The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1897-06-02
A BIG MAGNET.
METAL PARTICLES EXTRACTED
FROM THE EYE BY ITS AID.
The Bit of Foreign Substance Flies
From the Eye as If Alive
Located by Same
Device.
.YHERE is in the New York Eye
and Ear Infrmary marvel
ous MAGNET Of sufficient

"YHERE is in the New York Eye |
and Ear Infrmary marvel
Gus magnet OF sufficient
6 power to lift sixteen pounds,
but its lifting power is as nothing
when compared to its gift for saving
the sight of human eyes. When
viewed as an eye instrument, it is a
giant in size, and, Indeed it is as pow
erful as giant is supposed to be, for
it takes 100 volts of electricity OF the
ineandescent light circuit to actuate
it, 1t is the strangest and one OF the
most reliable "sye doctors" to be
| found within the length and breadth
OF Manhattan Island, or anywhere else,
| for that matter.
Every metal worker, every iron
| worker, ever man who works where
particles OF metal Of any sort fly about
! Is likely 10 get such a splinter in hia
eye. Time was when that meant
blindness, for there is no operation
that ever becomes necessary to per-
form on any human organ which is
more delicate than an operation in
yolving the retention or loss Of the
eyesight.
One would think that magnet pos.
sessing sufficient electrical attraction
IL lift substance weighing sixteen
pounds, with twoinch contact,
would bring anything out of any eye.
1t SO happens that when an eye which
has become the unhappy possessor OF
fragment OF iron or steel is brought
near this magnet the presence and To-
cation OF the metal is Immediately
made manifest by bn]ging Of the
coats Of the eyebalI. This is the ex-
act spot located, and with the attrac.
ton continued at full limit the matter
of the extraction OF the particle be-
comes simple.
The magnet rests on q swivel, and
this swivel is placed on stand. The
magnet itself is twenby-four inches
from pole to pole.
Under the old method, il the parti-
Gle simply adhered to the surface OF
the eye it could be easily swept OFF,
after the eye had been cocainized, by
means of a little absorbent cotton,
twisted around probe or a wooden
, toothpick. It il when the particle Is
, deeply embedded in the eye, or has
forced It's way into that portion OF the
] orb known as the corneal tissue, be-.
{ cause OF striking the eye while hot,
that it becomes necessary to use IN.
{ struments or magnet.
: When patient comes to the doctor
: to be treated for an injury to the eye
he is seated in chair with heaarest,
z facing a good light. The doctor first
t steadies the eyeball with the thumb
! and fors6nger OF his left hand. Should
t he discover that the bit OF metal is
t very minute and not to be readily
t seen, he calls an assistant, who focuses
: the light upon the eye by means OF a
J. large six.incn reading lens. When he
. finds that the particle can be seen
c nicely he takes the gonge or the bis
r toury, the two dainty and yet terror
b izing instruments OF che eye specialist,
j. and with the point Of either he make;
i. an insertion beneath the particle, anf
g in moment, if the surgeon be skill
5. full, the metal is out upon the surface
It must not be understood that ths
use Of the magnet renders altogether
unnecessary the instruments referred
to. The attraction of the magne
j. causes the surface OF the eyeball be
y meath which the bit OF metal is LODGED
q to bulge out, showing the exact posi-
9 ton of tine particle. This is where tn
q surgeon finds it necessary to use thu
10 gouge or the bistoury, just as in al
IL operation where the magnet was no
u used. The advantage in this case
ae found in the fact that there is no della.
le or doubt as to the location OF the OF
~ Tending particle.
Up How is it when the particle merel.
Us aaheres to the surface of the eeyebal
er instead OF penetrating the tissue i
:, great degree? Eye md magnet ar
N brought into juxtaposition. The eye
"a ball is barred to the full extent OF th
lS electric. current. In less time than q
IS eve wrinkles the particle, asii endowe
CD with life, fairly leaps from the eyeba
IN to tue magnets surface. New Yor
al Herald.