The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1897-02-18
ORIGIN OF EYEGLASSES.

They Were the Find Of Hing 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 ere developed every day
as the oculist progresses with his
studies.
Now that the study has advanced far
it n interesting to look back upon the
work which has been accomplished
. 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 dis
oovery was due to an accideut and the
fact that q 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 indplent and dissolute
life in Cologne he met an expert artisan
in glass, and accidentally looking
through small iens belonging to this
workman he found that it greatly aid
cd his very imperfect vision. The young
prince was born with myopic astigma-
tism irregular near-sigh&). BY q
mathematical calculation, based upon
the crude and heavy lenses he II said
to have finally worn, which are now
in the British museum, his vision was
found to be about onetwentieth Of nor
NAL sight. :,
with the possibilities a. revealed by the
rough lens he had tried in tho 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 re-
called 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 work
shop without regard to cost he ran
sacked all Europe for still other artisans
in glass, until he had secured about 90
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 perfect vision. His gay
and dissolute court at once followed his
example by attempting to wear glasses,
without regard to their necessity, but
asa majority of them were young, and
had not overworked their eyes as stu
dents do in %his age. glasses were as a
| rule unnecessary.
The fashion originated from q neces-
| sity. and the king met it through his
persistence and the sacrifice OF many
thousands Of pounds sterling and with
many thousand trials through art alone.
The science of redraction was not then
In its present state of perfection to di.
rect the artisan how to grind lenses
to At the kings eyes at one effort; in.
deed. it did not then exist. This fash.
ion soon became fad, with disregard
to the peculiar necessity that originated
It; yet without science to direct them
what to grind, the artisans became rich
not only in English pounds, but in ex.
perience of mechanical optics.
The way was thus paved for the al.
most perfect science OF optics that now
exists, as well as the art of grinding
lenses. "."ris an i'll wind that blows
nobody good" The good, accidentally
II would seem. that followed Charley'l
exile to France has been worth many
times over the loss Of his fathers head
the fear Of the same result to himsel1
having bean his incentive to fight.-9t
Ins,ts Reno,hlic