Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1895-03-13
OPTICS MADE TO ORDER.
The Artificial Eyes as Good as the
Natural in all Ways Except One.

Natural in all Ways Except One.
"Oh. what is this thing called
Light" asks the blind boy of the
poet, and while modern science can-
not answer him, it can produce arti-
fetal eyes which cannot be distit-
guished from natural ones so far ass
appearance goes. A glance at the
workshop Of an optist will give but
little information as to the process
of manufacturing an artificial eye;
it is an art in which o steady hand,
skilful fingers and good eye for
color, ore the principal tools.
The optist, after attentively studys,,
ing the remaining eye of the Gus
toner (assuming that he has another
eye), matches it from his stock as to
color, then as to size, and after e3-
ceedingly careful measurements and
study Of the ocular cavity proceeds
to make an eye which will be exactly
like the natural one, except that it
will not see. He uses o peculiar
kind of enamel to make the eyeball,
every manufacturer having his own
secret for this. This enamel is very
smooth and extremely brilliant.
The optist takes a piece of the en-
amel and heats it, after which he
blows it, like glass is blown into
bulb the size of a human eyeball,
and then cuts out from the bulb q Z
section varying in size according to
the condition of the ocular cavity. If
the patients eyeball is perfec what
lis called the three-qu quarter ball pro-.
cess is used a section of the thin
hollow bulb IS tfftted a oyerthe ball and
the eye then moves as III it were
natural. This is the best method
when the eyeball permits, and an ar
tifcial eye of this kind, cannotpossi-
bly, be detected, except that. Of course,
the pupil does not contract or dilate,
II the ball is gone then the motion is
much more restricted, but it will still
move in sympathy with the other eye.
Most people are astonished to learn
that an artificial eye is not globular,
but only thin piece of curved en-
amel. A little reflection will show
that it could not be put into the
cavity, if it were globular, and being
in, could not be got out, for false eyes,
like false teeth, should be taken out
every night and replacedin in the morn
ing.
The thin section of the bulb hay-
ing been shaped into a right or left
eye, as the case may be, the iris is
painted on. AThe majority Of optists
make their own colors, and consider
able artistic knowledge is required to
paint life-like iris. The colors are
fired into the enamel by means OF
blowpipe, and then the crystal cornea
which covers the iris has to be af-
fixed. This is made from imported
crystal, which is the clearest and pur-
est obtainable. After being meltod
it is shaped and then placed over the
iris and cemented in position. The
eye, after the little veins have been
painted on the ball, is now complete,
and only remains to be fitted in the
ocular cavity.
The life of an eye is from twelve to
eighteen months. After that period
it becomes dull, owing to the saline
secretions of the eyelids acting upon
the enamel. A good artificial eye
costs from SIS to $50. They are
never made from glass; only the
cheap ones that may be bought
for So or 81 or even less are manu-
factured from that material.