The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1878-06-06
Artificial Eyes.

When surgeon is forced to the last
of taking out an eye, 1t Is
desirable that he should leave as much
of the ball as possible. Makers of arti-
fetal eyes call this the stump; and IL 1T
is large 1t moves the artificial eye back
and forth so naturally that the change
is not perceptible except to very close
observer whose attention has previously
been called to the misfortune of the
wearer.
When the patient first goes to the
maker of artificial eyes, the latter CAREFUL
ly studies the cavity, the size and shape
of the stump, and the size of the eyelids
measured on their inner surface. These
measurements differ greatly IN different
persons, and are very irregular in the
same person; so that in no case can the
porcelain be made symmetrically per-
feet. A sphere of porcelain is never
used. The new eve is always hollow
on the inner side. The extent OF this
concavity depends upon the size of the
stump, which the porcelain must fit ac-
curstely, but without hugging. There
are no rules of measurement for making
a good fit, and for this reason a maker
of artificial eyes should be an artist.
After the eyemaker has given atten-
ton to the essentials spoken of above,
he next studies the good eye of his pa
tent. He estimates the diameter of
the pupil in ordinary light, and closely
examines the colors of the iris. These
colors are never laid on by nature
in precisely the same way Even in
the case of two persons whose eyes have
precisely the same shade of color, the
effect is produced by different arrange
ments of natures greens, grays and
blues. The eyemaker closely examines
these peculiarities, and then he is ready
to go into his workshop. His material
is kind of porcelain.
Some eyemakers claim peculiar ex-
cellences for the material they use. If
clear annealed glass could be used, an
artificial eye might last for many years;
bat in order to produce VIVA. they de-
sire, certain oxides must be used. These
oxides are attacked by the saline humors
of the eve, and the surface becomes
rough. This makes it necessary to re-
place an artificial eye after it has been
worn about eighteen months. The best
eyes, under the most favorable circum
stances, can not be worn more than
three wears. The material of the eye
maker is drawn for him at glass man.
ufacturer's into tubes about one inch
and a half in circumference. He redraws
a tube until it is little smaller than a
lead pencil Next he blows bulb at
one end of the size of the sound eyebali
in his patron, contriving to make it
slightly oval to initiate the natural curv-
ature of the eye. At the place where
the iris and pupil are to be he Aattens
the little sphere, and in the center of the
fat surface he applies a circular patch
of black pigment. This is the pupil.
Next follows work of great nicely
With indelible colors taken from q pal
cite he initiates on the tiattened part OF
the sphere around the pupils, the iris
which he has previously studied in the
sound eye. This having been done, a
circular piece of clear crystal glass, flat
on one side and convex on the other, is
laid upon the pigments, with its fiat side
DOWN. 1t is firmly fastened in place by
fusing its edge with the porcelain with
the aid of blow pipe. After this deli
cate operation the front of the sphere
should exactly resemble the sound eye
which it is to match, with the exception
of the small red veins in the eyeball.
These are initiated by drawing out red
glass to the necessary fineness, and ap-
plying bits of this glass thread, while
vet hot, in vein-like shapes, to the cor
nea. They are fused into it under the
flame of the blow pipe. The work oil
initiating the natural eye is complete.
Next the oper ator draws with lead
pencil an irregular line on the porce-
lain sphere inclosing the iris. This
marks off that part of the front of the
sphere which is to constitute the artifi-
cial eye. He afterwards follows this
line, with the hot point of piece of
glass or iron, and thus cracks OFF the
part he wants. The edges are then
filed or clipped off until the eye will
accurately fit in the spaces beneath the
eyelids, according to the measurements
he has taken. After this has been done,
the artificial eye is annealed by heating
it, and allowing it to cool very slowly in
a little box. If an alteration is TO be
made on fitting the artificial eye into its
place beneath the lids, it is necessary,
after using the file and the blow pipe, to
anneal the porcelain again. 1t is not
necessary that the artificial eye be at
tached to the stump further than to fit
over it like a cap with very slight
pressure. This has been found to be
sufficient to give it free movement to
and fro. II the porcelain is allowed to
become rough it causes what the eye
maker calls fungus growth. This is
the same as the "proud flesh !" that
often impedes the healing of sores. 1t
is usually recommended to insert an ar
tifcial eye very soon after the surgeon
has done his work, and it is said that
the insertion should not be delayed be-
yond two weeks. go
After the eye socket is healed, the new
eye is taken out and put in easily and
without pain. 1t is taken widthwise
between the forefnger and thumb of
one hand, while the other is placed on
the forehead, and the extremities of the
fingers are used to raise the upper Lid
The eye is then introduced under the
upper lid, and the disengaged fingers
pull down the lower eyelid, which thus
allows the eye to slip into place. 1t IS
only when the eyeball is entirely re-
moved that the artificial eye is notion
less.-New York Sun. ae
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