Stories from the Clinic

Chapter 1: Experiences with School Children, part 4/5

A puzzling case was that of a little girl, ten years of age. A patient of ours who came from the same school which she attended, told me that the child was stupid, and she certainly appeared to be so. I asked her if she knew her letters, and in trying to reply she stuttered painfully. I tried to reassure her by speaking as gently as I could, but without avail. I could not get her to answer intelligently, t tried having h«r palm, without results. I held the test card close to her eyes, and asked her to point out certain letters up to the fifty line, as I named them, but only in a few cases did ahe do this correctly. Completely baffled, I appealed to Dr. Bates. He asked the child to come to him and touch a button on his coat which she did. He asked her to touch another button, but she answered:

"I don't see it."

"Look down at your shoes," he said. "Do you see them?"

"No," she answered.

"Go over and put your finger on the door-knob," he said, and she Immediately complied,

"It is a case of hysterical blindness," the doctor said.

The child attended for some time regularly and became ablt to read 10/10 correctly with both eyes. Palming, blinking, swinging, and using her imagination for letters of the test card and other objects, were a benefit. She stopped stuttering and soon lost her reputation for stupidity. She became a good Samaritan in her neighborhood, for on many a clinic day she brought with her some little companions to be cured of imperfect sight. She never had any doubts as to our capability to cure her little friends, and so far we have not disappointed her. I hoped she would not bring anyone who was beyond our power to help, for I would have been sorry to see that sublime faith, which we had inspired in her, shattered.

Two of our patients graduated at the end of the school term. After the final examinations they told me that they had been greatly helped in their tests by the memory of a swinging black period. One of them was told by the principal that if she failed to pass, it would be because she refused to wear glasses. She gave the principal Dr. Bates' book, which was one of her precious possessions, and after that, though he watched her closely, he did not say anything more about her eyes.

"I made up my mind to pass without the aid of glasses," she said, "and 'put one over* on the principal, but you can bet I never lost sight of my precious swinging period. The book has become a family treasure," she continued. "When one of us has a pain in head or eyes, out of the bookcase comes the book. It Is natural to see mother palming after her house work is done. She enjoys her evenings with her family, because palmIng rests her and she does not get so sleepy before bedtime."

The other graduate said: "I did not have to think of a black period when the test was easy, but when I had to answer questions In the more difficult subjects, I certainly did find the period a life-saver. I know I would have failed without it."

Marie, ten years old, told us that she had headaches, and the pain in her eyes was so bad at times that she was put to bed for a few days. Her mother directed her to ask us for glasses. The doctor In school had ordered her to get them.

At first I found It hard to make her smile. Her head and eyes pained her so much that she found it an effort to look pleasant. Then, too, she did not want glasses, —she said they frightened her.

I placed her in a comfortable position and showed her how to palm. After I had treated several patients, I asked Marie to remove her hands from her eyes and to look up at me. She did so and smiled. That was encouraging. Adults, especially some women I know, imagine that there Is something wrong when one smiles. Marie smiled because the palming cured her pain.

Her sight was tested and I found that her vision with each eye was normal. While she was standing, I taught her how to swing her body from side to side. I did the swinging motion with her to be sure sh« was doing It right. At first she complained of dizziness, which showed that she was making an unconscious effort to see things stationary. When I told her to take it easy and swing more gracefully, the dizziness left her and she became more relaxed and enjoyed it.

"I could keep this up all day/' she said. "I like it because all my pain is gone." She was Instructed to continue the palming and swinging at home and to come again the next clinic day.

When Marie returned, she brought her mother, who was anxious to know what there was about palming and swinging that could cure eye strain. Was It a faith cure or did we perform a miracle? She said that Marie had suffered for a long time with pain in her eyes, which prevented her from attending school regularly. Now, for the last few days Marie, after school, had played with the children in the street instead of going to bed. She had studied her homework without being told, after palming her eyes for ten minutes or longer.

The mother was eager for me to know what palming had done for her also. "At first my husband and I thought Marie was joking," she said. "We did not think that such a simple thing as covering the eyes with the palms of the hands could relieve pain. Ever since my children were born I have suffered with backaches and my eyes have been troubling me. Marie suggested that I should try the palming. As a result my eyes are rested and my backache has left me. Now, won't you please tell me about the swing, too?"

I went through the motions with her until she was able to do it. The last time I saw her she told me that she was not half so cross with her babies since she learned how to swing her body, and see things moving. Palming helped her to read to her husband. She said Marie did not complain of pain any more, but was more willing to help about the house and never retired until bed time. Relief from strain, relaxation through palming and swinging the body from side to side, cured both this tired mother and Marie.

During the last year many school children have been benefited and cured of their imperfect sight at our clinic. Some had been wearing glasses, but a larger number had not worn them. The latter were cured quickly and in a few cases needed only one treatment. The records show that all those who were wearing glasses obtained better vision without them. There were no exceptions. For the benefit of those who are interested in eye clinic work, I shall tell about a number of high-school boys, all from the same school, who came for treatment.

A director of a Boys' Physical Training Department in one of our largest high schools in New York City heard of our clinic. About nine-tenths of the boys under his care were wearing glasses. Others struggled along without them, even though they had imperfect sight. The boys were between the ages of 13 and 17 years. Late In the fall of 1924 one of them, by the name of Arthur, came with a note from the physical director. We accepted him gladly and he began treatment under the supervision of Miss Mildred Shepard, my assistant. His vision on the first day was 20/100 with each eye. It was noticed that his eyes were partly closed as he looked at the test card. When placed In a bright light, he had difficulty in keeping them open, and his forehead was terribly wrinkled. Anyone observing him for the first time would have thought that Arthur never smiled. I thought so myself as he appeared week after week, during the winter months, and through the spring. Recently I treated him and helped him to read 10/10 on a strange card. I also received a shock. He smiled. By closing his eyes to rest them, and flashing each letter, he read 10/15 without a mistake. I wanted to stop his treatment then, because there were about twenty others waiting. Arthur begged, however, for one more chance. We gave him the sun treatment and then he returned to the test card and read 10/10. It was at that time I found that Arthur could really smile. Palming, blinking and swinging, with sun treatment, cured him.

The next case was William, whose vision was 10/200 with each eye. I do believe that William practiced faithfully at home and elsewhere but he is just one of many cases of myopia who are slow in obtaining a cure. He is not discouraged, and knows that he will eventually have normal vision if he keeps on. His sight improved to 10/40, or one-fourth of the normal, in six months.

The physical director wrote to me again, asking if he might send more of his boys who were anxious to get rid of their glasses. We have not the room nor the time to take care of even a small percentage of those who are crying out for help. I read the letter to Dr. Bates. He did not answer right away, but just looked at me. Then he said: "Now, you know how much I love school children, and you also know how much I disapprove of glasses." I said: "All right, that settles it." My answer was: "Send them along. There's no limit to the number."

Twenty or more came in response to my letter, and all of them were nice boys. How glad I was that I wrote what I did. After they had received their first treatment, and I had spent more than three hours with them, Dr. Bates appeared at my room to ask If I were tired. His voice sounded most sympathetic, but I was perfectly relaxed, and not a bit tired. As I instructed the boys to palm and swing, I practiced with them. As their vision improved, so did my nerves become more relaxed. I was nappy, but not tired. Treating the boys was not easy, but since every one of them did as he was told, the task was made lighter.

Samuel had worn glasses about two years. He had a great deal of pain in his eyes and his sight was getting worse. The optician who had fitted him with glasses said that he would have to wear them the rest of his life. His vision without glasses was 10/200 with his right eye and 10/100 with the left. He stared continuously, a practice which, I believe, was the main cause of his pain. The first thing I did was to teach him to blink. This relieved his pain. Palming and the swing improved his vision in both eyes to 10/50 on his first visit. Every time he was treated, his vision improved for the test card. At times he did not do so well end he would apologize.

When I became better acquainted with Samuel he said: "You see. Mother is not forced to do it, but she peddles things, and helps my father to earn more money. In this way Mother will see that I can go to college." I told him that he should be proud of such a wonderful mother. I look up to her with great respect and honor, because of her courage and sacrifice. Heaven bless such mothers I Samuel had to have four months treatment before he could read with normal vision, but he was determined and won out.

Abraham had symptoms of St. Vitus* dance with much pain hi both eyes. His vision was: right 10/15 and left 10/10. He had no organic disease of his eyes but the ophthalmoscope showed eyestrain. After three treatments the symptoms of St. Vitus' dance had entirely disappeared and he had no more pain. His vision also •became normal,- 10/10.

Morris hated glasses and wore them but a short time. He had normal vision In his right eye, but only perception of light In the left. I held the test card up close to his left eye, and told him to cover the right one. By alternately blinking and flashing the white of the card, he became able to see the letters as black spots. He was instructed to practice with the test card every day, seeing the letters move opposite to the movement of his body. While doing this, he was to keep his right eye covered. After hta third treatment he read the bottom line of the test card at three feet, or 3/10 with the left eye. He had been told by many doctors that nothing could be done for the left eye, because it was incurably blind. Dr. Bates . examined him With the ophthalmoscope and said the trouble was called amblyopia exanopsia, or blindness from effort. Dr, Bates stated that such cases are usually pronounced incurable. Morris believes that with constant practice there is no reason why he should not obtain normal vision in his left eye.

Benjamin had never worn glasses. For a long time the constant pain in his eyes made it difficult for him to study. The ophthalmoscope revealed only eyestrain. His right vision was 10/10, left vision 10/20, After palming a short-while and with the aid of the swing, the vision in his left eye improved to the normal 10/10. Me had four treatments altogether. On his last visit I helped him to read 20/10 right eye and 20/20 left. He was Instructed to practice with very fine print daily, and this, I believe, had most to do with relieving his pain permanently. He was more than grateful for the relief he obtained. He had a little brother named Joseph, who was wearing glasses. Timidly he asked me if I would help him, too. "Surely," I said. "Bring him along next time."

Joseph had been wearing glasses for three years, but his sight was not poor without them. Without glasses his vision was 10/15 with each eye. Blinking while he was swaying improved his vision to the normal in five minutes' time. He promised not to put his glasses on again, and came to me for four more treatments. These were really unnecessary because his sight stayed normal, 10/10. If our method had been in general use in the schools, this boy and others would not have been forced to wear glasses.

Hyman wore glasses four years for progressive myopia. His vision with his right eye was 10/100 and 10/70 with the left After his first 'treatment he-was able to read 10/50 with each eye. Constant dally practice, by palming and Improving his memory, brought his vision to the normal, 10/10. This boy required only five treatments.

Charles wore glasses about four years, although he had no organic trouble, merely eyestrain. His vision was 10/30 with each eye. He was told to close his eyes, and white palming to remember a small square printed on the test card. He was directed not to remember all parts at once, but to remember or imagine one part best at a time. His vision then improved to the normal, or 10/10, Sun treatment was also given him. Charles was cured in one visit.

Harry had worn glasses one year. His vision was 10/30 with the right eye and 10/70 with the left. Regular dally practice and the sun treatment Improved his vision to 10/10 In three visits. He vows that he will never wear glasses again.

Tobie was a fine, lovable chap, a trifle younger than the others. He was not so sure that he liked to see his name in print -- I told all my wonderful boys that I was going to write about their cases -- but he did not object when he realized that it would be a help to others. His vision was 10/50 with the right eye and 10/70 with the left. Palming and sun treatment unproved his sight to normal, after three treatments. The other boys were cured mostly with one treatment. It was only a matter of teaching them how to use their eyes right.

My work was not confined to the clinics but extended to other places as well. Occasionally when I visited a department store to make a purchase, the girl who waited on me might be suffering from the results of eyestrain, pains in the eyes or with headaches. It always gave me pleasure to give them immediate relief with the aid of palming, swinging, or in some other way. I could write many stories about the help I gave these girls, whose gratitude was indeed worth while.

I live in the suburbs and commute. The trainmen know me very well, and always come to me to have a cinder removed from their eyes, or to be helped when their sight is poor.

Every day during the fall, whiter and spring at our station I meet a cheerful group of girls, who attend high school In another town. Some of them I have known since they were babies, and while I am in their company on the train, I forget sometimes that I am grown up and join them in their fun. Several of these girls wear glasses, and I offered to cure them any time they were willing to discard them.

No more was said on the subject until one day, just before school closed for the summer, one of the girls appealed to me to help her. She was Lillian, aged 16, who had a higher degree of myopia than any of the others. I insisted that she consult her parents first. If they were willing and would cooperate with me, I would try my best to cure her before school opened again in the fall.

Lillian was very much excited, and begged the other girls to discard their glasses also. One said her mother feared that such a wonderful cure could not be accomplished. Another girl thought she would wait awhile. I still feel that they did not believe in me. The day after school closed, Lillian called at my home with her sister, Rose, aged 13, who had a decided squint of her left eye. Lillian had not spoken of Rose, as she was afraid of imposing upon me, but when Lillian came to me, Rose made up her mind that she would be cured also.

I fastened a test card to an oak tree outside of our house, and placed my patients ten feet from the card. I started Lillian first because I wanted above all else, to cure her as I had planned. With glasses on she read 10/15, and with glasses off 10/70. I taught her to palm and to remember something perfectly, while her eyes were closed, such as a white cloud, sunset, or a flower. She did this for a few. minutes and then, without a stop or making a single mistake, she read two more lines on the test card. Her vision had improved to 10/40, both eyes. Then I tested each eye separately. Her vision, fortunately, being the same in each eye, it was easy to proceed with the treatment. By closing her eyes, and remembering the last letter she was able to see 6n the the card, she became able to read another line, 10/30. When she made the slightest effort to read the smaller letters on the card, they would disappear. I explained to her that when she stared, she made her sight worse, and that was her main trouble. I told her to keep her eyes fixed on one letter without blinking, and see what happened. Immediately she began to frown, her eyelids became inflamed and she complained that her eyes hurt her. She said, "Now I know why I have headaches and pain."

On her second visit her vision improved to 10/20. I had taught her the long swing, moving her head slowly from side to side from left to right, looking over one shoulder and then the other. She had to be reminded, as all patients do, to stop staring and to blink her eyes often, just as the normal eye does. All through the summer, Lillian practiced faithfully, getting a great deal of encouragement from her sister Rose and her loving mother and father. She came to me for treatment about once a. week. A few weeks before school opened, we began treatment indoors with electric light instead of outdoors in the sunlight. I did this purposely because I knew that the light in school was not so bright as outdoors. When she first read the test card by electric light Lillian became very nervous and frightened. * All she could see was the large C on the 200 line at ten feet. Palming for a few moments helped her to relax enough to read several lines. Swinging and looking at one letter, then shifting her eyes somewhere else and looking back at the next letter, helped her to read 10/15.

At each visit she improved and now reads 10/10 all the time. Before she began treatment she had to hold a book at three inches from her eyes, while reading, --this with glasses on. Since she was seven years old she had worn glasses constantly, and during all that time she suffered with headaches every day. She told me that from the day I removed her glasses and started the treatment, she had neither headaches nor pain in her eyes.

So grateful is she that I am almost swallowed up with caresses when she sees me.

Some friends whom she had not seen for a year called to see her family, and to enjoy a day on their farm. Lillian had worn glasses for so many years, that she was not at all surprised when her friends did not know her. She stood in the doorway ready to greet them, but they thought she was a stranger. Her whole facial expression had changed. The eyelids, which were formerly swollen from strain, were natural looking, and her large brown eyes were quite different from the tiny, marble-like eyes that tried to see through the horrible, thick glasses she had worn previously. When her friends finally recognized her they had to hear all about the treatment and cure.

If Lillian had not been so faithful with the treatment, I could not have made such rapid progress. There were many days during the summer when she became discouraged and worried for fear she would have to put on her glasses again. Her mother was a great help to me in many ways. She was careful to hide Lillian's glasses so that she could not possibly wear them again even if she wanted to.

On the first day of school I met her with the usual group of girls on the train, and as she passed she pressed my hand and said, "Wish me luck." I asked her to telephone me that evening, and she did, saying:

"When my teachers saw me they were surprised at the great change in my appearance. I told them all about the treatment and what you did for me. When I asked to be placed in the last row of seats in each classroom, they were amazed. You see when I wore my glasses I always had to sit in a front seat near the blackboard. Today I was able to read every word on the blackboard in each class room from the last row of seats where I was sitting. I also read from my books at eight inches from my eyes without any discomfort whatever."

I praised Lillian and said that I was glad for her. I am more than happy to have given her my time evenings, when I needed rest after a day of hard but enjoyable work.

At each visit, while Lillian was having a treatment, her sister Rose watched and listened attentively to everything that was said. She had convergent squint of the left eye, and when she became excited or tried to see at the distance, that eye would turn in, so that only the sclera or white part was visible. At the age of three, it was noticed that her left eye turned in, and when she was four years old, glasses were prescribed for her. I tested her sight and with both eyes she read 10/100. Then -with each eye separately, the read 10/70 with the right and 10/100 with the left. I told her to palm her eyes and to remember the last letter she saw on the test card. She kept them closed for at least a half hour, and when she again read the card, her vision with both eyes had improved to 10/20. I tested each eye separately again. This time she read 10/20 with the right eye, and 10/40 with the left eye.

I thought the improvement in the vision of her eyes was wonderful, and Rose was delighted with the results of her first treatment. Her sister Lillian was thrilled as she saw that left eye straighten as the vision improved. She came to me with Lillian once every week for treatment, and carried out to the letter everything I told her to do at home.

She was directed to wear a cloth patch over her good eye all day long, and to do her usual, duties for her mother as well as she could, with her squint eye. What a faithful child she was, and how she did hate that patch! I asked her every time she came how she got along with it. "Well, Mrs. Lierman," she said, "I don't like that black patch at all. I want to take it off many times every day. I don't like to have my good eye covered, but I know I must wear it if I want to be cured. I do want to, so I just think of you and how much better my eye looks, and then I don't mind a bit."

On her second visit her left eye improved to 10/20 and her right eye became normal, 10/10. Never did I have e more enthusiastic patient. On her third visit she gave me a package «ent by her mother, who tried in her kind way to show her gratitude to me. The package contained delicious home-made sweet butter. Rose continued her visits, and In two months her sight became normal, and her eyes perfectly straight. She practiced faithfully and the result was that, one week before school started, she was able to remove the patch permanently, without any return of the squint.

The first day at school was very exciting to Rose. She said that the teacher did not recognize her until she smiled. When Rose smiles you cannot help but know and love her. Her aunt says that a miracle was performed.

Thereafter Rose had no trouble in reading the blackboard from the last seat of her class-room, where she asked to be placed, and she saw the book type much clearer than she ever did. Rose had been attending school for a week or so, when her teacher noticed that a pupil, aged 12, could not read the blackboard from the front seat where she was sitting. The teacher told the girl to have her eyes examined by an eye doctor and to be fitted with glasses. Rose overheard the conversation and promptly met her schoolmate at the door. Rose told her how she had been cured without glasses, and that she would be willing to show her how to be cured also. The next day at recess instead of joining the class outdoors for exercise, Rose and her schoolmate went back to the class room. With the aid of a Snellen Test Card, which Rose had taken with her that day to school, she improved the sight of the little girl from 12/70 to 12/15, by palming, blinking and swinging. Every day the two little girls worked faithfully with great success and In less than a week both children occupied rear seats from which they were able to read the writing on the blackboard without difficulty.

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