Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1871-10-07
How Eyes are Made

"What do we think of this fellow ?' asks the
oculist of his client. "Study his features, his
looks we'll enough" answers the other, laboring
usually under some little emotion. well,
Jean, reveal your secret to this gentleman
WhereupOn Jean introduces knitting needle
under his eyelid, removes his eye, places it in
the hand of the astonished spectator as uncon-
cernedly as though Ii were a shirt stud. How
Is Is, 1t possible to resist such demonstration
These gentlemen charge from 10 to 80 francs for
an eye. The manufacturer of the Rue du Temple
has an entirely different way of doing business.
He Is generally man pretty well informed;
simple, polite, little of an artist, little of
workman, and little of a tradesman. He
scarcely employs either apprentice or assistant,
except when he receives a good order from some
naturalist for animals eyes for his collection.
All day long, seated at a table at one end OF his
work-rOom, he works by the light of a spirit
lamp. Before him are arranged, in either cakes
or sticks, the materials used by him in his pro-
f ssion. He takes little enamel, melts it, and,
by the aid Of a blow-pipe, blows it until il
be comes a small ball at the end of the instru-
ment This ball is destined to represent the
white of the eye. tie next takes some more
enamel, which is colOred this time, and lets a
drop Of it fall upon the summit of the cornea.
Gently heating it at the flame, it spreads out
in round spot, and eventually becomes dat,
and resembles the iris. A darker spot of enamel
placed in the same manner in the center of the
iris initiates the pupil. The ball is now detached
from the blow pipe, cut to an oval shape, and
smoothed at the edges, So that on introducing it
beneath the cyeld 1t may not wound any of the
smaller nerves. These ewes cost no more than
from twenty TO twenty-five francs, which one
can quite comprehend, as there is neither heavy
rent to pay, nor the wages OF a liveried cycOps.
The manufacture of artificial eyes is both diff
ficult and tedious. 1t suits alike both men and
women, and many OF the latter succeed well in
il; il IL, moreover one of the best remunerated
OF art industries. Most CT the work people are
paid by pece-woTk, that is, so much per eye
varying from ten to fifteen francs, and clever
workman will turn out his eye per diem. Others
receive from the large manufacturers a sh are OF
the proceeds arising from the sales of ewes man
ufactured by them, and have to take back any
eyes not approved of by the customers. These
they put on one side, to serve for their stock in
trade when they commence business on their
own account.
One OF these collections forms a somewhat
curious sight. Reposing upon wadding at the
bottom of drawer are several scores of eyes,
ranged side by side, and exhibiting a singular
variety of expression. Some are small, others
large; some black, others blue, hazel brown
light brown, blush, and greenish gray; nearly
all brilliant; all have a fixed stare-aIl are, in
fact, looking you through On one side are
laughing chiidren's eyes, next to them the
hquid-lOoking eyes of young girls, the Ian
guild eyes of middle-aged women, eyes with
an amiable or sinister expression, severe
official eyes; then come the old mems eyes,
slightly flmy; and in corner are the
WORKOUT eyes-eyes that have been ALREADY
used, and have been returned by the customers
as models to make other eyes by. The enamel
eye, after being exposed to the action Of the at
mOsphere for some months, loses alike its color
and its lustre, and becomes Opaque-looking; a
thick, dingy coating of solidifed humOrs spreads
over its polished surface, and 1t has CLASSY
look, like the eye of a dead person. '.Touch
them, YOU will do no HARM" says the Oculist to
visitors, just though it a collection of coins
or minerals they were inspecting.-Aannfacture