The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-12-06
EYES MADE OF GLASS.
They are Good, but Better Ones
are Nsede of Stone.
New York Sun.

Tney are Good, put Better OneS
are kasoe Of Stone.
New York Sun.
There is gentleman in New York,
married and the father of family, who
has worn an artificial eye for many
years without the knowledge Of any
member of his family. There are many
men and women in public life who wear
artificial eyes undiscovered. To do this
of course requires not only wonderful
perfection in the manufacture of the eye
itself, but also great circumspection on
the part of the wearer, whose vision is
necessarily limited, and who is liable to
exposure from the occurrences of every
day life. There was, until recently, in
New York city, a lady, the wife of a
very well known man, who was in the
habit of meeting constantly very many
persons, and who went out much in So
ciety, who wore an artificial eye without
detection.
Many artificial eyes are imported from
Germany and France, where they are
made almost as cheaply as buttons. In
the district of Thuringia, in Germany,
entire villages of men, women and chill
dren assist in the manufacture. The
process is analogous to glass blowing.
Indeed, it is a sort of glass blowing
The workman sits at table with a gas
jet flame from a blowpipe in front Of
him, which gives an intense heat, capable
of melting the CLASSY substance which
forms the eye. He lnolds the substance
as easily as the potter would mold clay.
Then the pupil is put on By the Same
process and the colors traced with small
needles of colored substance, SO as to
initiate the delicate tracery Of the eye
ball and pupil.
THE BEST EYES ARE MADE HERE.
When eyes are made at wholesale the
workman makes haphazard vast guam
tity of sizes, shapes and colors, and it is
presumed that dealer can, by keeping a
large assortment of these artificial eyes,
manage to match the eyes of any Gus
toner. But in practice this proves to be
an exceedingly difficult matter. The
colors and shapes of eyes vary in num-
berless variety, and where customers
are fastidious and with keen vision for
shades of color it is seldom possible to
suit them with these ready made eyes,
and they are little used in first class es
adjustments, where perfect work is
sought regardless of price.
The expression .A bully boy with
glass eye" denotes popular error that
false eyes are made of glass. The fact
is that the substance is more like china
About forty years ago an Englishman
named t. j. Davis began to make artif-
cial eyes in New York by new pro-
cess. He found a spar in Connecticut
which which was peculiarly adapted for
the making of artificial eyes, and he
maintained that, after great research in
other parts of the world, no stone could
be found capable of yielding the same
results. This spar, to become ductile,
has to be subjected to an intense heat
for from thirty-six to forty-eight hours.
When thus treated it is ready for
shaping and coloring, and requires
no metallic oxides to work it, and
is, therefore, not liable to injury
from the saline secretions and more
durable and artistic than eyes made in
the old way, which was to mix common
glass with the metallic oxides, produc-
ing material easily fusible by heat and
very brittle. The eyes produced by the
Connecticut spar are tougher. Mr.. Da-
Wis kept his secret for many years, and
before his death bequeathed it to his
sons, and they have made many eyes
successfully for wealthy people who have
tried in vain the best eye makers of Eu-
rope.
CHEAP EYES USEFUL.
The cheap wholesale eyes are very
useful in sparsely settled localities or
small towns where people may want
artificial eyes in an emergency. For
instance, "A gentleman travelling in the
west broke his artificial eye, and the
only place where he could get another
was at saddler's shop. He did not get
a good match for size, shape or color,
but he got something that served him
until he could get to New York.
There are many things TO be consid-
cred in making first class artificial eye.
The right is different from the left. The
size of the bulb must be taken into ac-
count The position must be prominent,
full or sunken to mate the good eye.
The shade of the white of the eye must
w HONSu, tthu INC u6llCaLe VEINS anu
tracery.. Sometimes the bloodshot ap-
pearance of the good eye must be imi-
tated. The diameter of the iris and the
pupil must be marked, and the nature
of the operation on the diseased eye must
be taken into account. All this requires
skill and dexterous manipulation. 1t is
not unusual for person to keep several
/ extra eyes on hand in case of accident
Sometimes people out of town send
orders for eyes in the same way that
other merchandise is sent for. The
European artificial eyes generally last
about twelve months only, when they
become rough and unpleasant. Even
the best false eyes will after time be-
come rough and require to be replaced.
The best makers require that the false
eyes shall be taken out at night and kept
thoroughly clean. In most cases what
is called an artificial eye is merely a part
of an eye consisting of a small saucer
which is not attached to the ball of the
eye, but placed in proper position over
it, and kept in place by the eyelids
Sometimes, when not skilfully fitted,
they drop out and break.
A first class artificial eye, fitted in
every respect in size, form and color,
costs from $25 to $50. The ready made
eyes can be bought for verv much less.
When Ne was a Journalist.