The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-01-17
ORIGIN OF EYEGLASSES.
They Were the Find of King Charles 1
of England.

They Were the Find of King Charles II
of England.
The study of the eye is one of the most
intricate known to science, and yet one
Of the most enchanting and absorbingly
interesting to those who pursue it with
any degree of success. New beauties and
wonders are developed every day as the
oculist progresses with his studies.
Now that the study has advanced far it
is interesting to look back upon the work
which has been accomplished-a mere
start in the study. The time was when
there was no aid to detective vision, and
very few who now use glasses ever dreamed
that their discovery was due to an accl-
dent and the fact that a crowned head was
near sighted.
When young Charles Stuart, afterw ard
Charles ii OF England, escaped to France
with his head he became pensioner OF
the great Louis XIV. While living his
indolent and dissolute life in Cologne he
met an expert artisan in glass, and acct
dentally looking through a small lens be-
longing to this workman he found that it
greatly aided his very imperfect vision.
The young prince was born with myopic
astigmatism irregular near-slghI). By a
mathematical calcul alton, based upon the
crude and heavy lenses he Is SAID to have
finally worn, VIII ch are now in the British
Museum, his vision was found to be about
one-twentieth of normal sight.
He and the artisan were so impressed
with the possibilities as revealed by the
rough lens he had tried in the workshop
that the latter from that day gave his
whole time, and the former all the thought
he was capable of exercising, TO this work.
The name OF this Frenchman is not
known. although he was probably the first
optician. When Charles was recalled 10
England and crowned as Charles IL, 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 twenty. It 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
perfect vision. His gay and dissoIute court
at once followed his example by attempt
ing to wear glasses. without regard 10 their
necessity, but as a majority of them were
young, and had not overworked their eyes
as students do In this age, glasses were as
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 its present
state of perfection to direct the artisan
how to grind lenses to fit the Kings eyes
at one effort; indeed, it did not then exist
This fashion soon became fad, with dis
regard to the peculiar necessity that origi-
mated it; yet without science to direct
them what to grind, the artisans became
rich. not only in English pounds, but in
experience of mechanical optics,
The way was thus paved for the aim st
perfect science of optics that now exists,
as well as the art of grinding lenses. IT'S
an III wind that blows nobody good" The
good, acciG zen tally. it would seem, that fol.
lowed Charley's exile to France has been
worth many times over the loss of his
fathers head, the fear of the same result
to himself having been his incentive to
fight.-Exchange