The Meeker herald., 1911-04-08
An Experiment
3, R. PEMeERToN sLADE
Copyright. $50. By American Press
Association.

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taking my constitutional one after
noon on the upper deck lady sitting
In q steamer chair accosted me.
81 believe you are the ships medical
man." she said.
II am" I responded. raising my cap.
"If you will kindly sit by me I will
tell you Of an operation / am thinking
Of having performed"
l dropped in the vacant chair be-
side her. and she began.
any eyes are a natural freak" she
said. "You will perceive that my
Wight eye II black and my left Is steel
color. l. being woman. am very SEN
sitive to my personal appearance. Now.
! wish to talk with you Of the FEAST
bility Of making. my eyes the same
color"
'That 10 impossible" said decid-
edly.
"whyr'
"why-why. because 1t is impos-
sible.''
81 have thought much Of the mat
ter and have conceived q plan by
which think It can be DONE
"Your Do you know anything about
surgery Of the eyer
mot professionally"
"Then why do you aspire to sug
rest q process that an educated &C.
ulist would not even considerT
'.Recause believe 1t is possible"
Thinking the woman might be in
sane, looked her In both eycs-for
the eye is a telltale on insanity-but
suspected.
"Yery WE'LL" I said. "what is your
processY'
II propose to tattoo my gray eye
with India ink"
Twas at first disposed to smile at the
idea. but 1t soon occurred to me TINT
II the India ink could be placed be-
meath the surface o; the cornea. as
It may be tattooed under the skin
Nonsense! Does not the pupil contract
and dilate? When much contracted 1t
would leave a ring of the original col
OF.
"My dear young lady" l said. "your
scheme IL preposterous."
Nevertheless shall try It."
"And lose your eye"
'That Is my only fear. But have
decided to take the risk"
Finding It impossible to dissuade her
or induce her even to walt till she
reached port. where she could be
knocked out Of her crazy idea BY an
oculist, In order to save her from the
probable consequences Of her expert
ment said:
..rhe cornea Of the eye il not sensi-
tive. Indeed. it is really casing to
the eye. something like an onion.
Now. would suggest. since you Will
not listen to reason. that tattoo some
harmless fluid Of the proper color on
the eye 40 near as possible to the pu-
Dill. True. It will soon be absorbed.
but It will be q test to guide US as to
whether 1t will be safe to repeat the
operation with 4 durable filling."
"How long will this experimental
fuid remainY' asked the lady.
Several days perhaps. possibly
longer"
.4The very thing! VIII you perform
the operation?''
"Nos unless you refuse to promise
that you will not do 1t yourself"
81 certainly shall do 1t myself unless
you consent to do 1t for me-"
"Well, then. whenever you are ready
come to my ONCE"
The lady did not come to me till the
day before we were due In port. 1t
seemed absurd to attend to matter
about which there was not the slight
est necessity for haste. and l made
strenuous attempt to persuade her to
defer the operation till after she had
landed. But she resolutely persisted
In her intention to perform 1t herself
before a glass II declined. and. know
ing that this. especially on rolling
ship. might result in the loss Of the
eye. I finally gave in.
Taking a lot of needles, tied them
into a bundle. dipped them into
harmless vegetable preparation and
tapped the eye with their points ever
90 lightly. This kept up till the
surface to be covered was 30 nearly
of the hue Of the other eye that the
difference could not be easily detected.
The next day when the lady went
ashore she was profuse in her thanks
and volunteered to advise me Of the
success of the experiment. told her
I should be interested to hear 1t.
though, to tell the truth. I never ex-
pected to hear from her again. regard
ing her one Of those many cranks who
appear to be perfectly sane. but In
whose makeup some screw is loose.
A couple of weeks later received
letter, the handwriting Of which was
not familiar to me. Indeed, It bore
evidence of having been disguised. 1t
read:
NJ Dear Doctor-r am happy to report
10 you that the experiment was admira-
..n days. which was all that was required.
,rha customs ofiicers had q description OF