Show ms in College SIlT r Severely From Eyestrain Damage to Vision in Four Years Measured l THE HE student pays dearly for fora J- J a college education when in addition to financial costs he gives up part of his precious eyesight It has long been suspected suspected suspected sus sus- that four years of close and long attention to books might impair the vision Tests of grade and high school students students students stu stu- dents have been made to determine determine determine de de- de- de termine the effect of school schoolwork schoolwork schoolwork work on eyesight but there has been little actual knowledge of what happens to the eyesight eyesight eyesight eye eye- sight of college students The extent of damage to vision resulting from the strain on the eyes incurred in obtaining a n college education has now been measured on one thousand University of Minnesota Minnesota Min Mm- students Many Defective at Start Of these thousand about one in six had seriously defective vision on entering college Dr Ruth E. E Boynton associate professor of preventive preventive preventive pre pre- medicine and public health at the university found At the end of the four years in college this percentage had increased About one in four of the students had seriously seriously seriously se se- se- se defective vision at the time of graduation Most of these students were enrolled enrolled en en- rolled in the medical school or the college of education Upon entering entering entering enter enter- ing the university eye examinations showed that about half hall of them had normal vision About another third 30 per cent had slight defects in inG n. n ri 1 n Y n. n. n G Y QU ioU LU p iII Iu uv C Q fifth had serious defects in vision The number with seriously defective defective defective tive vision increased to nearly a fourth 24 per cent by the time of graduation College work was hardest on the eyesight of those students who started started started start start- ed out with the greatest visual handicap han han- Dr Boynton told a conference conference conference confer confer- ence of the National Society for the Prevention of Blindness |