A writer and director of research has once again lald aside his vocabulary of technical phraseology and added to an already long list of writings, that of" Seeing and Human Welfare." In living up to the purpose implied by the title, that of improving human welfare, the author has adopted the language of the educated layman and not that of the trained specialist in science. Most readers will concur with Dr. Lucklesh in his apparent conviction that the importance of preserving one's eyesight cannot be stressed too highly nor reiterated too often. Sight, that "sense" upon which a human being relies the most, is shown to exert a farreaching influence upon racial welfare. Naturally, any defections in the process of seeing will be reflected by a proportionately larger number of injurious results.
Speaking generally the author cites many abuses that are sustained by the human seeing mechanism. Perhaps the reader was aware of most of these, but never considered them seriously, having heard of them much in the manner that folk-lore and superstitions are communicated. In this book, there is no equivocation; the author's statements are supported by scientifically controlled investigations.
However, the book does not stop there. Data giving the correct degree of illumination for each visual task also is furnished. Facts little known in a popular way, are presented as a basis for formulating all "seeing" operations. The natural focal point for the human eyes offers a logical starting point. If printed matter is held at the focal distance from the eyes, then one source of optic muscular fatigue is eliminated. To prevent other varieties of eye strain, the type on the printed page must not fall below a certain minimum. There is the matter of contrasts to be considered. The ease with which an object is recognized visually depends to a large extent upon how readily it may be distinguished from its background.
Manufacturers are rapidly learning the economic and psychological importance of correct illumination in order to render seeing as effortless as possible for their workers. Perhaps such utilization is least altruistic of all efforts that might be put forth to improve seeing and hence human welfare. The book makes all this information now available to the architect, the teacher, directors of institutions and best of all, the home-owner.
T. K. CLEVELAND.