Your children's eyes (1945)

[Music] it is restful to look at Wide Open Spaces our eyes are relaxed and at yet for most of the time our eyes are moving from distant to near things and back again and so they're in an almost constant state of exertion we must help our eyes so that they can see near and distant things equally clearly without getting tired to do this it is useful to know how the eye works an orange is very much like an eye the tough outer skin represents the white of the eye it keeps the eyeball together now a knife to cut a hole into the outer coat which becomes the opening for the eye window underneath is a second coat in its Center is another hole this is the pupil next a stick of Grease paint such as actors use with its help the ARIS which gives the eye its color can be marked a watch glass represents the window of the eye called the cornea it is actually a transparent part of the outer coat the inside of the eye is filled with a sort of jelly just as the Orange is filled with its fruity part the lens is one of the most important parts it looks like a small magnifying glass it is suspended behind the Aris and throws an image onto the back of the eye there at the back is a layer of nerve cells which is sensitive to light and picks up the image this flower looks somewhat like this layer it has a great number of nerve cells attached to Tiny nerve fibers which combine and form a cable called the optic nerve the system of neres cells and fibers which lines the inside of the eye is called the retina and it records a picture much as a photographic film does and now here is the complete seeing mechanism of the eyes the cornea the Aris the pupil the lens the retina and the optic nerve which transmits the picture to the brain If a mask is put in front of the model then the eyes is in the position in which we normally to see it our eyes should work together like a well-trained team of horses and just as the horses are Guided by rains so the eyes are steered by their muscles moving in unison some muscles move them to the right others to the left some upwards and some downwards next the way the pupil works it controls the amount of light entering the eye in the dark the pupil is wide open but it contracts as soon as light hits the eye so that the delicate nerve cells will not be damaged the lens also has an ingenious mechanism if we look at something which is some distance away say a candle the lens is in a flat shape and it throws an image of the candle onto the retina at the back of the eye now watch this image when the candle is brought nearer if the lens remained flat the image by the law of Optics would shift further back and would not be recorded by the retina to overcome this the lens bulges when looking at near things for the result that a sharp image stays on the retina this process is called accommodation and by means of it the eye can see distant and near things equally sharp but bulging means a muscular effort and looking too long at near things tars the eye we have seen how the different parts of the eye work together to produce a clear picture but sometimes one part or another goes wrong and the result is an eye defect this girl is shortsighted if she takes off her glasses and brings her book close to her nose she can see the lines clearly but she cannot see clearly what is written on the Blackboard this boy is longside if he takes off his glasses he can see the Blackboard clearly but if he picks up his book the lines may appear blurred to him there are many reasons for long and shortsightedness especially with children some of them can be quite simply explained the lens of the normal eye throws an image onto the r now sometimes eyes grow too quickly and too much and become too long from front to back so the retina receives the image not at the normal distance but where the light rays spread out again and the result is a blurred picture such an eye is shortsighted if a concave lens is put in front of the eye it spreads the light rays slightly the effect is that the sharp Focus moves back to where the retina is the error is corrected now we know why some children must wear glasses and how the glasses help their eyes then there are eyes which grow too little and too slowly in this case the images received before the Rays come to a focus such eyes are long-sighted to correct this error convex glasses may be necessary they shorten the distance of focusing and bring the image forward to the retina the eyes of young children are long-sighted they are not yet developed for close seeeing and as people grow older over 4 five or so they often lose their power of focusing on near objects because the lens is no longer elastic these people also need glasses the corer should be evenly round like a watch glass but sometimes it is shaped more like a spoon this defect is called a stigmatism it also impedes clear seeeing and must be corrected by special glasses we have seen how easy it is to over come faulty vision due to defects of the eyeball and to make the affected persons comfortable again so if a child complains of a headache when reading or frowns or holds the book too near or too far away or cannot see distant things clearly such as a clock on the wall then we know it is time to take the child for Sight testing either to an oculist or to an eye clinic such an examination is quite harmless it does not matter if the child is too young to read the eyes can still be tested some of the tests take place in the Consulting room others in a special dark room the object is to find the exact nature of the defect and to determine which lenses are necessary for its correction so that the blurred vision of the patient becomes sharp again the diagnosis here is shortsightedness and the boy is sent to an expert optician who will supply him with suitable lenses and who will take the necessary measurements shortsighted children must wear their glasses constantly and they must fit properly if they to do their job well long-sighted children get different glasses which they must wear for all close work and if the doctor says so for distance as as well with the help of glasses children with poor eyesight become normal sighted and they will not be handicapped in life parents must not forget to have the glasses checked every year to make sure that they are still right sometimes one eye is not in line with its fellow but turns outwards or inwards this is called a squint a squint spoils the appearance of a child and may make it awkward and self-conscious a squinting eye does not work properly as shown on the left and if this eye is not treated before the age of 5 years it will become worse and lose all use for vision later in life a squinting eye can be straightened by an operation but its Vision cannot be restored and although this patient's eyes now look quite normal he will go through life practically a oneeyed person squint usually starts at the age of two or three and it often follows an illness such as measles hooping cff or scarlet fever at first the squint may be occasional at this stage it can often be cured easily so it is essential that the child should be examined without delay take her to the doctor as soon as you notice the squid the doctor makes a few simple tests and will prescribe adequate treatment this little boy gets a dark Cotton Patch fixed over his healthy eye to make the other one work older children do more elaborate tests there are several instruments for testing and for treatment this is one of them here is another one and here are others the simple stereoscope is widely used for the treatment of squint by looking attentively at the card while sliding it nearer the crooked eye is forced to work this practicing should be done not only in the clinic but at home as often as possible parents must see that the children wear their dark ey Shades patches or glasses as long as the doctor finds necessary and that they wear them properly and not try to peep around them these various forms of treatment will gradually improve the sight of the squinting eye and in the end will restore its normal vision there are also eye diseases blepharitis is fairly common in children and is often a sign that they're in low Health the symptoms are red and inflamed eyelids with crusting on the eyelashes consult a doctor and he will tell you to remove the crusts by bathing the eyelids with weak Parc lotion or some other solution taking a fresh swab each time and by smearing the edges of the lids with Vaseline conjunctivitis is another frequent complaint in this case the Linings of the leads and eyeballs are affected the eyes appear red and bloodshot and there is a yellow discharge for treatment swab the inside of the lower lid with moist cotton wool then wash out the eye several times with a prescribed solution pulling down the lower lid an alternative method is to use an eye bath finally basic ointment must be applied to the margins of the lids each night conjunctivitis is a very contagious disease and the mother must wash her hands before and after each treatment the patient and all other members of the family must keep very clean they should wash under running water if possible and a separate tow must be provided for the patient otherwise the whole family may get the disease the affected child must sleep in a bed by himself make it a rule to keep the patients belongings separate then there is the sty this is a kind of boil around the eyelash it is best treated by hot bathing three times a day this can be done in a clinic but just as well at home take a piece of cotton wool wrap it around the end of a wooden spoon and put it into a bowl pour boiling water into the bowl then make the child bend over it and let him bring the PAD as close to the sore eye as he can bear it do this for 15 minutes at a time adding boiling water to keep it hot our eyes are well protected they are deeply set into the bone of the skull if there is a blow it hits the bone but leaves the eye unharmed the eyebrow protects the eye like a canopy the ey lashes like a window Grill and the lids act as shutters the eyes are cleansed by our tears which are swept across their Surface by the blinking of the lids then they're drained into the nose this cleansing and draining system is working all the time but can only be noticed during a good cry when we have to sniff constantly in spite of all this protection something may get into the eye stop the child from rubbing it that may do harm pull down the lower lid and if you can see the Intruder take a clean handkerchief and wipe the particle carefully into the corner and then out of the eye if the child feels no more pain all is well but if the pain continues especially when moving the upper lid then do nothing more cover the eye with a dry bandage to put it to rest and take her to a doctor or an Eye Hospital most important is the care of our eyes in daily life reading in such positions as these is very tiring for the eyes the lines of a book should run parallel with the eyes the eyes see sharpest in its Center so give both eyes the chance to use their Center by holding the book straight reading in bed is not good either as the light is usually poor and the child gets too little sleep now this is a good reading position sitting upright near the window or the light with a book held well up at a distance of about 14 in the pages must be evenly lit throughout do not let your child read soiled books or books with a very fine print needle work should always be done by children children in daylight and never for long fine needle work is harmful to children and should be replaced by work with coarse threads or by knitting this is nowadays done in all nursery and elementary schools never allow your children to gaze into the sun with unprotected eyes if they want to watch say an eclipse let them look through glasses darkened by smoke so the points to remember are if your children show any sign of eye strain have their sight tested if you notice a squint have it examined at once if the eyes are inflamed wash them out with a prescribed solution boils and sty need hot bathing in all cases of Doubt consult a doctor or an eye clinic and very important see that the children do wear the glasses which are given to them finally make sure that the eyes of your children get frequent rests let them have plenty of fresh air see that they are happy because good health and freedom from worry will do as much as anything to keep their eyes Fit and Well [Music] h [Music]