from following
the optician's prescription than that of the apothecary, because
nature would soon offset the effects of an inappropriate drug; but the
damage to the eyes from wearing improper glasses would be lasting.

Properly to determine the optical error in astigmatic and farsighted
eyes it is essential to place drops in the eye, which dilate the pupil
and paralyze the muscles that control the convexity of the crystalline
lens, and to use instruments and methods of examination, which can
only be properly undertaken and interpreted by one with the general
and special medical training possessed by an oculist.

The statement has been emphasized that farsighted and astigmatic
persons, up to the age of forty-five or fifty, can sometimes overcome
the optical defects in their eyes by exercise of the ciliary muscle
which alters the shape of the lens, and, therefore, it would be
impossible for an examiner to discover the fault without putting drops
in the eye, which temporarily paralyze the ciliary muscles for from
thirty-six to forty-eight hours, but otherwise do no harm. After the
age of fifty it may be unnecessary to use drops, as the muscular power
to alter the convexity of the lens is greatly diminished. Opticians
are incompetent to employ these drops, as they may do great damage in
certain conditions of the eye which can only be detected by a medical
man specially trained for such work. Opticians are thus sure to be
caught on one of the horns of a dilemma; either they do not use drops
to paralyze the ciliary muscle, or, if they do employ the drops, they
may do irreparable damage to the eye. Any abnormality connected with
the vision, especially in children, should be a warning to consult an
oculist. Squint, "cross-eye" (_Strabismus_), as has been stated, may
often result from near- or far-sightedness, and it may be possible in
young children to cure the squint by the use of glasses or even drops
in the eye, whereas in later life it may be necessary to cut some of
the muscles of the eyeball to correct the condition. It is a wise rule
to subject every child to an oculist's examination before entering
upon school life.

=DEAFNESS.=--Sudden deafness without apparent reason is more apt to
result from an accumulation of wax than from any other cause. It is a
very common ear disorder. The opening into the ear is about an inch
long, or a little more, and is separated from that part of the ear
within, which is known as the