The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1889-10-25
WONDERS OF THE EYE.
CURIOUS THINGS ABOUT NATURES
PHOTOGRAPHIC CAMERA.

A Little Mirror Disk That Has Made oph-
thsImic Science What It Is-It l. Quite
"a New Inv-ntion-Near sightedness Com
mon Among the Ancients.
II would like 10 examine the interior 81 the
eve said the oculist But when he per
ceived slight shrinking ON the part Of the
reporter, who assumed for the time the role
of patient, he smilingly added; "You need
not be alarmed; IL will not hurt you n parti-
Gle
Then picking up "A little disk shaped mirror
with a hole through the center he led the pa
tient into "A dark closet, and after lighting a
bright gas jet told him 10 sit down on the
chair Immediately beneath It, Next, he him
self sat down opposite that the knees Of
the two touched, and held the small round
looking glass in front OF his own eye, like an
eyeglass, with the mirror side outward in
such manner that il reflected IA ray from
the gas jet straight into the patients eye
through the pupil He could direct the ray
easily enough, inasmuch as he was looking
along il through the small hole that pierced
the center of the disk. IL you will hold big,
Hat button mold up TO your eye and look
through it at the eve of person seated in
front Of YOU YOU will get a notion OF the way
in which the oculist operated. suppose the
button mold has quickslvercd glass ON the
surface turned toward the object, and you
will perceive how easy IL would be 80 throw
"a ray reflected from light above the other
persons head directly into that other per
sons eye, and 10 watch, through the hole I'm
the button mold
WHATEVER THAT RAY REVEALED
This was what the oculSt was doing with
the mirror disk. The ray II reflected entered
the patients eye, through the pupil, and
lighted up the interior very much as dark
room is lighted up by bulls-eye lantern
shining through "A doorway from outside.
Just as the lantern might bc turned about
this way aud that, 10 illuminate various parts
of the darkcncd chamber beyond the door
way, - the little looking glass was manipu-
lated between the forelinger and thumb uf
the physician, a. he held IL before his own
eye, lu such "A manner rs 10 reveal 10 his view
every portion of the inside OF the ocular
camera ohscura-for such the eye is; very
much like the camera of the photographer i'm
its construction and mode Of working; and,
10y gravy! it has been found out quite re-
Gently TINT the so-callcd ocular purple in
the eye actually produces the pictures Of ob-
Iects seen on the nerve screen that lines the
organ, 10y "A chemical process very much like
that employed 10y the photographer to bring
out the lines OF his negatives. Possibly, some
day, 10y studying natures method, the sun
print artist may learn how TO photograph
colors as the eye does. Who knowsi
The patient was very much relieved at
length TO hear the oculst say that there was
nothing serious the matter.
II observe slight inflammation of the In.
pf bs lsft - nl.x
scan, "as we'll as "A mildly hypernmic con.
dition Of the lids, both Of which little troubles
have undoubtedly been occasioncd by the
Z asses you wear
~ nat l. the htte round mirror called
with which yog examined my eyes insidef'
asked the patient while the ocuiist was en-.
gagged Ia fitting glasses OF various strengths
into huge nose frame for trial
TO that little instrument ~ responded the
surgeon, lis due nearly all of the progress
made In ophthalmic science since the days Of
,hc ancient Egyptians 5000 years ngo. And
get, as you see, ~ j. nothing but "A small,
round mirror with a hole through IL. II is
ulicd the ophthalmpscope, and was invented
by lIelmhOlz I'm lS52 So few years ago as
that very little was known about the eye be-
yond what the old Egyptian physicians were
acquainted with However, n 10 the oph-
.halmoscopc, | was going to say That it af-
tOrdnd the first means ever discovered for
,tudying the interior OF the living eye. From
hat point modern Ophthalmic science really
took a., rise. aud there is not much about the
eye today that II not understood
NEAR sIGnIEDHEss AMONG THE ANCiENTs
Were people afflicted with near sighted
ues, in ancient timcsN
"Oh, yes; though probably not % the
sanie extent. We read, write aud study
more thun the aucicnts did, and for this rea-
.In near sight Is more common with us, for
10 is the excessive use Of the eyes at the
u,ar point that prOpagates the trouble. In
old times troubles with the eyes were regard
cd a. Affections seat by heaven, for which
there was no cure. Nero, who hddlcd while
Rome was burning, was 20 near sighted that,
although hc had the very best seat in the am-
phitncatre at the gladiator shows, he
could not see what was going on. One day
hc discovered that n certain concave emerald
in his collection 81 Jewels aided his vision
materially, and from that time he always
carried the emerald about with him, and
when he wanted 10 see anything at dis
taucr, looked through IL. lie regarded the
stone a. "a tai,unn, aud supposed that its
properties were magical
II, il true that every person needs spccta.
rle- AZ some period ~ lifer
Decidedly II the person lives 10 be forty
five year, uf age. At that ogc. or AZ any rate
before fits is reached, the crystalline lens,
which !, - tho consistency Of jelly Ia child
hood, has gradually hardened 20 the consist
eucy ~ wax, 20 that the muscles which
change the focus Of the eye for various dis
tauce-, by altering the shape ~ the lens, find
II difficult 30 do their work. You will per
csiyc TINT after looking at an object ncrOes
the street, 20 examine your finger attentiyely
requires a distinct effort ~ the eve. You
have % exert the muscles that control the
share ~ tho lens IN order 10 make the focus
right Tor the near point. II the lens has got
hard through advancing nge, continuous
effort ~ thi. sJrt. a. in reading, becomes tire
some. aud thus it g. that the middle aged man
or woman finds the frst Indication ~ what Is
ignorantly termed falling sight in the blur
ring II the istters In the book or newspaper
Vow, the fact is, q cOurse, that the ocular
orgau Is just a. good a. ever, ave for the
fact that IL nce-ds n little help in the way ~ a
glass lens ~ make TIE focus right FOR reading
aud thus ave the muscles work. "- Washing
ton star
The Original of " BIuebcsrd."
The story a. II IL now toll j. mainly Gcti-
tious but IL has n foundation ia fact Giles
De Iavel. Lord % Retz and other barOnies
and lOrdships ia Brittany, lived In the time
Of Charles VII lie was known n the rich
-. - a.. man If bia dav Ir