Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1898-02-17
MAKING GLASS EYES.
More of Them In Use Now Than Ever Be.

More of Them In Use Now Than Ever Be.
The demand for artificial eyes, :"
said the proprietor of a glass eye
factory in New York to writer re-
Gently, was larger during the last
two years than I have ever known
it to be, and have been engaged in
the manufacture of the article in
question for the past quarter of
century. Last year we sold $4,000
artificial eyes, or an increase of
1000 over the previous year. Prior
to that our sales would not exceed
10000 annually. Therecent demand
indicates that more people are wear
ing glass eyes than formerly, and
one Of the chief reasons for this is
that the false articles are sold cheap
er and are made to resemble the
natural organs more perfectly now
than ever before. Hence the poor
who are compelled to wear glass
eyes have little difficulty in obtain
ing them, and rich people are less
sensitive about wearing the artifi-
cal product when necessary. Ten
years ago an ordinary glass eye cost
from IS to 81, while those made to
order with the pupil and the cornea
carefully colored, sold anywhere
from $12 to $50 Competition has
cut these prices down, until now an
ordinary eye sells for SIS and the
finer grades are worth from $40 to
$50, according to finish.
More gray eyes are manufactur.
ed than any other color, then comes
the blue and next the brown eye.
The call for black eyes is quite rare.
They are only made to order and
are seldom if ever kept in stock.
Ophthalmia hospitals are the largest
consumers of false eyes. These in.
stitutions buy in quantities, and
naturally obtain their supply at re.
duced rates. They generally pur.
chase the ready made eyes, which
are used on poor patients who are
not in financial position to be fas.
tidious either as to the quality OF
finish of the article. We have hun.
dreds of customers scattered all over
the country, for all of whom we
keep duplicates, ready to ship wheu
ordered. The best glass eyes do moi
last for more than year, owing tc
the action of such moisture as the
tear, the acids of which affect the
enamel, roughen the edges of the
surface, and very often cause pain.
full irritation of the eyelids.
"The process of manufacture is
interesting. In its initial stage the
eye is long, slender stick of en-.
amel, made of perfectly transparent
and fusible flint glass. This is put
into crucible and exposed to great
heat. Now the globemaker places
the enamel over a blowpipe supplied
with air, which is pumped by
machine into huge cylinder and
stored under water pressure. Then
under the careful manipulation OF
the workman the enamel tube is
formed into an oblong globe, just
the size and shape of the human
eye. Next it passes into the colorine
room, where correct tint is an.
piled to the summit of the globe,
and this is gently heated by small
flame and continuously rotated.
When it has assumed the correct
form of the iris, more oolorine
matter is added to represent the pu.
pill, and it is then covered by a thick
layer of crystal to form the cornea.
This done, the eye is cooled and
sent to the cutting room, where il
is formed into small hollow oval.
with irregular edges. These edges
are again heated and the eye allow
ed to cool slowly. This temperine
process toughens the enamel and
renders it less liable to break. The
finish work consists in polishing the
eye, and when this has been COM
pleted>it is ready for the market. -
Washington Star.