[The measurement of visual refraction of pupils]

The ocular refraction was measured by applying 1% atropine eye-drops for 3 days in 5,458 eyes (male 2,944, female 2,514) of the pupils aged 7-17 in rural areas. The results were as follows: the majority of the pupils had hyperopia (male 84.71%, female 80.55%); the frequency of the measurements was not in normal distribution; the degree of far-sight began to recede and gradually become converted to myopias with advancing age but varying greatly between age-groups. The myopias began to appear at the age of 9 and increased rapidly at the age of 14 for girls and 15 for boys. From then on the rate of conversion continued to increase with schoolgirls more than schoolboys and, as a result, formed "the dangerous stage of myopia", the values of physiological visual refraction were shown as follows: pupils aged 7-9 + 2.00 D- + 2.50 D, aged 10-13 + 1.50 D- + 1.75 D, aged 14-17 + 1.00 D- + 1.25 D. The possibility of pathological hyperopia was greater if the pupils aged 7-9 and the value of visual refraction over +3.75 D, aged 10-13 had the value over +3.00 D and aged 14-17 had the value +2.50 D. The possibility of developing myopia was great in those pupils aged 7-9 whose value was under +1.00 D and in those aged 10-17 whose value was under +0.50 D. The deprived vision of the pupils should be routinely corrected by skiascopy.