Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1904-03-24
FAITH IN EYE STONES
FOREIGNERS USE THEM TO REMOVE
SPECXS FROM THE EYE.

SPECkS FROM THE EYE.
The Way the stones Travel and Do
Their CIcun~inE Work-They Are
CnIcareous Concretions and Are
Obtained From the Crnwfish.
The druggist was examining dozen
email objects that looked like tiny
brown and white agate marbles split
In half when one of the men who had
bought cigars asked him what they
were.
They are eye stones" said the drug
gist, with a smile.
Great Scottw cried the man who
was supporting the cigar case. do
you mean to say that you keep those
thingsT
"Yes," said the druggist, and there
was note of sadness in his voice: I'VE
keep them. We keep them because we
can't sell them.
I'm a store like this he continued
after a moments reflection, there isn't
much demand for them. but in place
where foreigners form the majority of
the customers these stones. like leeches,
sell like hot cakes. III you get some
thing in your eye you monkey with 1t
for awhile, and then If 1t won't come
out you go TO an oculist. That's the
way it is with most people nowadays
but the foreign born residents-the
Italians. the Hungarians, the Slavs and
Poles and some of the others-have so
much faith in the virtue of these stones
they HE themselves TO drug stores and
get eye stones.
"You know and I know that In these
stones themselves there is no life, but
you can't convince some Of these for
eigners OF that fact. They insist that
because the stones travel around In a
persons eye, or, rather, under per-
sons eyelid, they must have life.'
IT is true that IL a manor a woman,
for that matter-puts an eye stone un-
der bis or her eyelid 1t will travel but
that is not because there is any life In
these things. 1t is due entirely to the
action Of the eye. AS the eye turns 1t
moves the stone, and 1t Is that which
makes it travel When you put one
Of these things 20 your eye the stone
becomes sticky from the moisture, and
as it travels it brushes against any
thing that may be on the eyeball. Now,
IL this foreign substance Is a speck OF
dust or something that isn't embedded
in the ball 1t will adhere to the sticky
stone and come out with Ii.
with some of these foreigners there
Is nothing that is more serious than the
getting of something In their eyes and
the using of these stones 1t Is all very
solemn to them. They seem to think
that they cannot use these stones un-
less they go to bed and tie up their
heads. AS soon rs one of them puts
an eye stone under his eyelid he places
a lot of bandages over his eye and lies
down. If the stone behaves as any self
respecting eye stcne should behave, 1t
travels about the eyeball, making a
complete circuit, and works its way
out, and II 1t does its work in the prop
er way It brings with IL whatever may
have been In the eye unless. as / said
before, the substance is imbedded there,
that case the stone won't bulge Ii, but
that fact doesn't shake the confidence
OF some Of these foreigners. III 1t means
anything to them, II is simply the fact
that the stone IL mo good aud that IL
generally taken as proof that the drug
gist who sold II is skin
"There Is no doubt that In many
cases these stones do all that is expect
ed Of them. but few persons aside from
he
there are other and quicker ways OF
getting rid of whatever there may be
In ones eyes. 1t usually takes q long
time for one of these stones to get
around an eye, and, while II doesn't
hurt 10 have II there, the troublesome
speck remains on the ball and keeps up
Its fine work all the time that you are
waiting for the eye stone TO do Its stunt.
As n general thing. II is simple mat
ter to remove any foreign substance
from n persons eye. IT you catch hold |
OF the eyelash and draw the lid down |
and out and then roll the eye, It's dol |
lars to doughnuts that you will soon be |
rid OF the pain producing atom. and IL |
that fails IL In generally easy to re-
move the speck with the corner OF a
IL that doesn't work. |
any eye stone isn't likely to be OF much |
uso. and In such n case wise person |
will 70 to nm oculIst for relief But |
some OF the foreigners won't do that |
until they have tried not only one but |
several eye stones. and then. as | said |
before, IL the things don't work II IL
the druggist aud not tho stones that |
are to blame"
"lts years and years." said one of |
tho listeners, "slnce saw one OF these
stones. and ! don't know how long IL |
II since ! have hcnrd OF them. What J
kind Of rock nrc they made OFF,
"Rockr said the druggist. ms II he |
wasn't quite sure whether his ques- |
toner was foollng or not. Rock! Why, |
they are not made of rock, I've heard |
II said that they are really crab eyes
and that they come from the Mediter-
ranean, but II you look In nm encycio- |
pedia you viii sec that they are calca-
reous concrctlons-in other words, con
crctlons containing limc-nnd that they
nre produced In the moltlng season be
tween the inner aud outer stomach
coats OF the cwwfish. I've seen them
when they were no larger than the i
head Of good sized pin. and then I've (
Been others Tint were ns broad ns your
thumb nail and almost as thick M your
finger. They are not bad things 10
have, but If get arythlpg Ia my eye
well, I'll 70 10 an ochASt."
"Nume here 4" ani1 unp of tha audi.
tors. Newark News.