The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-19
ALL ABOUT GLASS EYES
CORRECTION OF SOME POPULAR Err
RORs CONCERNING THEM.
They Are So Perfectly Made and Ad-
justed as TO Deceive Close Observ-
ers-HumOrOus Incidents.


sat opposite to himself and friend was
gazing towards us with an air of stupefied
arnazement. The narrator nervously adj
JUST ed his necktie, felt his collar and had
a general feeling of uneasiness until he
became convinced that the obese strangers
gaze was transfiXed by some popularity of
his companions appearance. A side-long
look at once revealed the cause A fly had
lighted on the ball of the narrator's COM
panions right eye, and although the insect
was fiendishly plying it's tichlers the man
never winked nor WINGED, but continued
chatting gayly as though he rather
joyed the diabolical antics of pestiferous
insects. Is it any wonder that the passen-
ger was alarmed? Singular situation!
Laughable The mans right eye is of
glass.
Many of you have known men for years
who carried glass eyes and you never sus-
pected that they had any visual trouble,
except a slight optical defect, until they
have voluntarily told you the truth. But
nowadays this is not considered strange.
The duplication of the human eye in form,
color, notion in everything except the
sight itself is one of the great trumphs of
modern art. From all time men who have
lost of their organs of sight seem to
have made some attempt to remedy the de-
fCrmity. Efforts were even made to i'm
prove the appearance of the human corpse
as is shown by some of the Egyptian num-
mics. Among various peoples use has been
made of gold, brass and porcelain in the
construction of artificial eyes, but until the
early portion of the eighteenth century their
wearers must have found them very unsat-
isfactory About that period the French
found that by a combination of glass and
enamel the requisite lightness and finish
could be secured. From that discovery the
manufacture progressed gradually until it
attained it's present state of perfection To-
day one need be seen with eyelidS Sunken
in and wearing that totally blank express
sion of countenance which is the inevitable
accompaniment of an absent eye.
IS NOT A SPHERE.
The popular idea is that the artificial
eye is in the form of a sphere and COM
pletely fills a cavity after the removal of
the natural organ. In point of fact, the
glass eye has about the same shape as a
portion of an eggshell cut off very close to
the smaller end. The scheleratic part or
the white of the glass eye, is one-fortieth
of an inch thick while the cornea, or the
colored portion, is one-twentieth of an inch
thick. The use of the enamel gives a per-
fectly smooth surface, under which are
eye, the minute veins seen covering the
white portion The cornea has very slight
elevation, and in color can be made to
match any orb. The edge of the glass is
sometimes ground and used without any
further finish. Ground edges are liable to
produce irritation. The best glass eyes are
those which have dellcately enameled edges
presenting, even under the microscope, no
roughneSS of surface in any part. The most
favorable condition for the use of a glass
eye is that in which the organ still remains
hn n oh Oh nlrnr, and n
stroyed for all purposes of sight In the ma
Jority of cases the OculiSt tries upon the
patient first an eye smaller than the size
required to mate with the sound eye. This
Is especially necessary when the parts
still tender. In a short time this may be
removed and a larger substituted until the
required size is arrived at If there be a
sufficient portion of the natural organ re-
naming it is impossible to distinguish the
glass eye from its mate.
The remedying of deformity is among
the slightest of the advantages resulting
from the use of the glass eye. If the organ
be lost before the patient is fully grown an
artificial one will prevent contraction of
the eyelids. 1t obviates the discomfort and
irritation produced by the turning in of the
foreign bodies and prevents the accumula-
ton of tears in the orbit Great care is re-
CURED by any one wearing an artificial eye
1t must be removed frequently and thor
oughly cleansed and then dried with lint or
soft cotton. If it is placed in cold water
the change in temperature is very apt to
crack and rOughen the enameled surface
After being worn some time particularly if
1t be subjected to anything which APP
proaches careless handling, the fine gloss
will disappear. The eye is liable to injure
the inner skin of the lids, and either new
od must DE Secnred or When possible the
often done at slight expense, and the eye
be put in as good condition as when first
purchased. The cost of an artificial eye
varies from $40 to SIS. This may seem a
high price, but it is rendered necessary by
the varied and extensive stock the oculst
fS nIAl iCrnd IN
variations produced by color, formation
and cause of destruction to the eye is so
great that even with thousands of glass
eyes in stock it is often necessary to manu-
facture one expressly to suit a patients
needs.
FEW FACTORIES.
Comparatively speaking there are few
glass eyes used. Philadelphia, large as it is,
has no mandatory of the article. There
are only one or two in New York, which
can supply nearly all those used in this
country France and England make a large
number, but their trade is principally con-
fined to Europe. In fact, the makers in
this country can turn out as good if not
better work than their competitors over the
water and have an equally good reputation
Like anything else which is at all out of
the ordinary run, particularly in the
anatomical line, the glass eye has had mer-
ry onSlaughtS made upon it by the wits
lou nave all nedrQ JndL ancient story OF
the missionary who, when his cannibalistic
parishionerS were making extensive prepa-
rationS to parbOil and fricaSSee him, aston
ished them by taking out his eye. dropping
a leg, drawing all his teeth and scaIpng
himself. An actual occurrence, however,
which was something on that order took
place in washington on the occasion of one
CT Sitting Bulls visits to that city. Among
his companions was Kah-Wa-Toh (the One
Eyed an energetic and prominent chief
tain Of the Sioux nation His left eye had
been destroyed in fight with some of
Uncle Sans boys. The chief had left be-
hind him on the reservation two squaws
and his four sons. The boys were quite
young, but had already displayed an apti-
tude for following in their sire's path as
warriors, which filled him with great hopes
of their future advancement. On the sec
ond day of their stay in Washington, he and
a number of other chiefs, among whom was
Sitting Bull himself, were seeing the sights
and were introduced to a prominent Repub-
lican official of the Patent Office. He was
a wearer of an artificial eye-the left eye
and, thinking he would astoniSh the saw
ages, took it out They gathered around,
and through the interpreter piled him with
questions. He explained how it worked and
said further that it was the mark of the
highest distinction N the art of war. Chief
Kah-Wa-Toh was the most interested one of
the party. and upon the white men standing
near confirming the officials words asked
where he could obtain one. He was referred
to DIR. George c. Weisenhaft. The next day
he called upon the physician and asked to
have an artificial eye made for him. 1t
took some time before the operation was
concluded his eye had been destroyed a
long time. DR.. Weisenhaft was compelled
to answer numerous questions which his
patient put to him. to whether a sound
eye could be removed and an artificial one
substituted. He answered in the affirma-