The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-01-28
ORIGIN OF EYEGLASSES.
They Were the Find Of King Charies II
OF England.

They Were the Find Of King Charles n
OF England.
The study of the eye Is one Of the most
intricate known to science, and yet ono
OF the mostenchanting and ahsorbingly
interesting to those who pursue it with
any degree Of success. New beauties
aud wonders are developed every day
as the oculist progresses with his
studies.
New that the study has advanced far
II is interesting to look back upon the
work which has been accomplished
a nero start in the study. The time
YVES when there was no aid to defective
vision, and very few who now use
glasses ever dreamed that their dis
coTery was due to an accident and the
fast that a crowned head was near.
sighted.
When young Charles Stuart, after.
ward Charles II. of England, escaped
to France with his head, he became q
pensioner of the great Louis XIV.
While living his incident and dissolute
life In Cologne be met an expert artisan
in glass, and accidentally looking
Through a small lens belonging TO tM,
workman he found that it greatly aid
ed his very imperfect vision. The young
prince was born with nyopic astigmH
tism irregular near-sight). By Z
Mathematical calculation, based upos
the crude and heavy lenses he is sait
TO have finally worn, which are nov
in the British museum, his vision wa
found to be about one-twentieth Of nor
NAL sight.
He and the artisan were 50 impressH
with the possibilities as revealed by tn,
rough lens he had tried in the workshop
that the latter from that day gave hh
whole time, and the former all ths
thought be was capable Of exercising
to this work.
The name of this Frenohman is not
known, although be was probably the
first optician. When CHARLES was ne,
called to England and crowned as
Charles II. he took this artisan with
him, together with severel others that
I}S ua11 lVu1o AZ IIaHCc>
After establishing his London work.
shop without regard to- cost he ran.
sacked all Europe for still other artisans
In glass, until he had secured about 20
1t is said that as many AZ 5000 lenses
were :mads In this shop for the king.
eyes before he got what he Wished and
what gave him perfect vision. His gay
and dissolute courb at once followed his
by attempting to wear glasses,
regard to their necessity, but
IS a majority Of them were young. and
had not overworked their eyes as stu.
dents do in this age. glasses were az
rule unnecessary. -.
The fashion originated from a neces.
zfty. and the king met it through hii
persistence and the sacrifice of many
of pounds sterling and with
many thousand trials through art alone
The science of refraction was not her
in its present state of perfection to di
rect the artisan how TO grind lspees
10 fit the kings eyes at one effort; in.
Iced, It did not then exist. This fash.
ON soon became fad, with disregard
10 the peculiar necessity that originated
t; yet without science to direct them
what to grind. the artisans became rich
lot only in English pounds, but in ex
perienee of mechanical optics.
The way was thus paved for the al.
most perfect science Of optics that now
,xists, as well as the art Of grinding
enses. ",ris an Ill wind that blows
nobody good" The good, accidentally, |
{ would seem, that followed Clrarlsy's |
.xile to France has been worth many |
lines over the loss of his fathers head, |
.he fear Of the same result TO himself |
having been his incentive to fight.-St, |
Louis Republic.