The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-02-21
GLASS EYES.
How They Are Made and the Trouble
They. Sometimes Cause.

st Louis Post-DIspatch.
BY far the greater number Of glass eyes
used in this country are of foreign manu-
facture. 1t Is a singular fact, but one which
no dealer will dispute, that artificial eyes of
American make are not equal to those i'm
ported. The exact reason why this should
be so is perhaps hard to find, but the pre-
vailing impression appears to be that a
workman possessing the requisite skill for
successfully painting and making glass eyes
finds other and more profitable fields open
for the exercise OF his talents. Whether
this he the true reason or not, it Is more than
probable that unfortunates doomed to see
their way through life handicapped by a
glass eye will willingly pay the 60 per cent
tariff at present levied upon the more salts
factory imported article.
New York, Cincinnati and Philadelphia
supply nearly all the glass eyes of Ameri-
can make. The persons engaged in their
manufacture are for the M est part foreign
ers, who have mastered the art in Europe
and who are ton conservative to fOrsake
the trade they have probably followed for
many years. The principal defect appears
to be an inability to supply the immen Sc
variety of shapes and colors required to
make up good stock from which to select
Brussels and Paris together supply about
one-half OF the total number Of eyes used,
while Venice and Berlin also furnish a
large number. The Mueller eye, so called
after its maker, is perhaps the best and
most fav0rably known. or. at all events, is
the one most favorably recommended by
experts aud by the medical profession.
To begin with, the glass is first blown
into circular or elliptical- shaped spheres as
desired Opaque glass. in shapes varying
from pure white to a blush or yellowish
tinged white, is used for this purpose. A
light blush base for the colerng matter is
then burned in, upon which Is painted first
the pupil and next the iris Of the eye, in the
cOlors desired. Next come the minute veins
to be seen upon the natural eyeball. The
painting is done by hand, each part being
burned in separately as applied. Over the
whole is burned thin covering of glass,
which gives the finish 10 the eye. after
which 1t is cut and shaped according to the
design required, and is then ready
for the market. AS no two pair of
eyes are said to be of exactly the
are required. in addition to this an
almost equally large lumber OF shapes have
to be mad6 TO insure perfect fit. The
shaping Is 10 great extent done at random,
as in this manner much greater variety is
secured. The colors used are all shades of
brown. green or blue, or mixtures OF these.
Many people are unaware of the fact that
after an eye is removed stump as rule
remains In the socket 1t is only in rare
cases that the aperture is left entirely
vacant. over THIS stump the artificial eye Is
placed, and il good fit is secured ii will
move In unison with the natural member.
The prevailing idea that a glass eye re-
mains stationary In the sockets an entirely
erroneous one, as this is no. the case unless
an imperfect shape has been selected.
Custom-made eyes would perhaps raise
smile of incredibly In most persons,
but they are by no means uncommon, since
they are frequently made to the order of
individuals who wish to secure an absO-
lutely accurate match combined with per-
feet fit. One prominent st. Louisan is said
10 make occasional trips abroad TO the
factory of q celebrated manufacturer, where
an exact copy is made from his remaining
well member. Glass eyes are also made for
animals. and strange as this fact must ap-
year, the demand for them Is much larger
than most people would imagine. Horses
and dogs are most frequently the patients,
and are generally valu able animals or pets
who have lost the use of an eye through
accident or disease. and whose owners re-
sort to the expedient Of replacing the
member with an artificial eye to hide the
defect. They say that horses can't detect
the difference. Eyes are also made for cats,
but such ara said to be very hard to match
and more easy to detect.