Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-11-06
WONDERS OF THE. EYE
CURIOUS THINGS ABOUT NATURES
PHOTOGRAPHIC CAMERA.

SSaNSSS sssnN$fS s'SS~ 49,. -
PHOTOGRAPHIC CAMERA.
A Little Mirror Disk That Has Made Oph
thalmic Science What Is Lit L. Quit
New Inysntion-Near siShtedness Com
mon Among the Ancients.
81 would Ike to examine the interior of thu
eye" said the oculist. But, when he per
ceived slight shrinking on the part Of tn
reporter, who assumed for thu time the rols
Of patient he snilingly added: "You need
not be alarmed; it viii not hurt you parti
cle."
Then picking up ittledisk shaped mirror
with hole through the center he led the Pc
tient into dark closet, and after lighting 6
bright gas jet told him to sit down ON the
chair Immediately beneath 1t. Next, he him
SELF sat down opposite. so 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, il
such q manner that It reflected ray from
the gas jet straight into the patients eye
through the pupil He could direct the ray
easily enough, inasmuch as be was looking
along it through the small hole that pierced
the center of the disk. II you will hold big,
fat button mold up to your eye and look
through it at the eye Of a person seated in
front of you you viii get notion Of the way
In which the ocuist operated. Suppose the
button mold has quiclsilvered glass on the
surface turned toward the object, and you
will perceive how easy it would be to throw
ray reflected from light above the other
persons head directly into that other per
sons eye, and to watch, through the hole in
the button mold.
WHATEVER THAT RAY REVEALED.
This was what the oculist was doing with
the mirror disk. The ray it reelected entered
the patients eye, through the pupil, and
lighted up the interior very much as a dark
room is lighted up by bull's-eye lantern
shining through a doorway from outside.
just as the lantern might be turned about
this way and that, to illuminate various parts
Of tho darkened chamber beyond the door
way, SO the little looking glass was manipu-
lated between the fore6nger and thumb OF
the physician, as he held it before his own
eye, in such q manner as to reveal to bis view
every portion Of the inside Of the ocular
camera obscura-for such the eye is; very
much like the camera Of the photographer in
its construction and mode Of working; and,
by gravyi 1t has been found out quite re-
Gently that the so-calied ocular purple" in
the eye actually produces the pictures of OBJ
jects seen on the nerve screen that lines the
organ, by achemical process very much like
that employed by the photographer to bring
out the lines of bis negatives. Possibly, some
day, by studying natures method, the sun
print artist may learn how to photograph
colors as tho eye does. Who knowsa
The patient was very much relieved at
length to hear the oculist say that there was
nothing serious the matter.
II observe q slight Inflammation Of the In
ner coat Of the left eye" remarked the ply
sician, "as well as a mildly hyperemic con-
diion Of the lids, both Of which little troubles
have undoubtedly been occasioned by the
glasses you wear"
What Is the little round mirror called
with which you examined my eyes insider'
asked the patient while the oculist was en-
gagged In fitting glasses of various strengths
into a huge nose frame for trial.
ITO that it$ae instrument" responded the
surgeon. lis due nearly all Of the progress
made in ophthalmic science since the days Of
the ancient Egyptians, 5000 years ago. And
yet, as you SEQ, IT Is nothing but small,
round mirror with hole through it. 1t is
called the ophthaluoscope, and was invented
by Helmholtz in 1859. So few years ago as
that very little wns known about the eye be-
yond what the old Egyptian physicians were
acquainted with. However, as to the oph-
kaleidoscope, was going to say that it af-
forded the first means ever discovered for
studying the interior of the living eve. From
that point modern ophthalmic science really
took its rise, and there is not much about the
eye today that is not understood"
NEAR SIGHTEDNEsS AMONG THE ANCIENTs
'Were people afflicted with near sighted
ness in ancient timesf'
'NOh, yes; though probably not to the
same extent. We read, write and study
more than tho ancients did, and for this rea-
son near sight is more common with us, for
it Is the excessive use Of the eyes at the
near point that propagates the trouble. In
old times troubles with the eyes were regard
ed as Affections sent by heaven, for which
there was no cure. Nero, who fiddled while
Rome was burning, was SO near sighted that,
although be had the very best seat in the am
phitheatre at the gladiator shows, he
could not see what was going on. One day
he discovered that o certain concave emerald
in his collection Of jewels aided his vision
materially, and from that time he always
carried the emerald about with him, and,
when he wanted to see anything at dis
lance, looked through it. He regarded the
stone as a talisnan, and supposed that its
were magical"
"Is II true that every person needs specta-
cles at some period Of LITER
Decidedly, II the person lives to be forty
five years of age AT that age, or atany rate
before fifty Is reached, the crystalline lens,
which is CT the consistency Of jelly in child
hood, has gradually hardened to the consist
ency of wax, so that the muscles which
change the focus of the eye for various dis
tances, by altering the shape of the lens, find
it difficult 70 do their work You win per.
ceive that after looking at an object across
the street, to examine your finger attentively
requires o distinct effort Of the eye You
have to exert the muscles that control the
shape Of the lens In order to make the focus
right for the rear point. II the lens has got
hard, through advancing age, continuous
effort Of this sort, as In reading, becomes tire
some, and thus it is that the middle aged man
or woman finds the first indication of what is
ignoranty termed failing sight in the blur
ring Of the letters IA tbs book OF newspaper
Now, the fact h, Of course, that the ocular
organ Is just Is good as ever, save for the
fact that it needs little help IN the way Of a
glass lens 10 make the focus right for reading
ard thus save the muscles work
.FAK Men suffering from LOST VISOR
me