William Horatio Bates

“ If the aviator loses his sight, therefore, he is lost, and we have one of those "unaccountable" accidents which, during the war, were so unhappily common in the air service. All aviators, therefore, should make a daily practice of reading small, familiar letters, or observing other small, familiar objects, at a distance of ten feet or more. ”

“ We shall have to employ school physicians on full time, and pay them enough to compensate men of eminence for the loss of private practice. We shall also have to see that the children are not sacrificed to the ignorance or poverty of their parents before they reach school age. But to preserve their eyesight it is only necessary to place Snellen test cards in every school classroom, and see that the children read them every day. ”

“ CHAPTER XXX - NORMAL SIGHT AND THE RELIEF OF PAIN FOR SOLDIERS AND SAILORS
THE Great War is over, and among the millions of brave men who- laid down their lives in the cruel conflict there were some who thought that they were doing so that wars might be no more. But the earth IS still filled with wars and rumors of war, and in the countries of the victorious Allies the spirit of militarism is rampant. In the United States we are being urged to increased naval and military expenditure, and there is a strong demand for universal military training. ”

“ Since errors of refraction are curable, no soldier should be allowed to wear glasses; but if the use of these aids to vision is permitted, the men wearing them should not be required to take part in the eye drills. as the method will do them no good under these conditions. When they see the benefits of eye education, however, they may wish to share them, and will, no doubt, be willing to submit to the inconvenience resulting, temporarily, from going without their glasses. ”

“ In each regiment every ten men should be under the supervision of one man who understands the method, and who must possess normal vision without glasses. He should carry a pocket test card, consisting of a few of the smaller letters, and should test the vision of the men at the beginning of the training, and thereafter at intervals of three months, reporting the results to the medical officer in charge. ”

“ It was formerly supposed that aviators maintained their equilibrium in the air by the aid of the internal ear; but it is now becoming evident from the testimony of aviators who have found themselves emerging from a cloud with one wing down, or even with their machines turned completely upside down, that equilibrium is maintained almost entirely, if not altogether, by the sense of sight. ”

“ After the United States entered the recent war, I had the privilege of making it possible for many young men who had been unable to meet the visual requirements for admission to the army and navy, or to favorite branches of these services, to gain normal vision ”

“ With this simple system of eye education beginning in the kindergarten and extending through the whole educational process up to the university and the professional school, it would soon be found that the young men of the country, on arrival at the military age, were practically free from eye defects. ”

“ In military colleges the same method could be used as in the schools; but a daily eye drill should also form part of the maneuvers on the parade ground, so that the students may be prepared to use it later in training camps, or at the front. ”

“ Then they should read the letters again and note any improvement in vision. The whole procedure would take not more than a minute. It should be made part of the regular drill, night and morning, and men with imperfect sight should be encouraged to repeat it as many times a day as convenient. They will need no urging; for imperfect vision is a bar to advancement, and excludes from the favorite branch of the service, namely, aviation. ”