The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1891-02-07
soMn Anr,rtcIAn 80


somn AnrrrroIAL EYES
Thoy Are Hard 10 Tell From Real D. ,s.
and tho Best Aro Made Ia Annette
There is a gentleman in New YORK,
married and the father OF family, ho
has worn On artificial eye fr ma.y
years without the knowledge af nuv
member Of his family. There are mmy
men and women in public lifo who
wear artificial eyes undiscovered. To
do this, of course requires not only
wonderful perfection in the manuea,t.
ure Of the eye itself, but also great cir-
cumspection on the part Of the N'earer,
whose vision is necessarily limited mtd
who is liable to exposure from the oc-
currences Of everyday life. There WAS
until recently in New York city lady,
the wife Of Well known man, who was
in the habit Of meeting very many per-
sons, and who went outmuch in society,
who wore an artificial eye without de-
lection.
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, AMI
children assist in the manufacture. The
process is analogous to glass blowing.
Indeed, it is a sort Of glass blowing TIE
workman sits at a table with a gas Jet
fame from blowpipe in front Of him.
which gives an intense heat, capable Of
melting the CLASSY substance which
3. L. II. III ts...
as easily as a 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
eyeball and pupil.
When eyes are made at wholesale the
workman makes haphazard a vast
quantity 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 customer But in practice
this proves to be an exceedingly diff
cult matter The colors and shapes Of
eyes vary in numberless variety, and
where customers are fastidious and with
keen vision for shades of color it is sell
dom possible to suit them with these
ready made eyes, and they are little
used in first class establishments where
perfect work is sought regardless Of
price.
The expression, "A bully boy with a
glass eye, denotes popular error that
false eyes are made Of glass. The fact
is that the substance is more like china.
About 40 years ago an Englishman
named I. J. Davis began to make arti-
fetal eyes in New York by a new proc
ess He found a spar in Connecticut
which was peculiarly adapted for the
making of artificial eyes, and he main.
tanned that, after great research in other
parts OF the world no stone could be
found capable of yielding the same re-
suits. This SPAR to become ductile, has
to be sui ljected to an intense heat fol
from 80 to 49 hours When thus treated
il is ready for shaping and colorlng, 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 ay, which was to mix comno
glass with metallic oxides, producing u
material easily fusible by heat and very
brittle. The eyes produced by the Con
necticut spar are tougher Mr., Dali,
kept his secret for many years, and be-
fore his death bequeathed it to his Sous
and they have made many eyes success
fully for wealthy people who have trie'
in vain the best eye makers of Europe,
-, .I,,l 10
useful in sparsely settled localities oi
small towns where people may wan
artificial eyes in an emergency. For in
| stance, a gentleman travelling in tn
West broke his artificial eye, and the
only place where he could get anothe
was at a saddler's sh'p He did not ge
good match for size, shape, or color
but he got something that served hin
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 tie left III
size of the bulb must be taken into &C
count The position must be prominent
full, or sunken to mate the good eye
The shade of the white of the eye mus
be noted, and the delicate veins anG
| tracery Sometimes the bloodshot al,
| pearance of the good eye must be imi-
tated. The diameter of the iris and tn
pupil must he marked, and the nature Of
the operation on the diseased eye mus
be taken into account. All this requir S
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 a 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
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 skiiliully fitted,
they drop out and break.
A first class artificial eye, fitted in
every respect in size, form, and color.
costs from S25 to $50. The ready mada
eyes can he bought for very much less.
A well known maker of artificial eyes
said to a Sun reporter; 81 have sOO0
imported eyes that are useless They
won't fit anything. My customers say
they do not look like human ewes at all;
that they are more like cats eyes. They
would prove uncomfortable to the
wearer and probably produce disease.
They would not fit the eyeball so as tC
move in unison with the good eve
They are very far, indeed, from the ner
fection of the eyes we make here. You
can buy them for 40 cents apiece What
is the need of any one buying sucl
things when by waiting a day or 81 &
perfect fitting and well matched eve car
lie made II is a common thing for peo.
pie to go abroad under the impression
that the best artificial eyes are made
there. But they generally come hacl
with a better appreciation Of American
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