Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1891-02-07
SOME ARTIFICIAL EYES.
They Are Hard TO Tell From Real Eyes
and the Best Are Made in America.

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has worn an artificial eye for many
years without the knowledge of amy
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 manufact-
ure of the eye itself, but also great cir
cumsl ectiOn on the part of the wearer,
whose vision is necessarily limited, and
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 out much 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, and
children 5siSt in the manufacture. The
process is analogous to glass blowing.
Indeed, it is a sort of glass blowing The
workman sits at a 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 eve He molds the substance
as easily as a potter would mold clay.
Then tie pupil is put on by the same
process, AMI 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 vast
quantity of sizes, shapes, and colors
and it is presumed that dealer can,
by keeping 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
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 T. J. Davis began to make arti-
fetal eyes in New York by new proc
ess. He found 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, j.cted to an intense heat for
from 36 to As 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 metallic oxides, producing q
material easily fusble by heat and very
brittle The eyes produced by the Con-
necticut spar are tougher MIR. Davis
kept his secret for many years, and be-
fore his death b"queathed it to his sons.
and they have made many eyes success
fully for wealthy people who have tried
in vain the best eye makers of Europe,
The cheap wholesale eyes are very
useful in sparsely settled localities or
small towns where people may want
artificial eyes in an emergency For in
stance, a gentleman travelling in the
West broke his artificial eye, and the
only place where he could get another
was at a 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 consd-
cred in making a 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
be noted, and the delicate veins and
tracery. Sometimes the bloodshot APP
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 a 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 rou III 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 skiilfully 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 made
eyes can be bought for very much less
A well known maker of artificial eyes
said to SIM reporter: 81 have 5000
imported eyes that are useless They
won't fit anything. My customers say
they do not look like human eyes 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 to
move in unison with the good eye.
They are very far indeed, from the per-
lection of the eyes we make here. You
can buy them for 40 cents apiece. What
is the need of any one buying such
things when by waiting a day or 50 a
perfect fitting and we'll matched eye can
be made? 1t is a common thing for peo-