The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1880-11-19
I I, a 4 NEW rHIro IN OPTICS.
4 Dfscovery that Does Away With the
~ Need OF Telescopes. y ..t ss
New York Times.

f-.-+s New York Times. r..-..
n Professor Benjamin g. Merrell Is generally
conceded to be one of the foremost scientific
meA Of Milwaukee, Hitherto he has COLI
fined his researches to the field Of electricity
ratler than to that Of optics, and 1t was not
supposed that the world would be indebted
10 him for the most important discovery in
connection with the eye that has ever been
made. Prof. Merrell has long been of the
opnion that the telescope Is q clumsy meth
OF OF suppiying the deficiency of eye power,
ard some months ago he undertook to ascer-
tam II, there was any way by Which he could
| be able to dispense with artificial lenses. 1t
h n well iasesitainsd fact that persons who
an near sighted, or, In other words, can only
see such objects as are near them, have tile
b,llsof the eye globular aud protuberant,
while those whose vision enables them to
see objects at long distance from them have
the eye fiattened aud sunken. The obvious
fexpaanation of this fact is the theory that
when the eye Is fiattened the lenses are com
pressed, and thus focal distance Is increased,
while the opposite effect follows the too
great otundity of the eye.
Acting in accordance with this theory,
Prof. Merrill conceived the plan Of increas-
ing the power Of the eye, not by using arti-
fetal lass lenses, but by improving the nat
ural lenses. He designed an instrument,
consisting Of two small metallic discs, each
pierced with an extremely small hole, and
l,connscted by o light steel band. These discs
| are to be placed one directly over the centre
Of each eye, while the steel band, passing
around the head, holds them in position.
This band Is so made that il can be shorten
ed or lengthened by turning thumbscrew
and, Of course, just in proportion as 1t Is
shortened thegdi presses against the eye and
Ehattens them. aa.a-..
The inventor tried his instrument upor
himself before exhibiting it to any one Ht
found that when the discs were put in posi-
| tron and the screw was gradually turned, BIZ
power Of seeing distant objects steadily in
creased. A very slight increase Of pressure
on the eyes gave q marked increase Of visua
powerI He made experiments both by da,
and night, and In every case with marked
success. 3, He found that in the. daytime h
could read the Times at a distance of 10 rod
by giving the screw two complete turns, an'
at night he could perceive tire moon of Jupi
ter and the rings ofSaturn with six complete
turns of the ring. Up to this time operation
or the Instrument was quite painless, bu
any attempt to give greater eye power wa
\ attended with sharp pain in the eyes AM
. dazzling light, which rendered all object
/ Invisible 24s ~. a...a
Z. Prof Merrill has calculated, however, tha
six turns of the thumbscrew give his eyes
4 power equal 10 that Of a reffacting telescop
fof ~. feet focal distance, and that, in fact
there is no telescope in existence which ha
laay,hipx like the power Of his eyes whe'
they hase.heea psaPers adjusted by the al
OF his new instfNment. 'a"5"T -.