very beginning, therefore, we not only prevent a serious personal deformity, but we also save the sight of an eye. With one eye a person can, it is true, see well enough for all ordinary purposes, but it is a by no means comforting thought to be conscious that he has no reserve eye in case he should, from any cause, lose the sound one. The remedy for squinting lies, during its early stages, in the use of glasses. It is often possible to correct a squint entirely, before it has existed more than two or three years, by the judicious employment of spectacles. The glasses act, of course, by correcting the near-sightedness or farsightedness upon which the squint depends. After the individual has been in the habit of squinting for several years, it is rarely possible to correct the deformity entirely by the use of glasses. Yet there should be no hesitation whatsoever in submitting the eye to an operation whereby it can be straightened ; since, even though the sight of the eye be somewhat impaired, the vision can often be restored, at least so as to make the eye practically valuable. But first, if you want to come back to this web site again, just add it to your bookmarks or favorites now! Then you'll find it easy! Also, please consider sharing our helpful website with your online friends.
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