Evening journal., 1889-12-28
AN EXTRAORDINARY CASE
IMPROPER GLASSES CAUSED A
HEMoRRHAGE OF THE EYE.

Albert Connaway, a 11-year-old Albino,
the victim-rhe Glasses Were btained
From Professor weil-The Professors
Statement.
Albert II. Connaway, the IL year old
son Of William q. Connaway. who lives
at the northwest corner of Sherman and
Lombard streets, was buried in Riverview
Cemetery yesterday afternoon.
The little fellow died on Christmas
morning, and the attendant circumstances
cast suspicion on one Professor We'll.
who advertises as a scientific optician,
with store at No. 305 Market street
The boy was an Albino, and like all Of
this class, had pink eyes, which were
very sensitive. He was taken to Pro
fessor We'll for an examination of his
eyes, with view to obtaining glasses for
them, II necessary
An EVENING JOURNAL reporter called
at Mr.. Connaway's house yesterday
morning. The corpse rested in the
front room in white casket. His
silky white hair was brushed back from
his almost transparent forehead, and his
suffering eyes were closed forever He
looked wonderfully life ke, and his pale
face bore an expression Of intelligence.
The grief of his parents indicated the
pain that they deeply felt at his loss
Mr.. Connaway is employed at Enoch
Moore's shipyard, where he runs the saw
mill. From Mr. and Mrs. Connaway the
following story was obtained;
The little boys eyes have always been
sensitive to the light and he was slightly
81 orI,fad ~ h...nrtua his uffrkf ha
never been defective. The idea OF
glasses was suggested by the boy school
teacher. She said that IN ciphering at
the black board. the reflection of light
annoyed him very much, and that II he
had shaded glasses they might help him.
Seeing the advertisement of Professor
We'll, that eyes would be examined free
OF charge. Mrs Connaway took her son
to the store about seven weeks ago.
Without making any examination OF his
eyes. Professor We'll began to try glasses
on him. After nearly two hours OF try
ing, a pair Of spectacles were selected,
which the professor pronounced as the
proper grade In a few days the boy
complained of pain In his eyes. The
right one began to change color, the
white finally turning dark and then
HAuOeb blhtht dilA bilc bD1 AouAA ioh HIt
cut Of t. The pain increased and became
so intense that the boy became delirious.
He was taken to DR.. Mann, the family
physician DIR. Mann examined him
thoroughly, and told Mrs. Connaway that
her son was suffering from srain trouble
What caused it he could not say. 1t
was either a blow on the head or some
trouble with his eyes Probably DR..
Mann suspected the latter. for he ad-
vieed Mrs Connaway to take the child to
DR.. Read j. Mckay, the occulist Thither
they went, and in his efforts to find the
cause of the child's troubles, DR.. Mckay
asked Mrs. Connaway If he wore glasses.
Then they were shown to him. After q
careful test, on the third day after, Dr.
Mckay said that the glasses were entirely
unsuitable for the boys eyes. They hac
strained his eye until blood vessel haC
been ruptured and a hemorrhage pro
duced.
DR.. Mckay attended the boy and re
| lieved his sufferings considerably by get
ting the blood from his eye. For tim
he seemed to improve Then he go
worse again, and on December 16 Drs l.
& L. A. Kittiuger were called in. Alber
was found to be suffering from conges
tion OF the brain which caused his dealt
on Christmas morning The spectacl
case, which was sold with the spectacle
to Mrs Connaway, bears the following
card in gilt letters: washington Op
tical Company, 800 Market street, Wi
miugton, Del DR. NJ. Well, manager. "
DR.. Mckay was interviewed He wa
not anxious to talk of the case, as som
people would say he was prompted b
professional jealously; but in answer t
questions he gave the following inform
alton in regard to the matter:
Mrs. Connaway brought her son to hiI
on November 81 He found on exami
nation that blood vessel Of the boy
right eye had been ruptured and that th
eye was bleeding. He treated him fo
1t, getting so much Of the blood fror
his eye that he could see with it. DI
Mckay attended him last on Decembe
g. After that he was taken worse an
was unable to 90 to DR.. Mckay. The doctc
said that the boy was Of an exceedingl
nervous temperament and very prone I
bleeding A slight cut or a scratch woul
J bleed to an alarming extent.
He had no doubt but that the stron
magnifying glasses strained the eyes su
; ficiently to cause the rupture OF u
blood vessel, and while it was possible fC
} | such a rupture to cause congestion {
9 the brain, through sympathy, or throug
$ the close connection of the eye with I'll
a brain, he could not positively say so, be
cause he had not seen the boy for spa'
of three weeks.
Dr. Mckay examined the glasses ol
tanned from Professor Well for the DO,
y They are known as AZ convex, or plu
k and are glasses Of high magnifying powe
& intended for far-sighted persons. whi
t the boy was near sighted. There are bI
five or six sizes Of greater magnityir
power. The right glasses for the b'
, were No. 36 concave, or minus, glass
= of light strength for persons slight
z near-sighted.
Glasses Of the grade sold for the b
were put before the reporters eyes, whi
are fairly good ones. He could $
nothing unless it was held within fe
,f inches Of his face and the glasses had
q bewildering, sickening effect. "fo
sight is good" said the doctor, 1.-THE b,
"a was near sighted, and the effect on hi
's was worse than 1t is on you.
DR.. Mckay stated that Professor Wei
clerk came to see him in November, wi
10 the object Of getting him to send patier
10 for whom be had prescribed glasses,
him to obtain them. DR.. Mckay adm
TO ted that he Indignantly refused to do
es He told him Of Albert Connaway's cal
It. (the boy was in his Office at the til
suffering intensely whom he was tn
treating and said that We'll did not hs
az sense enourh To know when he need