[...FACTS VERSUS THEORIES

Reading fine print is commonly supposed to be an extremely dangerous
practice, and reading print of any kind upon a moving vehicle is
thought to be even worse. Looking away to the distance, however, and
not seeing anything in particular is believed to be very beneficial to
the eyes. In the light of these superstitions the facts contained in
the following letter are particularly interesting:

"On reaching home Monday morning I was surprised and pleased at the
comments of my family regarding the appearance of my eyes. They all
thought they looked so much brighter and rested, and *that* after two
days of railroading. I didn't spare my eyes in the least on the way
home. I read magazines and newspapers, looked at the scenery; in fact,
used my eyes all the time. My sight for the near-point is splendid.
Can read for hours without tiring my eyes... I went downtown today and
my eyes were very tired when I got home. The fine print on the card
(diamond type) helps me so... I would like to have your little Bible
(a photographic reduction of the Bible with type much smaller than
diamond). I'm sure the very fine print has a soothing effect on one's
eyes, regardless of what my previous ideas on the subject were."

It will be observed that the eyes of this patient were not tired by
her two days railroad journey, during which she read constantly; they
were not tired by hours of reading after her return; they were rested
by reading extremely fine print; but they were very much tired by a
trip downtown during which they were not called upon to focus upon
small objects. Later a leaf from the Bible was sent to her, and she
wrote:

"The effect even of the first effort to read it was wonderful. If you
will believe it, I haven't been troubled having my eyes feel 'crossed'
since, and while my actual vision does not seem to be any better, my
eyes feel a great deal better."...]

- "Better Eyesight", January 1920