The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-09-25
HIS FACE ARTIFICIAL.
Surgical Work Concealed by Plate
Attached to- spectacIes

attached to- spectacIes.
ST. LOUIS, Mo-, Sept. 24.-Charles A.
Eichelberger, an insurance agent, is the
possessor of one of the most remarkable
faces ever seen. Mr.. Eichelberger wears
glasses, which Is nothing unusual, but
when he removes them large section of
his face-an artificial part-cOmes with
them, thus revealing a large aperture
where originally his left eye reposed. Mr..
Eichelberger appeared to greatly enjoy
the establishment of a reporter in whose
presence he exhibited his artificial ac-
QUESTION. With his glasses On Elchel-
bergers defect would not be noticed
little over six years ago the I'M
fortunate agent was troubled with a
tumor back Of his eye which became
so troublesome that the growth had to
be removed This afforded relief for some
time, but another tumor formed, and In
September, 1885, it became necess airy to
| remove the eye. About the beginning of
the present year the tumor reanpeared
and the pressure on the brain became 50
severe that Mr.. Eichelbergers life was
despaired Of
A -geon was called in and pronounced
1t a case of fbrous sarcona He said
that third operation was necessary to
save the patients life EicheIbargar
was taken to the st. Louis hospital,
where preparations were made for the
very delicate operation The growth had
become SO large that it became necessary
to cut away a large piece of the skull
and cheek bone to get at the tumor
After the tumor was taken out skin
grating was resOrted to to conceal the
aperture. Cuticle was cut from the
patients face and turned back 70 cover
the orifice left by the removal Of the
eye. Pieces of>sllin We're also taken from
the patients left leg and successfully
grated on the face and around the eve.
The operation, which was entirely sue
cessful was regarded as a remarkable
one not only from the fact that so large
a growth had been taken from the brain
Without injury TO that organ, but also
as a unique piece of skin grating
Etchelberger, soon, recovered but the aw-
full appearance he presented interfered
seriously with his efforts to make a liv-
| ing. The hole in his head was so large
that it was impossible to have an arti-
fetal eye inserted, and besides so much
of the bone had been removed that there
was nothing to which an artificial eye
could be fastened. After considerable
study and consultation with different
opticians and physicians, Eiche berger
finally hit upon the plan OF setting the
glass eye in a plate and attaching 1t to
pair Of speCtacles. A number of devices
were tried without success, but finally a
professor in the st. Louis Dental college
succeeded in making a plate of hard rub
Der which would hold the eye and at the
same time conform so perfectly to the
outlines OF the face that it could not be
noticed.
he first made a wax cast of he side
Of Eichelbergers face and then made
the plate from the wax mould. Thu plate
is fully three by four inches ard extends
from the forehead to the middle CT the
cheek. When it was completed glass
eye was inserted which matched I1ichei-
berger's remaining eye exactly. Tie ser
vices Of an artist were then eng d and
the affair was colored to resemble the
skin. An eyebrow was painted upon 1t
and the plate was fastened to the
spectacles.