The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-08-08
MAN HAS 500 EYELAsHEs.
A Collection of Many Odd Facts Abou,
the Human Face.

Did it ever occur to you to inquire
why the eyeball of the eye is white?
The reason Is rather curious. The
blood vessels which supply it's surface
are so fine that they do not admit the
red corpuscles of the blood.
The eyeball is covered with coat
known as the "Tunica Sclerotica,"
which is amazingly tough and elastic
and covers the entire ball with the ex-
ception of the part behind where the
optic nerve enters, and of the cornea
in front. The pupil of the eye is a
deep hole filled by transparent lens
and fitted with a most exquisite ar
rangement of muscles which widen it
when the light is dim and narrow it in
a strong glare.
Do you know that you have
blind spot" in each eye? That is a
small portion of the retina is incapa-
bic of exciting the sensation of vision
when 1t receives the image of an OBJ
ject- This blind spot corresponds
with the artery lying in the center of
the optic nerve. BY a wonderful pro-
vision OF nature the blind spots do not
correspond when the eyes are directed
toward the same object, so they cause
no inconvenience, and, few beyond
doctors and opticians are even aware
of their existence.
Practically all persons are right-or
left-eyed. although they may not
know it. One eye is nearly always a
little stronger than the other, and con-
sequently it is used more. OF course
the difference in many cases is so
great that Is has to be artif1cially cor
rected. In many cases, too, the pupils
Of the two eyes vary quite consider
ably in size.
Short-sightedness, It has been
proved, is more common among peo-
pie with light-colored eyes than those
with dark. At the same time, among
gray-ryed persons are found those
with the most powerful sense Of vision
Of any.
Muscular fatigue of the eye can be
measured by the number of involun-
tary eyelid movements or blfnks made
per minute. Read by candle light or
other insufficient illumination and you
will find yourself blinking seven times
a minute. In ordinary gaslight you
blink about three times a minute, but
II you work in softened daylight or by
powerful yet shaded electric light your
eyes tire so slightly that you do not
blink mere than once in 80 or 35
seconds.
The eyelashes give most useful aid
in shading the eyes. The average per-
son has 100 to 1E0 hairs on the upper
lid, and 80 to 100 on the lower, or
say $50 TO 500 lashes in all.
The eyelashes are not permanent.
They are constantly falling out and
growing again, and are entirely re-
newed at least three times a year
vided with little oily secretion just
sufficient to keep the tears, which
wash and keep clean the eyes, from
overlooking.
dark. are very sure sign of a good
constitution and physical endurance.
III they are lighter than the hair they
indicate lack of vitality.
The nose, so far as appearance
goes. is the most important feature
of the face, and few people are aware
of how much its eventual shape de-
Ponds on character and profession.
At 10 a boys nose may be a pug
pure and simple, at Is 1t may be al
most Greek, and at rs it may have
developed a powerful bridge and be-
come practically Roman. Almost
every great general who ever lived,
from Alexander the Great to Well
noses.
1t is to the delicate nerves of smell
in the nose that we owe our appre-
citation of a well-cooked dinner and
fine wine. The palate has COMPARE
lively little to do with IT.
We have no special reason to be
proud of our ears. The human ear
is infinitely inferior to the movable
by the horse. by cattle, or even by
the rabbit or hare. Both men and
apes have lost the power of moving
their external ears. and -, there are
many SOUNDS Sucn as JA0 squeak or
a bat, which are absolutely beyond |
the compass of the human auditory |
apparatus. There is one peculiar |
point about the ears. Of all our |
features they are those most likely /
to be exactly similar in size and |
shape.
We have already mentioned that |
the two eyes of one individual are |
very seldom alike. The same may be
said of the face as a whole. Only . |
per cent of the whole human race are
possessed of absolutely symmetrical
faces. In "A persons out of 100 the