DRILLS FOR DISTANCE

SKITTLES DRILL
In preparation, take the sun or a bright light on the eyes and then palm. While palming, extend your mental focus by- the skittle picture. Arrange, in memory, ten skittles in a straight row, colour them carefully, remembering which colour you put on each one. Pick up a ball with which, you intend to knock them all down. Watch the ball leave your hand and roll far away across the floor to hit the first one. Repeat until you have knocked down all ten.

IDENTIFICATION DRILL
1. Sit at the end of a long well-lighted room in order to observe its contents. Begin by looking at the object nearest you on either side, turning your head to look first at the object on one side, then the other. Close your eyes and get a good picture- in your mind as .to just how those two objects look.
2. Now take the two objects a bit beyond the first two, looking carefully from one to the other as you turn your head from side to side. Close your eyes and turn. your head toward what you saw on one side then what you saw on the other.
3. Remembering what you saw, open your eyes, see it again and move on to something farther away on each side. 4. Keep creeping farther and farther out, object by object, confining your interest to what, you are regarding, shifting your attention all over the objects, analysing their shapes, and getting as many details as possible.
5. Soon, you may reach objects on both sides of the room so far away that you cannot make them out. Experiment with these two unknown, visiting first one, then the other. Remember to close often, to rest, and breathe deeply and frequently. Do not try; just invite vision; let the eyes volunteer analying they wish. Speculate as the normal eye would surmise. One or the other object may flash either into consciousness or into. vision. Whichever way it comes, accept it and it will become vision of a higher degree.
6. If nothing happens, walk over and examine the objects at close range. Why did you, fail to see them? Did you analyse their size and shape incorrectly from the distance? Did you fail to travel all over them for detail? 'How different do the objects look close from the way they did at a distance?
7. Now return to your chair, palm your eyes and remember the object as you saw it when you. walked up very close. Take a big breath, exhale as you open your eyes and you may surprise a flash of clear vision.

Do not work this way too, long at a time. Rather, work a little each day. Things that were a mystery the first day will be easy next time.

MOTION-PICTURE DRILL
Motion pictures offer good practise in extending your vision into the distance. View the screen without your glasses. Sit dose enough so that you do not strain, as dose as the first or second row centre. Remember to blink and breathe often, and to travel all over the screen for detail. Close the eyes briefly from time to time or glance off into the darkness to give them the rest afforded by contrast between light and dark. If it is a picture with many outdoor scenes, take advantage of every chance to look deep into the background, the distance which the picture has to offer. Contrary to popular belief, motion pictures are good for the eyes and can be used to build up mar-sighted vision. Because they are in motion, it is impossible to hold the gaze still in a stare; hence, motion pictures make the eyes shift. If you start by sitting in the first row when you first view the show without glasses, you will find that you can increase your distance from the screen as the weeks go by. Sooner than you would expect

you will be able to sit in the first row of the balcony and see the picture just as well. The downward glance of the eyes is restful and the angle easier on the neck. Then, your far-sighted friend will once more be willing to sit with you.

Remember our rule about the use of your eyes. Easy does it! and do not let your eyes get tired. If the programme includes a, double feature, you will lack the endurance, at first, that is necessary to spend a whole evening without the glasses. You have been dependent on your crutches too long. You must then do one of two things, either palm or put on your spectacles. But as the eyes grow more accustomed to working without their aids, you will be able to manage, I, longer and longer periods without tiring. If possible,hold your head so that you view the screen with a downward glance; look softly and remember to breathe! An excellent practice is to go alone and see an interesting motion picture, then sit through it again, palming, and visualise the whole picture as you listen. Your n will be definitely more vivid when you taken your palms.

BOWLING DRILL
For focusing and vision stretching, bowling is unequalled. If the player keeps his eye on the ball as he swings it back before releasing, then looks quickly from the ball the jack, in other words, if he swings the ball once to aim, then watches it when he throws it, the aim will be improved and the eyes will follow the ball in motion all the way.

The playing of billiards and snooker also makes excellent practice for short-sighted eyes. The tables are usually well lit, and the movement of the coloured balls over the green background is just what is wanted to stimulate the eye into adjusting itself to quickly changing distances. To watch a game of snooker is particularly beneficial, as the large number of highly coloured balls, all moving in different directions, keep the focus of attention constantly on the move.

TELEPHONE-POLE DRILL
Palm and take the sun or light on the eyes before and after doing this drill.
1. Stand where you can look down the street at a long row of telephone-poles. With your attention on the first pole, pointing your nose where you are looking, slide your vision as you raise your head up the left edge of the, pole to its very top, then all the way down the right edge of the pole to the ground. Notice every detail you can find; knot holes or cracks in the part near the ground, bars and braces higher, with glass insulators on the ends of the crossbars.
2. Count the number of wires and slide away on the wires to the next pole.
3. Thoughtfully and slowly, repeat your sliding down the second pole as carefully as you did the first
4. Compare its appearance with the first; get the feeling of it being farther away, the feeling of distance.
5. Close and rest and breathe.
6. When you open, slide from the first pole to the second and travel back and forth on the wires several times.
7. Slide on to the third pole, and repeat.

Day by day with this drill you will get clearer and more detailed images and be able to do better on the seventh and eighth poles than you did, in the beginning, on the first and second.

PLATING-CARD DRILL
This drill is designed to make the eyes accept the appearance of familiar things in the distance. Palm, and take sun or light on the eyes before and after doing it.
1. Take two packs of cards and sort out the suit of spades in each pack. Stand one suit up in a row arranged in sequence against the wall, on the floor or on a table so that they maybe viewed from a far.
2. Turn a good light on the cards and place your chair at a sufficient distance so that you cannot quite clear the spots on the playing cards.
3. With the other suit of spades in your hand, take the ace and examine it carefully, all over it, and quite close to your nose, then hold it at arm's length and compare the close with the far vision several times.
4. Then shut your eyes gently and remember the ace at arm's length, take a big breath, open and look as you exhale at the duplicate ace in the distance. Let your attention travel all over it there as you did at arm's length.
5. If you are too far away to bring out the distant picture after several trials, move a little closer. Do not let yourself strain!
6. As you proceed through the suit two spots, three, four, etc. you may be able to push your chair a bit back again, and clear the cards just as well. Warning: Invite vision; do not stare or strain. Vision is an impulse. You cannot force. If you loosen and exhale, it will come. Be sure you do not do apply tricks with your lids or brows to try to clear things. That would be cheating, trick vision, which is very bad for the eyes.
7. When a card clears, go all over it quickly. Staring at it will kill your flash. Shift by counting every spot and notice the four corners. This will intensify your flash.
8. When you clear one card; if it quickly all the way down the row. The flash may last part way and eventually all the way.

As you improve in your manner of using your eyes and are rewarded with better vision, you can vary the drill. Match other suits (the red will be harder) or shuffle your suit and find the matching card in the distance. Perhaps shuffle both suits and match cards. Finally, mix the suits and use from the ace to the five spot of all four suits. Do not go so far from the cards at any time that you make an effort, or strain. If you find yourself doing so, move closer. Remember, the purpose of this drill is to compare the appearance of the same thing close and far a mental activity. Originate new drill games to teach yourself:

1. to think of shapes,
2. to travel all over objects,
3. to become interested in distance,
4. to analyse perspective.

Remember, boredom defeats vision because it kills, interest. All day be interested in the world around, Extend your interest out into your world.

Near-sighted eyes miss many things within their visual reach because they fail to look at them. Think look! Then analyse the thing you look at; get your behind your vision. See with interest and attention is the opposite of staring and day dreaming.

CALENDAR DRILLS
Preparation: Mount the calendar from the back of this book on a coat hanger so that you may hang it in good light at a proper distance. (The- calendar may have to be pressed with a warm iron to remove the folding creases). This drill was originated by Mr. Huxley as a method for home practise. It brings excellent results since it makes the eyes shift in rapid motion first at the near point, then at the distance. Again, it makes the eyes centralise at the close point; therefore, centralise far away. It is fun. The mind, interested, stops labouring and is freed of mental strain; hence, the eyes are relieved of visual strain.

Learn to juggle two rubber balls or two other round .objects if balls are not available. Take one ball in each hand. Throw the ball up from the right hand and catch it in the left; while the first ball is in the air, the left hand quickly transfers its ball to the right and is ready to catch the descending ball in an open palm. This sounds involved but a little practise will make you quite dexterous as a juggler. The tendency, at first, may be to gaze upward, waiting for the ball. This would be a stare. Be sure you keep your attention and vision on the ball all the way as it rises and descends Follow it with your nose as it rises from one hand and falls into the other and you will never miss. Now you area proficient juggler.

Drill A. Palm and take the light or sun on your eyes first. Then stand at an easy distance from the calendar and face it directly (head on). Follow the ball with the vision by pointing your nose at the ball as you throw it up one complete trip from the right hand through the air to the waiting left hand, then glance quickly at numeral on the calendar, looking at the white background on one side, then on the other. Close eyes and swing and breathe. juggle twice and look at the background on either side

Close eyes and swing and breathe. juggle three times and follow same procedure increasing the number of jugglings as you read each successively higher number. Great care must be taken to avoid the temptation of looking from the ball to the number before watching the ball complete its journey from one hand to the other. The numbers may begin to clear as you play. If so, step back a foot. As the days progress you may be able to move farther away. To strengthen a weak eye, cover the stronger eye with a patch while doing this drill. But be sure to keep the eye open beneath the patch.

Keep the spirit of play as you juggle the balls and look back and forth to the calendar.

Drill B. (Palm and take the light or sun on your eyes), For this drill, you may need to stand closer to the calendar since you must be able to see the small numbers in the lower calendar months. Experiment with your distance, and approach to a position from which you can read them without strain though they do not need to appear completely clear.

Now juggle once, look at the, big numeral "1" and then quickly to the small numeral '2' on the lower left calendar, then shift quickly to "1" on the lower right calendar. Close and swing and breathe.

Juggle twice to the big "2" and look to the small "2" to the left, then quickly to the right "2". Close and swing and breathe.

Close and swing after each numeral and stop and palm before you grow weary.
Drill C. The eyeball lengthens like the camera for the close-up. This, the near-sighted eye does well. It must learn to flatten; that is, to shorten, in axis, like the camera for the distant view. The following drill is planned to teach co-operation between the flattening and lengthening muscles so that the near-sighted eyeball may change in shape from long to flat and thus see things far away.

1. 1. Find a small hand calendar that matches, in position, the days of the month on the large calendar. In preparation, palm and sun or take the, light on the closed eyes if there is no sun. Seat yourself a little beyond clearing distance of the large numerals on the big calendar.
2. Hold the small calendar a few inches before the face and move your nose to slide your gaze up one side of the numeral 'Y' and down the other, then quickly look to the distant numeral "1" and do the same.
3. Close and swing and breathe. Do not be concerned if-the distant numeral does not clear, up right away. Do not insist on it; do not try. The vision will improve as you proceed through the sequence of numbers.
4. Now look at the white on either side of numeral "2" on your small hand calendar; do the same for the "2" at the distance.
5. Close and swing and, breathe. Watch that you do not hold your breath while, looking. Continue thus with each number and you will find the eyes getting the feeling of looking far and liking it. This, they will demonstrate with clearer vision.

Remember, in all our drills, it is never time wasted to rest, as the vision will be so much improved thereby that the eye can accomplish more.

The foregoing suggestions are just a starter for myopic eyes. It is difficult for a near-sighted person, to work alone. If he could enlist the aid of a. sympathetic friend or relative who would read the directions and check him as to whether he was carrying them out, it would be a great aid toward the attainment of normal vision.