Show origin of an old fad I 1 A practice was common amont fifty years ago of rubbing the eye in a peculiar way from tho outer to the inner comer I 1 tho result being as was supposed to strengthen thy sight the practice with president john quincy adams who had what is called a weeping eye disease having caused the closing of bome of the ducts BO that he was forced to wipe away the overflowing moisture moi stare about once in every utes he always wiped his eye from the outer to the inner corner and some one noticing this peculiar action and knowing also that although ho had passed hia eightieth year he never used spectacles connected the two facts and started the theory that rubbing the eye in the way indicated prevented the changes inseparable from advancing years for a time all the old people in the country spent half their time rubbing their eyes but the fad soon died out and ia now scarcely remembered save by some old man who saw people practicing it when he was a boy interview ia st loida globe democrat |