The posterior surface is deeply excavated, to prevent its obstructing the free motion of the eye lids; on each side a notch is cut at the lower margin to allow a free passage for the tears.  The upper margin of the front surface is more prominent than the under, to act as a shade to the eyes.  The inner surface is blackened to absorb the excessive light.  The openings are horizontal slits.  The eyes are thus protected from the dazzling effect of the light.

My friend, Dr. Grady, of Omaha, communicated to me a history of three hunters who almost lost their eyesight by too long exposure to the bright rays of the sun falling on snow.

The abuse of tobacco leads to impairment of vision in the growing youth.  Cigarette smoking is an evil.  I am inclined to believe that the poison inhaled arrests the growth of boys; surely it prevents a mental development, and, when carried to excess, affects vision more by lessening the power of nerve conduction than acting directly on the eye.

It is not the one cigarette which the boy smokes that does the harm, but it is the one, two, or three packages smoked daily.  This excessive smoking thoroughly perverts all the functions which should be at their best to aid this growing youth.  First we have failing digestion, restless nights, suspension of growth, lack of mental development, the loss of nerve tone, loss of the power of accommodation in vision, failing sight, headaches, enfeeblement of the heart.  Let a man who is a habitual smoker of cigars attempt to smoke even one package of cigarettes and he will complain of nausea, dry throat, and loss of appetite.  If a strong man is so much affected by this poison, how much less can a boy resist the inroads of such poisons?  In Germany the law forbids the sale of cigarettes to growing boys.  New York State has a similar law, and why should our own or any other State be behind in passing prohibitory laws against this evil?—­and this is a growing evil.

I have never seen a case of tobacco amblyopia in boyhood, but such a condition is not infrequent in adults.  In boys the action of nicotine acts especially upon the heart, the impulse is rendered weaker and intermittent, and many young boys lay the seeds of organic disease which sooner or later culminates fatally.  Boys should be prohibited from smoking, first by their parents, second by law, but not such laws whose enforcement is a failure, third by placing a heavy fine upon dealers who sell to minors.  The pernicious evil of intoxication is no less an evil upon the nervous system of a youth than is the habit of cigarette smoking, but, fortunately, this habit is less common.  Having traced from aboriginal man to the present civilized individual the cause of his myopia, what must we do to prevent a further deterioration of vision?  Unfortunately, the physician of our country is not, as I am told, like the Japanese physician.  Our medical men are called to attend people who are ill and to try to get them well—­the Japanese physician is paid only to keep his patients in health.