William H. Bates (1860–1931)

This book has achieved wide fame for its revolutionary theory of remedying defective eyesight. In it anyone who suffers from 'bad eyes' will find not only reason to hope for improvement but also fully explained methods and exercises for obtaining better eyesight without glasses. Dr. Bates believes that most normal defects of vision can be eliminated, and by natural rather than artificial remedies. The patient himself does the work.

Visual re-education, rather than mechanical aid in the form show more of glasses, is the theory upon which this book is based. After years of experimentation, Dr. Bates came to the conclusion that thousands of people were wearing glasses who did not need them, and he gradually evolved a simple group of exercises for improving the ability of the eyes themselves to see. These can be used by everyone: they are all explained in this book, and are accompanied by charts for use with the exercises. show less

It feels somewhat reminiscent of the method used in The Music Man, and since he died in 1931, we know at least some scientific progress must have happened.

Wikipedia: "The Bates method is an ineffective and potentially dangerous alternative therapy aimed at improving eyesight. Eye-care physician William Horatio Bates (1860–1931) held the erroneous belief that the extraocular muscles effected changes in focus and that "mental strain" caused abnormal action of these muscles; hence he believed that relieving such "strain" would cure defective vision."

Eyesight