St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-12-25
A Necklace Made of Human Eyes.

New York Correspondence Boston Globe.l
The material for unique necklace is now
the hands of Tiffany & Co., and is
awaiting the attention of their workmen.
1t consists of large collection of very
beautiful mummy eyes. which were brought
from Peru by w. E. Curtis of the South
American commission. The majority of
them came from africa, where large ceme-
teries are filled with mummies of the an
Gent meas. Some little discussion has oc-
cured in scientific circles as to whether they
are mummitied human eyes or those of some
variety of fish, which had been substituted
by the embalmers on account of
their less destructible nature. Mr.. Curtis
writes that the local antiqutaries from
whom the eyes were purchased believed
them to have belonged to species of cutie
fish which was common on the Peruvian
coast. On the other hand, Prof. Ranondi,
the distinguished native ethnologist main
tains that they are really human eyes, and
the superintendent of the chronological
branch Of the British museum quotes DR..
Tacudi, of Vienna, friend of Humboldt
and thorough student of Peruvian an
Equities, as likewise supporting this theory.
Since the eyes have been in this country
they have been examined by several of the
institution, and they seem to agree in
pronouncing them to be the crystalline lens
of the eye of a cuttlefish or squid
The lenses vary in size from is to II
of an inch in diameter, and are therefore
considerably larger than the lens of the
human eye Their excellent preservation
would also seem to disprove a human ORR
gin, for the lens of the human eye is very
periShable and can with difficulty be pre-
I served even few days.
So common are these mummies that they
can be dug up almost anywhere, or can be
purchased for sd or SIS apiece In the rough
state the eyes are bronze yellow color and
quite opaque, but when the outer covering
of the skin. is removed and the inner lens
carefully polished it becomes translucent,
or even transparent and shows
handsome color, varying from yellow to
| orange and reddish brown. In this
form 1t makes very beautiful
gem. The concentric arrangement of
the different layers gives the eye an
appearance of iridescent glass, and pro-
duces an effect similar to that formed by
placing series of Minute crystal globes,
one within the other. Some of the less
perfect specimens have also radial cracks
| which add to the retroactive power of the
lens. but will probably detract from its du-
| rability. The crystalline lens of a squid
possesses SO much solid matter that when
| removed from the eye it becomes hard and
dry in very few days and has milky,
| opalescent appearance. Those taken from
the mummies have been cut in two pieces.
so as to expose the cross section. 1t is
| supposed that the darker and richer tints
| found on them are due either to an organic
change within the eye. resulting from age,
or to the absorption of juices or antiseptics
| from contact with the body.
| The work of polishing the eyes has been
| interrupted by the illness of several of the
| lapidaries. which is attributed to roisons
used in preserving the eyes. Opinions diff
| fer as to what the poison may be. Some of
the symptoms would indicate arsenic but
the opinion has also been advanced that it
is due to some alkaloid generated by the de-
composition of the organic constituent. AS
no chemical analysis has been made, it is
not yet possible to assign any definite cause
| for the illness of the workmen. 1t was
| sufficiently severe. however to produce an
unwillingness to resume the task, and for
the present nothing is being done.