South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-11-17
MAKING GLASS EYES
so PERFECTED AS TO
DECEIVE BEH0LDERS

How are artificial eyes made p"
asks a writer IN recent number of
London Tit-Bits, and proceeds to
answer the question as follows
Before the war the only country
10 take up the industry seriously
was Germany, whence we we're i'm
lportiRg 10000 artificial eyes every
year.
These, with the few made in this
Ieountry, more than sufficed to meet
pre-waT needs but when our Tov-
erRment realized the demand taat
would have to be met in cOnsa-
quence of the war. a return was
made of all stocks held by opticians.
with the result that 10000 were ac-
counted for. That is 80. 600 foreign
made eyes, because, whilst the Ger
man practice was 10 manufacture
stock eyes by the thousand. Eng
lish makers only made an eye TO
match the surviving optic. The only
ENGLISH stock eyes consisted Of a
Negligible number OF insists
"A few other countries have
made eyes for US. IL not at us. no.
itably France, which produced a type
made Of India-rubbeF the iris be-
ling painted under the piece of
glass an the rubber to form the
cornea. The life of such eyes, how
ever was found to he considerably
shorter than that of the glass eye,
which will usually retain its bright
ness and naturalness for about two
Years
IL IS given TO few persons out
side the charmed circle OF makers
in this country 10 watch the artist
at work. Fixed on a table Is a
lhlow-lamP. worked by gas and air,
and lying within reach OF the Oper-
iator are numerous small toOls. The
raw materials consist of crystal
glass tubing and thin glass sticks
of eolOuring matter.
A length of tube is SO manipulated
over the flame that a bulb forms at
its extremity. Heated TO a given
Temperature the round end of this
bulb becomes opalescent and event
lually assumes the white OF the eve.
Then, hy means OF the skiIful use
lof the cOlOur-sticks. in a kind Of
lthread-like circle of figure Fights
the iris is formed. a def touch of
black I'm the center and the pupil
reveals itself.
presently the process has reach
ed a stage at which the bulb forma-
tion Is changed by concentrating the
flame upon that portion OF IL near,
est to the tube. First IL assumes
1.-THE shape somewhat resembling
small mushroom with long stem
Then the latter IS melted OF and the
general formation and interior of
the eye bear the appearance OF a
/ shell with certain parts thickened
1 by means OF special tools 10 form d
patented Arrangement, enabling the
wearer to control the eye and to
move II In perfect unison with the
action OF the real one.
BY this time the eye is complete
with the exception OF the cornea and
the very fine veins (to be observed
in most natural eyes The former
! consists OF a skilIfully applied layer
OF clear glass, and the latter are
put on with tiny threads OF red
glass. similar 20 that used I'm form
ting the iris The eve Is now finish
ed the operation having taken about
half an hour.
In all the world there is no more
misunderstanding eve made than IN
EAgland. In the case OF many pub
I lie men and women the fact that
they wear an artificial optic Is never
even suspected. How many. for in
stance of the thousands who listen
ed % Gen Booth in the later years
OF his life. imagined for a moment
that one OF his eyes was artificial?