Girl - Attains Microscopic Level of Vision

The following is a retelling of the article which I have posted below
this one, in which we were given an account by Dr.Bates of the girl
who was able to acquire an unprecedented and remarkable degree of
Perfect Sight as a result of her constant and determined utilization
of central fixation (for those yet uninitiated, this is a fundamental
neologism coined by Dr Bates referring to the ability to minimize the
best point of sight to a very small point, and to shift between these
points so rapidly that one is given the impression of seeing the
entirety with sharpness. The smaller is this area, the keener is the
sight.) I believe that we can all learn and be inspired by what this
girl has accomplished with her great dedication to the methods of the
cure of imperfect sight. - Zetsu

[...A girl, eight years old, had a high degree of astigmatism in each
eye. The vision of the right eye was 5/200, one fortieth of normal,
while that of the left eye was only 3/200 or one sixty-sixth of
normal. The left eye habitually turned in - internal squint. the child
was very bright and seemed to realize the value of central fixation
almost from the beginning. By practicing central fixation and
regarding the Snellen test card first at ten feet and later at twenty
feet, the vision of each eye improved, so that in about a week the
vision was normal in each eye and the left eye became straight
permanently.

The patient's near vision was also tested. At ten inches, the usual
reading distance for the normal eye, the patient by practice became
able to imagine one part best of capital letters, and, later on, of
smaller letters. In about two weeks she read diamond type at six
inches by central fixation. The retinoscope indicated no astigmatism
and no malformation of any kind of the eyeball. This young child
acquired what may be called microscopic vision. In three weeks she
became able to read very fine print with the paper in contact with the
eyelashes of either eye, and very small objects were seen close to her
eyes with the same clearness as they were seen with the aid of a
microscope. For example, she could describe red blood corpuscles and
white blood corpuscles mounted on a glass slide when held in contact
with the eyelashes of either eye. This child was benefited or cured by
the practice of central fixation. Although the results were very
gratifying, the child received so much attention by exhibiting her
ability to see, that I was very much relieved when the family left New
York for a distant city taking the prodigy along with them...]

- Dr W.H. Bates, June 1927

 

Thanks for the unverifiable, third-hand anecdote, Otis.

 

Dear Babbling Brook,

You need to get more powerful plus lenses -- to
read Zits with clarity.

They may clear your "near" vision -- but they
will do nothing for your mind.

Foggly yours,