Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1896-11-20
HELPING THE EYES.
NOW EYEGLASSES WERE ACclDEN-
TALLY DISCOVERED.


tind Of King Charles II That Proved
Very Fortunate Wearing of Glasses
I,ecanc a I,odrp 1s,,io,,i H.. ,,,. ,,,,.
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'''''s'" V" i''S S"iJ'ou'
The study of the eve is ono or tbo most
intricate known 20 sricnco. and vct ono of
the most enchanting and sbsoriin,lv in
tercstinr to those who urr.uo IN ,.ith on,
degree eff success. New aea,tics and won.
dcrs are deycloped every dnv ms fine dentist
progresses with his studies.
Now that the study has advanced far If
Is interesting to look back rpou tine worl;
which has been accomrlished-a more stnrt
i'm tie study The time WAS whom there
was no aid To detective vision. and very
few who now use glasses ever dreamed
that their q pvcry was duo toan accident
and the fact that a crowned head was near
sighted.
Whom young Charlie, Stuart. aftpryard
Charles III OF England. escaped tn France
with his head he became peueiouer of
the Great Louis XIV. While living his
indulant and dissoute life i'm Cologne he
met an expert artisan in glass. and ncci.
dentally llol.iug through small lens be-
/ longing ~ tAi, workman he found that it
greatly aided his very imperfect vision.
/ J hc young prince WAS horn with nyorie-
Cstigwatiem irregular near eiuht. BY
mathematical calculation based upon the
crude ana heavy lenses he is said to have
finally worn. which are now in the British
museum his vision was found is be about
one twentieth of normal sight
He and the artisan were so impressed
with the possibilities as revealed by the
rough lens ha had tried in tho workshop
| ha Ice
whole time and the former all the thought
he was capable of exercising to this work.
The namc of this Frenchman is not
known, although he was probably the first
optician. When Charles was recalled to
England and crowned as Charles ii, he
took this artisan with him, together with
several Others that he had found in France.
After establishing his London workshop
without regard to cost he ransacked all
Europe for still other artisans in glass
until he had secured about 20 1t is said
that as many as 5000 lenses were made in
this shop for the kings eyes before he got
what he wished and what gave him per
feet vision. His gay and dissolute court
at once followed his example by ATTEMPT
ing to wear glasses without regard to
their necessity, but rs a majority of them
were young and had not overworked their
eyes as students do in this age glasses
We're, as a rule, unnecessary.
The fashion originated from a necessity,
and the king met it through his persist
ence and the sacrifice of many thousands
of pounds sterling and with many thou
sand trials through art alone The science
of refraction was not then in it's present
state of perfection to direct the artisan
how to grind lenses to fit the kings eyes
at n11p of, - 81
This fashion soon became a fad with
disregard TO the peculiar necessity that
originated it. Yet without science to di-
rect them what to grind. the artisans be-
came rich, not only in English pounds,
but in experience of mechanical optics
The way was thus paved for the almost
perfect science of optics that now exists as
well as the art of grinding lenses. " lis
an i'll wind that blows no good. The
good accidentally it would seem, that fol-
lowed Charley's exile to France has been
worth many times over the loss of his ia
theirs head, the fear of the same result to
himself having been his incentive to flight
Should glasses be worn when they add
to vision or to comfort is no longer ques-
ton any more than it is question that a
properly fitting brace should be applied in
Potts disease to lessen the weight of the
spinal column as it bears down upon the
diseased vertebr@. To wear glasses when
they prove to be beneficial is no longer
considered affected or foolish any more
than the use of cane should be when it
assists a lame ankle
The old idea that their use should be
postponed as long as possible, even to the
sacrifice of comfort and good vision, and
often to helathy lids or of perfect nervous
functions, has been long since exploded in
the minds of all who reason. The old
adage founded upon ignorance was, IRE
frain from glasses just as long as you pos
sbly can, because when you once begin to