The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1910-04-19
HOW EYESTONES ACT
Their Movements When Placed
In Lime Juice or Vinegar.
HAVE APPEARANCE OF LIFE.

NS'c o@s CN0tNeo ot OooSaSt WIKI
the Liquid Aeid-The Cleansing Proc
ess In a Journey Over the EyebaIl.
from a drawer and emptied from Il a
few tiny objects that looked IKE dat
round bits OF polished bone. He pick
ed up one and handed II over for I'm
spection. One side Of II was marked
with numerous coneentric grooves.
That is an eyestone." said the drug
gist. he poured a tablespoonful or sc
or liquid out OF a bottle into saucer
Ike dish and diluted II with water
And this" said he. lis weak solu
ton OF lime juice" The druggist tool
one OF the eyeStones and placed It II
the solution. Presently II began &c
move as II 1t were alive. Il made ~.
way slowly about In different dircc
lions in the liquid 10 mysterious
manner.
That strange movement OF the eye
stone" said the druggist. when plac
ed I'm weak solution Of lime Juice OF
vinegar has given rise among Ignorant
and supersuuous people to the notion
that Il has life and that II loves vine.
gar and loves to swim I'm Il above all
things. But there is no more life in an
eyestone than there Is In a paving
stone II IS composed OF calcareou.
material and when placed In the solu
tons named is made to move about b,
carbouic acid gas. which is evolved b,
contact With the liquid acid.
These little stones and all genuine
eSestoues once were the front doors
so 10 speak. OF the shells of n little
molluScous animal that lives along The
South American east coasts whe shell
or that little creature is univalve
This calcareous formation Is on tn,
tip end OF the molluSk. and when il
draws itself into It's shell to escap,
danger or 20 TO sleep the end. OF
course. IS the last part that Is drawn
into the cavity or mouth OF the shell
where 1t cts so closely aud Is so bar,
that II affords perfect protection {,
the animal against its enemies from
without
The natives collect these little moi
lusks In large numbers for no otnel
purpose than to secure the eyestones
as we call them. and they hold thea
in great awe. believing them to pos
sess supernatural attributes Sailor.
on the vessels engaged in the trul
trade With those regions obtain IN,
stones from the natives aud br:n,
them here for sale 20 the whoiesai,
druggists, and there was a time whei
the demand for them generally wa
quite large.
There is nothing better TO remov,
foreign substances from the eye thai
one Of these South American eve
stones. which use is what gives then
their name. Many people think tha
before using them II is necessary &
put them 10 vinegar to give then
life. but II is not necessary at an
The stone is inserted az one corner O
the eye. with the grooved side next {,
the lid. The pressure OF the eyebal
forces II 20 move about IN the eve. an,
the grooves collect the foreign matte
and retain IT, After making a thor
ouSh circuit OF the eye the stone vii
come out at the corner next TO IN
nose No inconvenience is caused h,
~
There are other eyestones. In ~
head OF our common crawfsh Their
are two little bones. Just back OF an,
beneath the eyes, which resemble IN
South American eyestones. about tn
only difference being that they ar
smooth all over Instead Of grooved OF
one side. These crawfish bones ar
known as eyestones and are used a
such In the west, but they have nou
| Of the virtues of the real eyestone
Their proper name is crab stones Ii
Poland and parts Of Russia quite
trade is found In the collecting o
these crab stones. The crawdsb ar
taken and buried in deep pits. wher
they are left TO die and rot. The refus
Is then washed and the stones ar
picked out They are not used II
those countries as eyestones. but ar
taken Internally, faith IN their bench
cent stomachic properties being great
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