Astigmatism

[ClarkNight]

Hypermetropic Astigmatism
By Dr. H. M. Peppard

Last fall a young man presented himself to me for examination complaining of headache, nervousness, insomnia and eyestrain. He had previously had a nervous breakdown and said he felt as if he were going to have another.
This statement was apparently correct if general appearances can be considered as an indication. The eyes were bulging with a dry, glassy appearance and the upper lid markedly retracted.
The eye examination revealed a very hard eyeball with 1.25 diopters of hyperopia with 2.50 diopters of astigmatism with the axis 180°. Glasses had been worn but gave little relief. The visual acuity was 20/50 for both eyes and the same in each eye.
Treatment by the Bates Method was started on August fourth. Palming, swinging, blinking, flashing and reading of diamond type was used. The flashing was especially beneficial.
On August 27th, the eyes were again tested. Visual acuity was 20/15 for both eyes, 20/15 in the right, and 20/20 in the left. The hyperopia or farsightedness was not present and the astigmatism was decreased to 1.00 diopter. A few more treatments relieved the remainder of the astigmatism and the vision improved to 20/15 in each eye.
With the improvement in vision, the general symptoms cleared up. He became able to sleep, was free from headaches and was not so nervous.
The eyes felt comfortable and his entire facial expression was changed from the relaxation around the eyes. The eyes no longer were starey, but bright and moist and the blinking frequent and easy. Six months later the eyes were in perfect condition and the patient no longer feared a nervous breakdown.

Dr. Harold M. Peppard wrote the book; ‘Sight Without Glasses’
Read Aldous Huxley’s book: ‘The Art of Seeing’ along with Peppard’s book. Books have a few old methods that need updating, changing but 95% of the information in the books consist effective Natural Vision Improvement treatments.

ASTIGMATISM
(& Cornea scars)
By W. H. Bates, M.D.

IN astigmatism the curvature of the eyeball in one principal meridian is greater than in the one at right angles to it. The eyeball is lop-sided. In such an eye, rays of light, are not focused. It differs from the near-sighted eye in which parallel rays of light are focused in front of the retina. In the far-sighted eye, Hypermetropia, parallel rays of light are focused behind the retina.
Occurrence: Astigmatism is very common and may be near-sighted astigmatism, far-sighted astigmatism or it may be combined with either near-sightedness or far-sightedness. Again the astigmatic eye may be far-sightedness in one principal meridian and near-sighted in the other. This is called mixed astigmatism. Regular astigmatism can be corrected by the use of proper glasses. Irregular astigmatism due to a malformation of the front part of the eyeball, the cornea, the lens or to the eyeball itself cannot be corrected by glasses.
In the normal eye astigmatism can always be produced by some kind of a strain. One kind of strain will produce one form of astigmatism while another form will produce a different form. We have an instrument which measures the curvature of the front part of the eye called the Ophthalmometer. With this instrument we can detect and usually measure astigmatism produced by some change in the shape of the cornea. We can observe with it the production of corneal astigmatism of varying degrees when the subject strains either unconsciously or consciously. The amount of astigmatism that can be produced by different individuals is variable. I have seen people who could consciously produce astigmatism of 3D. By practice one can acquire the ability to consciously produce astigmatism of the cornea at different axes. This fact may explain why glasses which correct astigmatism at one time do not correct it at another time.
Many cases of normal eyes have been observed which later acquired astigmatism. In many instances patients later returned wearing glasses for the correction of astigmatism and complained that the glasses no longer suited them and when the eyes were tested no astigmatism could be found. It can be demonstrated that astigmatism may be acquired and that it may spontaneously disappear. What has been said of astigmatism caused by the malformation of the cornea is also true of the astigmatism caused by malformation of the lens or the eyeball. Many cases have been observed in which irregular astigmatism following scars on the cornea have become less or have disappeared.
Many authorities believe that most cases of astigmatism are congential or that people are born with astigmatism. Others believe that it is usually acquired. I do not know which is correct but I do know that whether acquired or not it can always be benefited or cured by treatment. As this always happens in my experience I believe that astigmatism is always acquired.
After the cornea or front part of the eye becomes affected with an ulcer and the ulcer heals it leaves a scar. The irregular contraction of this scar results in a malformation of various parts of the cornea. Even when the center of the cornea is clear the contraction of scar tissue at some distance away from it changes the shape of the central part of the cornea in a very irregular way. These cases of corneal opacity are usually benefited or cured by various methods employed to obtain relaxation. In general I believe that the long swing always helps and that practice of the short swing of the normal eye is usually followed by a permanent cure. Some cases of corneal astigmatism of considerable degree, 5D or more have been cured by practice of the swing.
In the November issue of BETTER EYESIGHT, page two, is described the VARIABLE SWING. One very remarkable case of corneal astigmatism and conical cornea with irregular astigmatism of more than 5D was benefited by the swing described in one visit and sufficiently for the patient to obtain temporary normal vision without glasses when at the beginning glasses did not succeed in obtaining normal sight. The variable swing has been a great help to many patients.
Sinus congestion and neck muscle tension can cause astigmatism: vertical, parallel, criss-cross pattern lines on a sidewalk… moves, looks abnormal, causes dizziness. Use a warm steam humidifier with pure filtered water. Use a nasal pot to rinse the sinuses with warm water and pure organic salt. Local honey acts as a natural immunity against pollen. Honey is made from the bee pollen collected from the flowers, grass…in the environment that the person is allergic too.

Thumb, Finger Movement Swing

Recently a patient thirty years of age, suffering from squint, near-sightedness, astigmatism in one eye of minus 5D with myopia and astigmatism in the other, obtained temporary normal vision with the aid of the short swing which was regulated by the feeling of the thumb and finger rubbing against each other, a short distance, a quarter of an inch, from side to side. The patient obtained better vision when the body was imagined to move opposite to the direction of the moving thumb and less benefit when she imagined the body moving in the same direction as the thumb. In less than an hour she obtained normal vision for a short time. The squint became much less and at times both eyes were straight. I expect this case will obtain a permanent cure in a very short time. However, patients with a considerable amount of corneal astigmatism usually require weeks and months before they obtain a cure.
Astigmatism accompanied with a malformation of the lens is not common. Thirty years ago I treated a young girl for progressive near-sightedness. Her vision with glasses, which were very strong, concave 17D combined with concave 6D.C., was only 20/100. With the Ophthalmometer she had no corneal astigmatism. I removed the lens from one eye when the vision became normal, 20/20, without glasses. The case was exhibited at the Ophthalmological Section of the New York Academy of Medicine and many of the men present afterwards practiced this method of benefiting the imperfect sight of very bad cases of near-sightedness. I believe I was the first one in New York to do this operation as none of the members present recalled that anybody else had performed the same operation or published it. Many surgeons are still doing this operation for the benefit of these cases. I never did it again because my patient was not permanently benefited; the myopia or near-sightedness returned. The other eye also had 6 diopters of astigmatism with the cornea normal. For a time relaxation methods improved this eye with the astigmatism of the lens but before she had obtained a cure she stopped treatment. I have seen other cases of astigmatism accompanied by a malformation of the lens and usually a temporary improvement in the vision can be obtained. Some of these cases have been cured. Many cataract patients have an irregular astigmatism produced by the malformation of the lens. After the cataract is cured the astigmatism disappears.
The treatment of astigmatism in my hands has been very encouraging. It is so easily produced that it seems to be just as easily relieved. It is so very common that one should realize the facts and study these cases to obtain prevention and cure. School children acquire astigmatism very frequently and it can always he prevented by methods described in the August issue of each year of BETTER EYESIGHT. I am quite sure that the fact that treatment always improves or cures acquired astigmatism in school children, that it more readily prevents it.
I cannot refrain from again repeating what I have said so often before that the people of this country must wake up and look after the eyesight of the coming generation, and, on account of the enormous number of children affected with astigmatism some radical steps should be taken for the benefit of the eyes of school children suffering from astigmatism.

ASTIGMATISM
By W. H. Bates, M.D.

The word has frightened a great many people. When a patient has astigmatism, it means that the shape of the eyeball is changed from the normal sphere to one that is lopsided. One may be near-sighted and have in addition a certain amount of astigmatism. The same is true in the far-sighted eye, which may have at the same time a certain amount of astigmatism. In most cases the front part of the eyeball, the cornea, is the part affected.
In making the diagnosis of astigmatism, the so-called astigmatic chart has been highly recommended. It has been used for more than fifty years and is still popular. The chart consists of vertical, horizontal, and oblique lines. When a patient has astigmatism, the lines running in one direction appear more distinct than the lines running in other directions. I do not consider the astigmatic chart a very good or reliable test, because many patients with no astigmatism have imagined the lines in one direction to be much plainer than the lines at right angles to them. Also, in many cases of astigmatism, all the lines may be seen with equal clearness. Another objection to the test is that when some patients with normal eyes and with no astigmatism, regard the astigmatic chart, a high degree of temporary astigmatism has been produced, which was demonstrated by other tests - retinoscope, ophthalmometer.
The instrument for the diagnosis of corneal astigmatism is called the ophthalmometer. When the normal eye was examined with its aid, the curvature of the cornea has been found to be normal in all directions. When the eye was under a strain, the curvature changed, sometimes being more convex in one meridian than in all the others, or one meridian might be flatter than the other meridians. The axis of the astigmatism produced by a strain has been observed to vary, increase or diminish, while the instrument was being used.
When the patient remembered perfect sight, no astigmatism was manifest and the curvature of the cornea remained normal. When a letter or other object was remembered by the patient, one part best-central fixation, no astigmatism was produced. When astigmatism was present, the amount was lessened or it disappeared altogether when central fixation was remembered or imagined. It can be demonstrated that no astigmatism of the cornea can be observed with the aid of the ophthalmometer when the patient is able to remember or imagine letters or other objects by central fixation.
It is also a truth that when things are remembered or imagined to be moving with a slow, short, regular, continuous, easy swing, no astigmatism is present when the cornea is examined with the ophthalmometer. The demonstration cannot be made by an observer who does not understand what is meant by the ocular swing.
Rapid blinking also lessens or corrects corneal astigmatism temporarily or more continuously when done properly. When done under a strain, astigmatism may be produced or increased. The ophthalmometer demonstrated the facts.
Sun-gazing, when practiced in such a way as to improve the vision, also is followed by an immediate benefit to the astigmatism, as observed by the ophthalmometer.
It has been noted that after the eyes are closed (palming) for some minutes or longer, and rested, when they are first opened, an immediate improvement in the astigmatism is manifest.
Any form of treatment which was a benefit to the vision of the patient was also a benefit to the astigmatism, as demonstrated by the ophthalmometer.
The textbooks on the eye have for many years published that most, if not all, cases of astigmatism occur at birth, or that they are congenital. It was supposed to be a permanent condition, but further study of astigmatism has shown that it may be acquired at any age. School children have been observed to acquire astigmatism at the age of eight, ten, fifteen years, or older. When the eyes were examined periodically, the astigmatism in many cases had changed. It is capable of increasing or of decreasing. It is an interesting fact that some cases do recover without treatment. This suggests the possibility of successful treatment.
In the normal eye astigmatism can be produced by a strain to see either at the distance or at the near point. At first it is temporary, but later may become more permanent. Astigmatism can always be corrected by relaxation or rest. When the imperfect sight of astigmatism can be corrected by glasses, it is called regular astigmatism, but when the vision cannot be improved to the normal in this way, it is called irregular astigmatism.
Many scientific articles have been written on irregular astigmatism which are offered as evidence that it is incurable. The men who wrote these articles did not cure irregular astigmatism and, therefore, being authorities in the medical profession, they stated that nobody else could cure it; and, furthermore, anyone who claimed to be able to cure this form of astigmatism must be a charlatan, and should be expelled from the medical profession.
Irregular astigmatism is produced by eyestrain and relieved or cured by relaxation or rest. Most cases of ulceration of the front part of the eyeball, the cornea, produce a scar which is more or less opaque. Irregular astigmatism is also caused by ulceration of the cornea.

Patients who cannot stand the light, photophobia, suffer very much from eyestrain. These cases acquire astigmatism which is usually corrected by encouraging the patients to become accustomed to the strong light of the sun. Ulceration of the front part of the eye occurs quite frequently in young children who live in the tenement houses where the light is poor. Astigmatism is found after the ulcerations have healed. Irregular astigmatism has usually been cured by the sun treatment with the aid of the swing, central fixation, and the memory of perfect sight.
Advanced cases of conical cornea have irregular astigmatism, which heretofore has not been relieved by various kinds of operations, glasses, or any other form of treatment. In this disease the front part of the eyeball becomes much thinner and an opening may form with great harm to the eye. In one of my early cases conical cornea occurred in both eyes with one very much worse than the other. It reminded me that when the eyeball is elongated in nearsightedness or myopia, the bulging appears at the back part of the eyeball, which has been called Posterior Staphyloma. These cases have recovered after a long period of treatment. A temporary cure has been demonstrated with the aid of the ophthalmoscope by the memory of perfect sight. The same is true of conical cornea, which also disappears temporarily with the aid of the memory of perfect sight. These cases become worse by the memory of imperfect sight. Staring always increases the bulging and makes the vision worse.
Conical cornea with its irregular astigmatism, occurs not only in adults but, like near-sightedness, is found also in young children. For such cases the swing has been a great benefit. The mother or nurse can stand facing the child, take both hands and sway from side to side for several minutes or longer. Teaching the child to dance is also a great help. Playing games requiring movement, like running, prevents the stare or strain in most cases. It is well to remember, however, that when the child is moving more or less rapidly from one place to another, the stare is always possible. Encourage the child to look from one place to another. The old-fashioned game of “Puss in the Corner” is a great benefit to the eyes. In this game the child is constantly shifting his eyes from one place to another.
The child should enjoy the games, especially when adults join in the game. Often times a young patient will become quite boisterous and scream with excitement and pleasure. He may be as noisy as he likes. He may play, laugh, and scream and become very much excited with great benefit to the astigmatism. It is well to exclude all children who carry around with them a grouch, or who make the patient uncomfortable by teasing him.
In my office there have been times when a child made so much noise that my other patients were interested, and too often, perhaps, disturbed. Between the mother, the child, and myself, we have had quite a riot with a great deal of noise and loud laughter on the part of the child, but always the astigmatism improved. Anything that helps the child is justifiable. Don’t forget that children, as a rule, enjoy themselves more when they are allowed to make a noise than when they are expected to stay quite. The kindergarten methods of teaching should be practiced. The Montessori system is also a great help in relieving irregular astigmatism from any cause, as well as conical cornea.

One of my worst cases of irregular astigmatism occurred in a woman, seventy-five years of age, who gave a history of ulcerations of the cornea, for a long period of years. After each attack, opacity of the cornea appeared, and with repeated attacks the opacities increased until the patient was unable to count fingers. She was recommended to sit in the sun with her eyes closed, holding her head in such a way that the sun shone directly on her closed eyelids. Most of the time while she was awake, she practiced the long and the short swing alternately. After a number of months her vision improved so that she became able to thread a needle and do some sewing. She became able to read fine print without the aid of glasses. Her vision for the Snellen test card was also materially improved.