,transcriber's ,note ,italic text displayed as3 italic ,,spectacle ,,secrets4 ,,by ,,george ,,cox4 ,,second ,,edition4 ,,london3 ,,published ,,by ,,the ,,author1 #abh1 ,,holborn ,,hill2 ,,and ,,sold ,,by ,,cox1 #ajj1 ,,newgate ,,street2 ,,hamilton1 ,,adams1 ,,co41 ,,paternoster ,,row2 ,,cox1 #e1 ,,barbican2 ,,and ,,by ,,all ,,booksellers ,,and ,,opticians4 #ahdd4 ,,basingstoke3--,,printed ,,by ,,robert ,,cottle4 ,illustration3 ,no4 #a4 ,illustration3 ,no4 #b4 ,illustration3 ,no4 #c4 ,anti ,pressure ,solid ,blue ,steel4 ,illustration3 ,no4 #d4 ,illustration3 ,no4 #e4 ,illustration3 ,no4 #f4 ,illustration3 ,no4 #g4 ,illustration3 ,no4 #h4 ,,preface4 ,every effort of human ingenuity professing to remove or lessen pain and inconvenience1 is1 naturally enough1 hailed with approbation1 and the public require not so much to be aroused to estimate fully the advantages proposed1 as to be guarded against implicit belief and heedless confidence in the value and importance of the remedy4 ,it is1 however1 of the utmost importance to be accurately informed what kind of benefit we may fairly expect from the use of the given means1 and to what extent this benefit may be obtained2 and yet the man who steps forward to state this plainly and fairly1 too often fails of the success which his undertaking deserves4 ,experience proves that such endeavours have been contemned by some1 looked upon with cold indifference by others1 and viewed with suspicion by nearly all4 ,we are too apt to suspect interested motives1 to doubt the sincerity1 and undervalue the abilities of men1 who have devoted their lives1 and the force of their talents1 to a particular pursuit2 and then1 as though this cunning incredulity was closely allied to implicit credence in the wildest chimeras1 we become ready listeners1 and passive victims1 to pompous and plausible charlatans1 who make the largest promises1 alike indifferent to the practicability or usefulness of their specifics4 8,it is a great mistake10 said an able ,english statesman of the last century1 8to suppose men harmless because they are blockheads2 the dunce thinks neither of country nor of consequences in the pursuit of his petty interests and passions1 which may1 and often do1 lead him to work the greatest public calamities40 ,i have refrained from advancing any crude theoretical opinions1 which might fairly be questioned4 ,the information conveyed in these pages is of a practical character2 has stood the purifying test of time2 and1 being based upon the immutable principles of optical science1 courts every enquiry and challenges all investigation4 ,my object has been to provide the public with a compendium of sound and standard information on this most interesting and essential subject1 in order that1 possessing themselves of the truth1 and becoming conversant with the real merits of the question1 they may no longer be the victims of ignorant1 designing1 and knavish speculators1 who so mercilessly practise on their credulity4 ,i have freely availed myself of facts and observations with which ,i have become familiar in the course of my own experience and connexion with an establishment of more than one hundred years' standing1 and1 at the same time1 have endeavoured to condense in one publication the essence of many voluminous treatises4 8,it is only by condensing1 simplifying1 and arranging in the most lucid manner possible1 the acquired knowledge of past generations1 that those to come can be enabled to avail themselves to the full of the advanced point from which they will start40 ,i have only to add1 that though ,i would not desire to offend the critical acumen of any of my readers1 yet1 having but little leisure1 and those moments of rest being snatched from the busy whirl of commercial pursuits1 ,i have been much more anxious to give solid information in language universally understood1 and divested of technicalities1 than to employ nice set terms1 chosen to please the critic's curious ear4 ,,george ,,cox4 ,the first edition of this work having found a ready sale1 spite of all the opposition and abuse lavished against it by the itinerant opticians1 ,i have reprinted it with such improvements as the kindness of friends and my own experience have suggested4 #abh1 ,,holborn ,,hill1 ,,london1 ,january1 #ahdd4 ,reviewers' ,opinions of this ,work4 8,the information which this little book contains is really very good and very applicable to the instruction both of the short-sighted1 who never reflect before they buy1 and of the very long-sighted1 who1 from excess of cunning in the search of great bargains1 are1 like our friend ,moses in the ,vicar of ,wakefield1 open to very gross impositions in the matter of spectacles and their very chagrin cases4 ,those who are not opticians or oculists will do well to read the book before they commit themselves in the purchase of glasses either from itinerant or stationary quacks4 ,but this is not all3 though a simple monograph of the frauds of one trade1 the book may be generalized into 8a manual of the whole art of puffing10 and an exposure of the silly credulity of the public in all its branches4 ,mr4 ,cox also discloses some of the machinery of newspaper puffing in a way which almost tempts us to claim it as 8our thunder10 it is so much in unison with our published opinions on the subject40 ,athenum4 8,in this well-written work ,mr4 ,cox has given a popular description of the eye1 and the adaptation of spectacles to correct constitutional defects or organic disease3 by attention to a few simple rules which he lays down1 any one may effectually fortify himself against the artful representations of dishonest dealers in spectacles 8made to sell40 ,the public is indebted to ,mr4 ,cox for having exposed the tricks of the insidious marauders in several towns in which they were practising their impositions1 and his tract contains some correspondence between him and several eminent surgeons1 from which it appears that they had been represented as vouching for pretended improvements in spectacles1 of which they either knew nothing at all1 or with regard to which they themselves had been deceived by the fraudulent pretenders40 ,christian ,advocate4 8,this is a useful little work1 treating on a subject of universal importance--namely1 defining the laws by which deficiency of sight can be assisted1 founded on scientific principles1 and aided by extensive observation in a long practice2 we would recommend a perusal of the pamphlet to such as are about to seek the aid of the maker of spectacles40 ,morning ,advertiser4 8,this little brochure is correct1 ingenious1 and useful3 moreover1 it is valuable as exposing the gross ignorance1 impostures1 and frauds of ,jews1 pedlars1 and other locomotive quacks4 ,the humbug of amber spectacles1 coloured pebbles1 clarified crystals1 c41 is here thoroughly exploded4 ,altogether the information in this pamphlet is well deserving of attention40 ,aldine ,magazine4 8,an amusing exposure of the puffing and swindling systems pursued by some self-styled opticians1 from which besides may be gathered a good deal of sound1 practical information40 ,era4 8,if every body's sight were impaired1 we should strongly hope that this little treatise would become universally known2 but as we have reason to believe there are some people in the world who can see a little1 we shall only address ourselves to the former1 to whom we can confidently recommend the perusal of this talented work4 ,besides a great deal of necessary and sound information on the use and nature of spectacles1 we find a number of exposs of the tricks pursued by many unprincipled persons styling themselves opticians1 which is put forth by the author in a very distinct manner40 ,blackwood's ,lady's ,magazine4 ,,contents4 ,,chapter ,i4 ,page4 ,invention of ,spectacles and ,burning ,glasses #a ,examination of ,opticians--,artful ,impositions #b ,duke of ,wellington and the ,bubble ,schemes #d ,basis of ,optical ,knowledge--,physiology of the ,eyes #f ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,failure of ,sight and the ,application of ,spectacles #aj ,lenses--how to determine their ,focal ,lengths #ab ,brazil ,pebbles--,periscopic and ,parallel ,lenses--,process of #ac ,working--,tests of ,quality--and ,experiment #ad ,railroad ,spectacles--,neutral ,tint ,shades #af ,country-made ,spectacles--,trial ,box of ,sight #ah ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,a ,visit to the ,optician--,rules for selecting ,spectacles #ba ,spectacle ,frames--,russian ,remedy for ,short ,sight #bd ,solid ,blue ,steel ,spectacles #bf ,anti-pressure ,spectacles--,single ,eye ,glasses injurious #bg ,prices of ,spectacles #bh ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,specious ,quackery--,testimonial ,writers #cj ,amber ,spectacles analysed--,puffing ,advertisement #cc ,opinions of ,dr4 ,neill ,arnott1 ,dollond1 ,curtis1 c4 #cd ,absurdity and ,ignorance of ,puffing ,advertisers1 #cf ,,chapter ,v4 ,instances of ,gross ,imposition--,clarified ,crystals and ,coloured ,pebbles6 #cg ,naval and ,military ,officers--,definition of ,,law #ci ,ladies and ,spectacles--,persevering ,roguery #da ,an ,old ,clothes ,man ,metamorphosed #dc ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,specimens of ,puffing ,advertisements1 #dd ,royal ,patronage--,cataract ,alarmists #de ,abstract of ,act of ,parliament #df ,newspaper ,paragraphs1 #ej ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,provincial and ,metropolitan ,scheming #eb ,public ,cautions--,tricks at ,brighton #ef ,liverpool ,mercury--,parabolic ,cheats #fj ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,correspondence with the ,duke of ,wellington #fa ---- ,frederick ,tyrell1 ,esq4 ,j4 ,hodson1 ,esq4 #fb ,signatures of ,j4 ,soden1 ,esq41 ,j4 ,f4 ,ledsam1 ,esq41 ---- ,alexander1 ,esq4 #fd ,correspondence with ,robert ,keate1 ,esq4 #fd ,pretended ,discoveries1 ,humorous ,scraps1 c4 #ff ,,spectacle ,,secrets4 ,,chapter ,i4 8,science should be stripped of every thing that tends to clothe it in a strange and repulsive garb1 and especially every thing that1 to keep up an appearance of superiority in its professors over the rest of mankind1 assumes an unnecessary guise of profundity and obscurity1 should be sacrificed without mercy40--,,sir ,i4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,herschel4 ,spectacles and side-saddles1 we are quaintly informed1 became common in ,england in the reign of ,richard the ,second4 ,the ancients1 however1 knew the power of burning-glasses1 and one cunning rogue1 we are told1 discovered a new way to pay old debts1 by means of a round stone or glass used in lighting of fires1 with which he melted the bond1 written1 as usual in those days1 on wax4 ,their burning glasses were spheres1 either solid or full of water1 their foci were consequently very short and confused4 ,a long interval occurred before spectacles were constructed1 and three hundred years elapsed between the invention of spectacles and telescopes4 ,our eyes should have our nicest and most tender care1 since it is by them we are familiarized with objects of the most exquisite interest and beauty1 abounding on the earth we inhabit1 and in the starry firmament above us3-- 8,my soul1 while ,nature's beauties feast mine eyes1 ,to ,nature's ,god contemplative shall rise40--,,dodsley4 ,the faculty of sight should be estimated and regarded by us with more than ordinary care1 when we reflect that it is the medium through which the most exalted and gratifying impressions are received2 and our watchful regard to its healthful preservation and agreeable exercise is the more required from the consideration1 that while to its admirable organization and delicate sense of perception we stand so much indebted1 those very qualities render it extremely sensitive to injudicious treatment4 ,it would be a wholesome1 fair1 and proper regulation1 to restrain all from practising as opticians but those practically conversant with the production and application of lenses for the purpose of aiding the exercise of sight4 ,it is considered indispensable for the surgeon and medical practitioner to prepare for his profession by a course of study1 reading1 and practical operations1 and to be subjected to an ordeal where his capabilities are examined and tested4 ,such an arrangement1 though it may sometimes be abused1 guarantees to us practitioners who understand their duties2 and thus are the many 8ills which human flesh is heir to0 alleviated and subdued1 while those unfortunates who are practised upon by the empiric and miracle-monger1 have their calamities aggravated1 and their sufferings increased4 ,it is a question often mooted1 how far it is the duty of a just and equal government to interfere in such cases for the protection of its subjects3 this1 however1 is evident1 that whatever restrictive laws are framed1 if they are attempted to be enforced while a want of information prevails upon the subject1 the very people for whose benefit and protection they are introduced1 will1 likely enough1 view them with distrust and suspicion1 and1 until the imposition has been unmasked1 will look upon those who have assumed characters not their own1 as persecuted individuals1 entitled to their sympathy rather than their detestation4 ,it is by diffusing information1 and clearing away obscurity1 that we shall erect the best safeguard against delusion4 ,those who are ignorant are consequently credulous1 superstitious1 and undefended against the tricks and subtleties of the artful and designing4 ,if a book is published1 our opinion is almost insensibly influenced by what the reviewers say of it4 ,if a new association1 a company1 or enterprise of any kind is projected1 we look to the list of directors1 committee1 and patrons4 ,our education and universal custom induces us to pay deference to those whom we suppose to be possessed of superior information1 to be men of character and reputation1 and entitled1 from their position in society1 to be regarded with respect4 ,these legitimate feelings have been so poisoned and tampered with by those who have designedly entered into a conspiracy to hoodwink the people1 and share the plunder2 and again by the hardly less criminal apathy of others1 who1 without dividing the spoil1 have suffered the trickery to pass unexposed2 that professional and literary men cannot but perceive distrust and want of confidence in their decisions1 now becoming general among the reflecting and intelligent classes of society1 who see that they have been trifled with1 and treated as credulous dupes1 and that they really have no guarantee for the merits of a production1 the purity of a proposal1 or the honesty or propriety of any measure to which distinguished names and lofty patronage are appended4 ,the expos of the practices of the railway1 mining1 and other bubble schemes illustrates this truth2 and the secrets elicited during the discussion on ,mr4 ,serjeant ,talfourd's ,copyright ,bill1 clearly demonstrate how infamously the confidence of 8a generous public0 has been abused4#a ,the great and benevolent men who existed before us1 and devoted their time and contemplations to the interesting science of optics1 have fully and clearly demonstrated the laws which regulate the action of light1 the cause and effect of luminous phenomena1 and the principles upon which vision depends4 ,we have the conclusive and unvarying results of their numberless experiments1 performed under every modification of circumstances1 to guide us in establishing principles and rules of action1 which the studious and practical opticians of our own times have tested1 and1 ascertaining them to be free from error1 now adopt and act upon them4 ,the captious and consequential may complain of this admission1 as tending to detract from the importance with which they might otherwise be regarded2 but the optician1 who deserves that name1 is not anxious to array himself in borrowed plumage1 nor to appropriate as his own that which rightfully belongs to others4 ,granted that we act upon settled and incontrovertible philosophical principles1 is it not infinitely more gratifying to have the assurance of a correct result1 than to be for ever experimentalizing without arriving at a satisfactory conclusion8 ,the skilful surgeon and the talented engineer are guided in their operations by certain fixed and universal laws1 yet no one will dispute that to perform the duties of either of those professions requires much application1 skill1 and expertness4 ,precisely so with the optician of the present day4 ,he has fixed1 universal1 and certain data for his operations2 and it is upon his intimate knowledge of these1 and the careful and judicious application of them1 that his success depends4 ,when the healthy powers of vision begin to fail1 we feel a tender and anxious concern to perpetuate the enjoyment we find to be so intimately dependent upon the uninterrupted exercise of sight1 and are instinctively led to seek for a remedy4 ,much mischief will be avoided1 and misapprehension removed1 if we consider that in applying artificial aid to the eye1 we have to do with one of our most sensitive and easily deranged organs4 ,the human eye is composed of a series of humours and membranes3 the outer coating1 called the sclerotica 7a71 see ,plate1 ,fig4 #a1 is exceedingly strong1 and the muscles which move the eye are attached to it2 the white of the eye is a portion of this coating4 ,the cornea 7b7 arches out or projects from the eye-ball2 it is transparent1 and of a circular form4 ,the next coating to the sclerotica is called the choroides 7c72 it has no muscular motion except at its extremities1 near the front of the eye4 ,the iris 7d7 is next apparent2 it attaches itself to the sclerotica by a cellular substance called the ciliary circle 7e74 ,according to the colour of the iris the eye is termed black1 blue1 hazel1 c4 ,it is composed of two sets of muscular fibres1 the one tending1 like radii1 towards a centre1 the other forming a number of circles concentric with the same centre4 ,the aperture in the iris is called the pupil 7f72 it is always round1 but varies in diameter as the radial or the circular fibres of the iris are contracted or expanded1 according to the quantity and quality of light it is required to admit1 acting like a watchful centinel to regulate the amount of rays requisite to transmit a perfect and well-defined image of objects onwards to the brain1 which1 without its agency1 would appear one undistinguishable mass of confusion4 ,the chamber of the eye is darkened by the posterior surface of the choroid membrane having a lining of dark-coloured mucus1 called the pigmentum nigrum4 ,the last coating of the eye is the retina 7g71 a delicate and most important membrane in the construction of this noble instrument2 it is an expansion of the optic nerve 7h71 directly emanating from the brain2 and is spread like a net of exquisite delicacy all over the surface of the choroides1 terminating at the ciliary ligament4 ,it receives the images of objects by means of the rays of light that enter at the pupil2 it is transparent1 but appears black on account of the dark pigmentum behind it4 ,the optic nerve passes through a small aperture in the 8architectural dome0 containing the eye1 and it conveys the impressions made on the retina into the depository of the brain1 where the 8very form and spirit of the scene is now conceived40 ,it is situated a little on one side of the centre of the eye1 inclining towards the nose4 ,to describe more minutely the various fibres1 humours1 and ciliary processes of the eye1 or to enter more fully into its anatomical arrangement1 would be incompatible with the design of this publication1 which is intended for the 8general reader10 and therefore so simplified as that it is hoped he cannot fail to understand4 ,the three transparent humours enclosed by the coats of the eye1 viz41 the aqueous 7i71 the chrystalline 7k71 and the vitreous 7l71 are1 however1 too important to be passed over without some notice4 ,the aqueous 7i7 humour it is which gives a protuberant figure to the cornea 7b72 it has a refractive power1 similar to that of water1 which it also resembles in appearance4 ,the chrystalline 7k7 humour is more transparent than the purest chrystal2 its form is that of a double convex lens1 which it also resembles in its use1 as it converges the rays which pass through it1 from every visible object to its focus on the retina4 ,it is suspended in a fine transparent sheathing4 ,the shape or convexity of this natural lens alters occasionally1 and shifts a little backwards or forwards in the eye1 so as to adapt its focal distance from the retina to the different distances of objects4 ,the vitreous humour is situated at the back of the chrystalline1 filling nearly three-fourths of the globe of the eye2 it is surrounded by a thin capsule1 which sends off a number of membranous processes into the vitreous substance1 where they form cells1 which1 communicating with each other1 give a high degree of firmness and tenacity to the whole4 ,fig4 #b4 represents the eye at the time when spectacles are required1 the cornea1 or the chrystalline1 or both1 having lost a part of their natural convexity1 consequent upon age or constitutional weakness4 ,an object placed at the same distance from the eye as in the perfect eye1 7,fig4 #a71 has the focus carried beyond the retina4 ,a convex lens applied to the eye compensates for this loss of capacity1 and1 converging the rays1 corrects the focal distance1 and the image is now imprinted naturally on the retina4 ,the reverse of this takes place in the case of the short-sighted2 the humours being more convex than in the perfect eye1 the rays converge in a focus before they reach the retina4 ,a concave lens carries the focus further on1 and1 by its aid1 an object will be depicted perfectly on the retina4 ,no4 #d represents a plano convex lens--#e1 a double convex--#f1 a plano concave--#g1 a double concave--#h1 a periscopic or meniscus lens4 ,what grandeur and sublimity of contrivance is here blended with simplicity of action and power of expression6 ,how indispensable to a full appreciation of the bounties of nature and the beauties of art by which we are surrounded6 ,to be deficient of this heavenly gift is truly to have 8wisdom at one entrance quite shut out40 ,surely every consideration should influence us to treat this invaluable faculty with judicious care1 instead of allowing it to be tortured and trifled with by the ignorant and unprincipled4 ,having surveyed the general construction1 and glanced at the inimitable mechanism of those windows of the soul1 we shall be better prepared to understand the reasoning1 and to comprehend the principles upon which the science of optics is based4 ,those of my readers who have leisure to pursue this subject1 will find new light1 and more convincing illustrations attend their enquiry at every step4 ,it is a subject abounding in beauty and interest1 introducing us to new regions of sublimity and grandeur1 where the contemplative mind will assuredly find 8ample scope and verge enough0 to gratify its most exalted anticipations4 ,we have seen the admirable1 yet at the same time delicate contrivances by which the functions of the eyes are performed4 ,it cannot fail to have occurred to us1 that a machine so beautiful and complete is liable to derangement and improper treatment by the wayward and the ignorant4 ,if it is desirable that a person possessed of a well-constructed watch should understand its general action1 and know what treatment it should have to keep it in sound and underanged order1 still more essential is it that every individual should possess a clear and familiar knowledge of the nature of vision1 and understand the requirements of the eyes4 ,i cannot forbear indulging a sanguine hope that the circulation of this little manual will open the eyes of its readers to the simple facts of the case1 and animate them to think and judge for themselves1 instead of giving a ready ear to the marvellous and ridiculous tales1 which1 though1 like the sailor's tough yarn1 so often told that the cheat believes them himself1 are nevertheless utterly devoid of truth4 ,,footnotes3 #a ,in the month of ,august1 #ahch1 the solicitor to the ,duke of ,wellington waited upon ,sir ,frederick ,roe1 at ,bow-street1 in reference to the use which had been made of his grace's name by 8,the ,london ,equitable ,loan ,company40 ,a gentleman1 who was desirous of purchasing shares in the company1 seeing the ,duke of ,wellington mentioned as patron1 and that the account of the company was kept with the ,bank of ,england1 wrote to the ,duke to ascertain if it were true that he was connected with the concern8 ,the duke never had consented to become a patron1 but1 on the contrary1 when asked to do so1 answered that he was so situated that he could not comply with their request4 ,on receiving the communication the duke wrote to ,sir ,f4 ,roe1 to see what could be done to guard the public against any transaction which might be entered into in consequence of the use made of his name2 and in answer to a letter written by him to the ,bank of ,england1 he was informed 8that no such company was known there1 nor had they any account of the ,london ,equitable ,loan ,company40 ,the publicity given to this manuvre has no doubt saved many a family from enthralment and destitution4 ,,chapter ,,ii4 8,the subject is of universal importance1 since every man1 woman1 and child in the empire will probably require optical assistance40--,,abbott4 ,the eyes1 when in a sound and healthy state1 instinctively adjust themselves at a distance of twelve inches from a book or paper1 when they are observing the same4 ,this distance is found to be most natural and agreeable2 for when we extend it to sixteen1 twenty1 or thirty inches1 the chrystalline lens is stimulated to keep a distinct and clear perception1 until1 as the distance increases1 the object becomes less and less perceptible4 ,when we are compelled to extend this natural distance1 experience difficulty in reading small characters1 or find it necessary to get more light on what we are observing1 we may safely conclude that artificial assistance is needed1 and that1 judiciously applied1 the tendency to decay will be mildly arrested4 ,the design of spectacles is to supply the loss of power which is experienced by the eyes at different periods of life1 and arising from various causes4 ,these productions of art are constructed with a close observance to1 and act upon1 the same principles as those by which the process of vision is regulated4 ,spectacles ought not to do more than maintain or preserve to us the capability of seeing at the natural distance4 ,this is1 in fact1 all they are intended to effect4 ,when the chrystalline lens of the eye1 losing its convexity1 fails to converge the rays of light1 and bring them to their natural focus on the retina1 an artificial lens1 of suitable convexity1 supplies to it this capability1 and compensates for its gradual diminution of capacity4 ,thus lenses for assisting the sight are fashioned upon the optical principles so apparent in the mechanism of the eye itself1 which1 it will be observed1 is neither round nor flat1 but of that nicely moulded convexity which is indispensable for the performance of its functions4 ,if lenses were either spheres or planes they likewise would be ineffective for the purpose proposed4 ,there is not any material in existence beside pebble and glass1 which is calculated for spectacle purposes4 ,the pretended 8improvements10 8pellucid lenses10 8refractive transparencies10 8patent amber10 8chrystal preservers10 c41 are new-fangled terms1 coined to entrap the uninitiated4#b ,convex lenses are produced by a series of operations through which a glass or pebble passes1 as shaping out from the rough piece1 affixing them to the block or frame on which they are worked1 grinding their surfaces to the form and focus required1 in brass or iron tools of the curvature or radius corresponding4 ,thus to produce a glass or pebble of any given focal length1 we use a tool which is a portion of a sphere or globe of four1 five1 ten1 or any other given radius1 or half its diameter4 ,for spectacles usually required1 the focus of the pebble or glass1 thus fashioned1 varies from sixty inches down to five inches4 ,the focus of a convex or magnifying glass is ascertained very readily1 thus3 hold the lens near to a white surface1 as a sheet of writing paper1 pinned to the side of the apartment opposite to the window2 shift the lens gently backwards and forwards1 until the objects before it1 as the window frames1 flower pots1 or the ,venetian blinds1 are seen inverted upon the paper1 clearly and distinctly measure the distance from the paper to the lens1 and this distance is the focus3 or1 by placing a candle at the distance of twelve feet from the paper1 and measuring1 as before1 when the reflected image of the flame is shown most accurately on the paper1 we again have the focus denoted4 ,the one method is as much practised as the other2 though1 in ordering a lens of a given focus1 ,i would recommend a person always to state the method by which he has determined the focus2 whether by the sun1 or candlelight1 which will prevent any mistake arising from the disparity between the two plans pursued4 ,concave lenses are made upon the same principle1 and pass through similar processes4 ,they are designated by numbers1 thus3 a concave lens1 worked in a tool of four-inch radius1 is termed ,no4 #ab2 five-inch1 ,no4 #aj2 ten-inch1 ,no4 #f4 c4 ,to determine the radius or focus of a concave lens1 apply to its surface a convex lens of the same focus1 and holding the two together as one glass1 between the thumb and finger1 at some distance before the eye1 give the hand a gentle motion to and fro1 and if the objects looked at through the lenses now in contact appear fixed1 equal1 and of their natural size1 then is the focus of the one correspondent to that of the other2 but if the convex lens is not of the same focal length as the concave to which it is thus applied1 then all objects looked upon will appear to shake and have a tremulous motion4 ,another method of ascertaining whether one concave lens is of the same number1 and worked in tools of the same radius as another1 is to hold one in each hand1 placing their edges against each other1 with their centres in a parallel line2 now withdraw ten or twelve feet from the window1 and observe the top and bottom bars of a square of glass3 if they appear equal and uniform in all their parts1 parallel to each other1 and agreeing with the other squares in the window1 then are they of the same radius2 but if they do not match1 the bars will appear disjointed1 and higher or lower in one square than in the other4 ,the trial box of sights will be found very useful in making these experiments4 ,brazil pebbles1 or crystallized quartz1 are imported to this country in rough blocks2 these are cut or slit1 by the aid of pulverized diamond1 into slabs or pieces1 of the diameter required4 ,those pieces in which bubbles1 waves1 or blemishes appear1 are thrown aside by the optician who is tenacious of his fair fame1 as their imperfections become more apparent in every after-stage of their progress2 and when polished1 centred1 and shaped for the spectacle-frame1 they are really improper to be used at all2 nevertheless1 the needy1 or dishonest1 rather than lose a fraction of their gains1 often persist in working up such imperfect material1 and harping upon their being pebble--real pebble--palm them off upon the uninitiated as genuine articles4 ,pebbles have the following important advantages3 they are of equal density1 and exceedingly hard1 firm1 and clear2 their surfaces are not liable to become misty or scratched 7which circumstance alone often compels a change of glasses73 they are of a pure1 cool nature1 and shew this contrast to glass 7which is1 on the contrary1 produced by the action of artificial heat7 in the touch of the finger or tongue to their surfaces4#c ,they are1 in consequence of these properties1 calculated to suit the sight for a longer period than glass2 but they need not be thrown aside1 when1 from the indications already referred to1 we find an increase of magnifying power is required1 as they can be re-worked readily enough to meet the requirement of the eyes1 and at an expense scarcely more than a new pair of glasses1 or about one-third of their original cost4 ,the directions for ascertaining the focus of concave or convex pebbles1 are the same as described for concave or convex glasses4 ,this consideration should weigh with those who are apt to be misled by the pretensions of the unprincipled2 for pebbles have1 in common with many other crystals1 a double refracting property1 which1 if the pebble is cut carelessly1 exhibits itself by painfully affecting the vision2 two objects1 instead of one1 are seen1 causing a confused and agitating sense of indistinctness1 which1 in proportion to the exertion of the eye to overcome it1 is the more tiresome and distressing4 ,such faulty and blemished articles1 technically called wasters1 are refused by the optician of any real respectability and character1 but are eagerly bought up by those venders1 whose object is to purchase what costs them the least money1 alike ignorant of1 and indifferent to1 any other consideration4 ,pebbles1 therefore1 like all the precious stones1 which1 in fact1 are crystals1 cannot be properly cut or sliced except in a parallel direction to their natural faces4 ,periscopic or meniscus lenses were introduced in the year #aggj1 and revived at a later period by ,dr4 ,wollaston4 ,their properties were investigated by many scientific persons1 and again candidly examined by ,mr4 ,w4 ,jones2 yet1 notwithstanding the oblivion to which they were consigned by the universal consent of practical opticians1 they are still foisted on the public1 under various disguises1 and embellished with sundry new appellations4 ,they are concave on one side1 and convex on the other1 the inner and outer curve differing1 in order to produce a focus4 ,when placed in the spectacle-frame1 their convex surface is always from the eye2 this necessarily exposes their centres to be rubbed and scratched4 ,the halo1 or aberration of light1 is greater in lenses of this form than in any other4 ,this can be easily proved by placing a double convex1 and a periscopic lens1 each of the same diameter and focus1 say one-and-a-half inch diameter1 and three or four inch focus1 edgeways together4 ,let the image of a lighted candle be thrown against a white wall or paper1 in a dark situation1 through the two lenses1 and it will be conspicuously seen that the periscopic lens exhibits this dazzling indistinctness1 while in the double convex lens it is scarcely perceptible4 ,parallel or flat surface lenses are produced from tools perfectly level1 and without any curvature4 ,for spectacle purposes their only use is as shades or shields for the eye1 to protect it from the effects of bright and dazzling objects1 dust1 and wind4 ,they are1 however1 indispensable in the construction of sextants1 artificial horizons1 and other mathematical instruments4 ,spectacles for travelling by rail-road1 on the old beaten path1 or by vessels1 are usually fitted with parallel glasses1 unless the wearer requires focal power as well as a screen1 in which case they are of the concave or convex figure1 before explained4 ,almost every combination of light and shade has been used for this class of spectacles2 violet1 grey1 blue1 green1 crape1 wove wire1 c42 but some sensitive and tender eyes failed to receive the relief expected from any of these1 and opticians have been repeatedly baffled in their attempts to produce a shade of glass congenial to the requirements of the eye under such circumstances4 ,i have made extensive use of the new neutral tint1 or twilight tinge glass1 and find it most agreeable to the eye while employing it1 and when removed1 it leaves the vision undisturbed by the flickering and confused halo so much complained of after wearing other coloured glasses4 ,the cause of this superiority is clearly seen when we remember that1 after taking off a pair of green glass spectacles1 every object appears of a red colour1 while1 upon the removal of blue colours1 an orange or yellow mantle seems to rest on all which meets the view4 ,it is of consequence that all such glasses should be really parallel1 otherwise a broken and disjointed appearance will be given to objects1 the rays of light being abruptly dispersed instead of being transmitted through the transparent medium to the eye1 in their natural direction4 ,i have always discountenanced the use of wire1 gauze1 crape1 and muslin substitutes for glass1 because1 in my opinion1 it is a fallacy to assert that they are cooler and more agreeable to the eye4 ,there is abundant space for the circulation of air in the region of the eye if the spectacle-frame adapts itself pleasantly to the wearer's face2 while the eye and common sense may answer together1 that to look on things around us1 a transparent medium is preferable to a hazy and indistinct one4 ,we do not choose bars and gratings1 or coarse curtains1 in preference to glass1 for the windows of apartments2 but if the light is sometimes too intense1 we place a shade to soften its dazzling effects4 ,such precisely is the reason why tinted glass spectacles1 for defending the eyes from rain1 dust1 and wind1 are recommended4 ,lenses worked by machinery are produced in greater quantities1 within a given time1 than those worked by hand4 ,they are passed through the different stages of grinding and polishing without having the keen eye of the workman carefully watching their progress1 and adjusting the inequalities in their surfaces or edges1 which will always appear more or less in the course of working4 ,the price at which competition demands those lenses shall be rendered1 operates against the wearer of spectacles2 for the producer cannot afford to throw aside such as are faulty1 and the wholesale agent and retail dispenser cannot expect to have1 at the low price charged1 lenses which will bear a critical examination2 and thus all which can possibly be used are thrust into frames of one kind or other1 from the common iron or horn sold by the poor hawkers at sixpence1 eightpence1 and one shilling per pair1 to the more expensive frames2 while many faulty glasses1 after being dubbed with some ear-tickling appellation1 and imbibing extraordinary 8light-modifying and refractive virtues10 by passing into the hands of the hawker of a higher class1 are palmed upon the unfortunate spectacle-purchasers who are simple enough to give credence to the wondrous tale4 ,women and children are chiefly employed to cut and edge those cheap glasses to the spectacle-frames2 and who can expect they should do them better for the price8 ,and if one glass should be unequally thick1 like a wedge1 while its companion in the same spectacles is miserably thin2 or if the centres1 instead of being equidistant from all parts of the rim are nipped into a corner2 how can you feel surprised when you consider that for them to earn a living1 it is necessary they should finish several dozen pairs per day1 and therefore1 expedition1 rather than excellence1 is the point at which they aim8 ,in many departments1 where machinery has supplanted manual labour1 the work produced is of a superior character1 and will bear more critical examination2 but the contrary is the fact in the case of machine-worked optical glasses1 and is more especially apparent in such as are intended for microscopic and achromatic purposes4 ,it cannot be denied that1 for all such uses1 lenses worked by hand1 with the ordinary care of a skilful workman1 as much excel those produced by machinery1 as the accurate and scientific touch of the artist eclipses the random splash of the plasterer4 ,the trial box1 or frame of sights1 ranging from the slightest focal power down to the deepest1 is a very useful apparatus1 both for the optician and his patient4 ,it consists of eight or nine spectacle-fronts1 clamped together at one end by a rivet1 on which they are yet free to move4 ,the focus of each pair is stamped on the front4 ,they are enclosed by a pair of lids1 which forms a handle1 to be held by the hand1 while one front after another is placed before the eyes1 to determine what focus yields the desired assistance4 ,this being ascertained1 and having noted down the power we find to suit most naturally1 as explained when treating of convex lenses1 page #ab1 we have only to determine what style of mounting we prefer1 and whether we will have glasses or pebbles1 for the optician to suit us at once with lenses adapted to the sight1 and mountings fitting pleasantly to the head4 ,if an interview with the optician is impracticable1 it will be ensuring greater accuracy1 to mention the exact distance1 measured as a straight line from the centre of the pupil of one eye to that of the other2 and if the nose1 on the bridge between the eyes1 is flat or prominent1 broad or narrow1 since spectacles1 suiting the sight most accurately1 are frequently an annoyance1 rather than an assistance1 to the wearer1 from these particulars being unheeded4 ,two trial boxes comprise the range of convex sight1 one for young persons1 and those who require spectacles for the first1 second1 or third time2 the other for those eyes which have been long accustomed to spectacles1 or from some constitutional or sudden cause1 need those of strong magnifying power4 ,the third box contains concave lenses1 ranging from ,no4 #a to #ab1 which are the sights chiefly wanted1 although1 in extraordinary cases1 ,no4 #ac1 #ad1 and even #bj1 have been required4 ,although1 throughout this treatise1 ,i have endeavoured to convince my readers that they may and ought mainly to determine for themselves1 yet ,i would recommend a visit to the optician1 where it is practicable1 in preference to a description of the case2 for the same reason that the best written statement of a patient's malady1 sent to a physician1 does not afford him that familiar acquaintance with the case which an interview of a few minutes would supply4 ,,footnotes3 #b ,the manufacture of glass was known very early1 but glass perfectly transparent and colourless was reckoned so valuable1 that ,nero is said to have given a sum equal to #be for two moderate sized colourless drinking glasses4--,starke's ,oriental ,letters4 ,glass for optical uses is heavy1 homogeneous1 free from streaks and veins4 ,more expensive chemical substances are employed in its manufacture than are used in making common glass4 #c ,pebbles1 again1 are proved by grinding the edges briskly on a moderately smooth file1 or porous stone2 they will resist the action of these1 and emit sparkles of light as the velocity of the friction is increased1 while glasses1 on the contrary1 yield1 and are ground without difficulty4 ,,chapter ,,iii4 8,every day's observation shews how far some men may be carried from the most evident and obvious truths1 to support a new hypothesis1 which has no foundation either in nature or reason2 but truth will ever control and prevail over error1 though supported with all the powers of rhetoric and novelty40--,b4 ,,martin4 ,where distance1 or any other cause1 prevents our having access to persons who are competent to suit us properly with spectacles1 great care should be exercised to choose those which cause the print of a newspaper1 or the ordinary types of a book1 to appear of their natural and proper size1 while they are viewed at the distance most agreeable for reading1 viz41 twelve inches from the eye4 ,it is evidently better to 8try spectacles0 on such ordinary printing as they will be generally exercised upon1 than to test them by the very small print with which persons frequently provide themselves4 ,to decipher this1 a greater power is demanded than is requisite for usual reading1 writing1 and needlework1 which are the purposes for which we require them1 and not for microscopic observation1 nor for distant views4 ,the eyes in which no malformation or disease exists1 but which simply partake of constitutional decay1 or1 from too continued application to sedentary and studious pursuits1 are beginning to feel a want of assistance1 should have spectacles of sixty-inch focus1 which is an exceedingly slight magnifying power2 and if these are found to be insufficient to afford an agreeable and natural perception 7not an enlarged or magnified image of the letters of a book1 c41 held in the hand at the distance of twelve or fourteen inches from the eye71 then apply those of the next power1 viz41 forty-eight inches' focus4 ,if these again are unequal to supply the loss of power or incapacity of the eye to converge the light to a point at the instant it reaches the retina1 then lenses of thirty-six inches focus are to be had recourse to2 and when these fail to afford agreeable vision1 thirty1 twenty-eight1 twenty-four1 twenty1 must be progressively adopted1 thus gradually descending the scale until the eyes receive such compensation for their progressive decay and loss of power1 as spectacles carefully suited to the sight are capable so effectually to supply4 ,the period at which the sight begins to fail does not at all depend on age1 but varies in different persons according to the formation of the eyes1 the treatment they have received1 and the constitutional capability2 therefore1 the age of the person requiring spectacles gives but a vague general idea to the optician as to what is required1 unless other particulars are stated2 such as whether glasses have been used before2 the distance at which writing and printing is seen pleasantly without assistance1 the focus of those last used1 or sending even but a broken piece of the same4 8,the proper selection of spectacles for imperfect vision is a point of much deeper importance than is generally believed4 ,an oculist who is only acquainted with the diseases of the human eye1 without possessing any knowledge of it as an optical instrument1 is often led professionally to recommend glasses when they ought not to be used1 or to fix on focal lengths entirely unfit for the purpose to which they are applied1 and the mere vender of spectacles and lenses is still more frequently in the habit of proffering such counsel40--,,brewster4 ,the near-sighted1 or those who require concave spectacles should use those of the slightest power2 ,no4 #j1 or ,no4 #a1 will generally be sufficient at first1 but this1 by the aid of the trial box1 can readily be determined by the wearer himself4 ,there is such an immense benefit experienced by the short-sighted from spectacles which suit their sight1 that to argue for their adoption of them would be quite superfluous4 ,without spectacles they are excluded from observing beautiful landscapes1 recognizing individuals1 or viewing to advantage any of the crowd of interesting objects around them2 but by adopting them they are placed on a par with the long-sighted in such circumstances1 while the sharp and microscopic character of their sight without spectacles1 gives them many advantages over those possessing ordinary vision4 ,the short1 or near-sighted eyes1 have the cornea1 and often the crystalline lens1 more convex or arched out than in long-sighted eyes4 ,this formation causes the rays to converge to a focus before they reach the retina1 but by the application of a concave lens the difficulty is corrected1 and the rays are carried on to their proper point for giving a perfect representation on the retina4 ,this character of sight is very frequent1 and is more particularly remarkable among those whose mode of life restricts them to crowded cities1 sedentary employments1 and confined situations4 ,those whose infantine and youthful years have been passed in the country1 or where the eyes have had a free range of view1 not circumscribed by the walls of the nursery1 or limited to the observation of objects near at hand1 rarely require concave spectacles4#d ,the spectacle-frames next demand our attention1 as our utmost care in judiciously selecting lenses of the proper focus for our sight will be neutralized if the frame or mounting in which they are placed does not apply comfortably to the head1 leaving the lenses they carry fair and parallel before the eyes4 ,if the front of a pair of spectacles is too short for the wearer's face1 he will look upon the edge of the lens1 and a portion of the exterior rim of the frame2 if they are too long his eye will meet the opposite edge and inner curve of the rim4 ,spectacle-frames are fashioned to suit the variety of formation in different individuals1 and therefore such should be applied as adapt themselves pleasantly to the temples1 across the forehead and before the eyes4 ,the pupil of the eye should1 when looking at an object directly before it1 see through the centre of the spectacle-eye1 so that if the whole of the glass1 except the small centre1 were painted black1 the rays of light would pass through it without distortion of the pupil4 ,the bridge or nose-part of the spectacle-frame should be arched out1 made like the crank of a lathe1 or perfectly parallel with the knuckles of the sides1 according to the formation of the wearer's nose1 otherwise the spectacles sit awkwardly on the face too far from or too near to the eye-lashes1 with their centres too high or too low for the natural exercise of sight4 ,trifling as these particulars may seem1 they cannot be neglected with impunity4 ,where these defects are unattended to1 the eye is tortured by straining to overcome the difficulty1 and striving to accommodate itself to them1 instead of their being shaped to meet its requirements4 ,some old-fashioned spectacles have short side-pieces1 which press most unpleasantly on one point of the temples1 and when closed scratch and rub the lenses4 ,others have very cumbrous and heavy sides1 with double lift or common hinge-joints4 ,these also scratch the lenses when folded up1 and can only be worn with any degree of comfort when the head is uncovered4 ,decidedly the best constructed spectacle-frames are those which1 without being clumsy1 have enough strength to admit of the sides being extended the full width of the face without bending the front1 with single sides rather longer than their front for ladies' use1 and with turnpin sides 7an extending joint1 turning on a pivot17 for gentlemen4 ,the material of which they are composed should be either gold1 silver1 or enamelled blue steel4 ,tortoiseshell1 also1 when well made1 is very light and pleasant to wear1 particularly for ladies4 ,there is no advantage in large size1 or round-eye spectacles1 to compensate for their clumsy appearance and great weight2 we get a sufficient expanse of observation with the oval-shape glasses without harassing the eye with an excess of light1 which the large glasses admit4 ,solid blue steel mountings are a decided improvement1 and are invaluable for persons who constantly require spectacles4 ,they are wrought from a plate of steel1 and shaped as light and uniform as any other town-made elastic blue-steel spectacles1 with the advantage of being more durable1 and eventually less expensive2 for as they have no soldering in their composition1 it is scarcely possible to break them1 and therefore they rarely want repairing4 ,blue steel spectacles1 in consequence of their being so much in request1 are coarsely imitated1 and vast numbers are sold by the pretended cheap shops1 at apparently low prices which the wearer will find to be immensely beyond their real value4 ,there are thirteen different qualities of the spectacles termed blue steel4 ,the chief part are country made1 and roughly put together1 some being all iron1 others having iron fronts and steel sides2 others again bear a tolerably close resemblance to the best town-made articles1 and unless the two are compared together1 are likely to deceive a casual observer4#e ,the fine elastic blue steel1 of the best quality1 are exceedingly light1 highly polished1 and beautifully enamelled4 ,they will retain their appearance for two or three years1 when carefully used2 and they can be restored to their original appearance at any time for a few shillings' expense4 ,the anti-pressure spectacles are made of gold1 silver1 or the elastic steel4 ,they are not adapted for ladies' use1 but for gentlemen have been much in demand1 as they obviate the necessity of opening and closing a second joint or lengthening piece1 and do not press or annoy the nose or temples1 but by an equal tenacity preserve their proper position before the eyes4 ,single eye-glasses1 though very convenient for occasional use1 are not to be compared with spectacles for the agreeable and natural assistance they give to vision4 ,the eye should not be dependent on them for continuous assistance4 ,those who persist in using them should do so as little as possible2 but the wiser course is to discard them entirely1 and adopt the double eye-glasses where it would be tedious to apply spectacles of the usual kind4 ,that the vision is more natural and perfect when both eyes are employed than when one glass only is used1 must be self-evident1 as the axis of each glass1 placed as they should be in the spectacles1 coincides with the axis of each eye1 and the rays of light are thus equally refracted to the eye4 ,again1 the eyes have a most acute and sensitive sympathy with each other1 and when a single eye-glass is constantly used they are unnaturally exercised1 and prevented from acting in concert4 ,one eye 7generally the right eye7 has the glass perpetually applied to it2 and very frequently1 in consequence of this pernicious practice1 becomes of a different focus to the other4 ,mr4 ,george ,adams informs us that he did not recollect an instance of a short-sighted person who had occasion to increase the focus of his concaves if he began by wearing spectacles1 but that the cases were frequent1 where a single eye-glass had been used1 in which the persons had frequently required a change of glasses4 ,the prices of spectacles are diversified and fluctuating1 like all other manufactures1 so that to publish a list of prices would only tend to mislead and deceive my readers4 ,for instance1 the price of a pair of pebbles1 used formerly to be one guinea extra to the charge for glasses2 they are now reduced to half that sum4 ,a pair of pebbles1 of the concave or of the periscopic figure1 were at the same time charged twenty-five shillings4 ,these have been reduced in the same proportion4 ,and it cannot be too universally known1 that a person can have a pair of good convex glasses fitted into his spectacles1 and correctly suited to his sight1 at from one shilling and sixpence to two shillings per pair1 by any respectable optician4 ,the poorest person may be defended against the tender mercies of the spectacle speculators2 for he really can obtain a better article for his money1 both in quality and suitableness to his sight1 of the respectable optician1 and1 upon an average1 at a less cost than the cheat contrives1 by dint of manuvring1 to extract from him4 ,good lenses1 in plain frames1 or1 in other words1 a good pair of spectacles1 may be had1 correctly suited to the sight1 for two shillings and sixpence4 ,who then1 knowing this1 would suffer his sight to be tampered with8 ,truly1 those who would stickle for a shilling in the price of such valuable and essential instruments 8,deserve not the comfort they shed o'er the soul40 ,yet1 at the same time1 there is no reason why those exorbitant charges should be submitted to1 which are often paid without hesitation by the delighted purchaser1 when a pair of spectacles appears to suit his sight4 ,the love of the marvellous1 and the insane thirst for novelties1 are strikingly displayed in many inquirers for spectacles4 ,the honest1 straight-forward1 and disinterested counsel of the established tradesman1 is looked upon with scowling suspicion2 but the preposterous and shallow pretensions of the empiric1 decked with all the paraphernalia of fudge and falsehood1 are listened to with eager curiosity4 ,if the writer looked to self-interest as his guiding star1 his course would be to preserve silence on these subjects2 since it needs not to be demonstrated1 that the practice and the profit of the regular practitioner are increased by the patched-up and mangled cases1 which are1 as it were1 provided for him1 over and above the number who legitimately require the exercise of his skill4 ,but he despises such mercenary calculations1 and contends that 8,the happiness of mankind at large is a principle that ought to be followed out by all individuals at every personal cost1 and against every kind of opposition40--,medical ,examiner4 ,,footnotes3 #d ,in ,russia the person having short sight is seated in a chair for several hours daily1 with the head placed in a natural position for reading1 but prevented from pressing forward4 ,the page is at first placed at the short distance at which the eyes have been accustomed to observe2 but this distance is gradually extended1 until the humours of the eyes1 constantly exercised in endeavouring to accommodate their powers to the gently increased demand upon them1 at length acquire the capability of observing at the usual distance4 ,it is undoubtedly the fact that this character of sight may be acquired2 many instances could be adduced of watchmakers and others1 whose employments are of a sedentary or studious character1 becoming short-sighted4 #e ,it will be perceived that it is the workmanship and nice finish of the best town-made spectacle-frames which necessarily increases the price4 ,thus1 a single pound of pig iron1 which costs one penny1 can be manufactured into watch-springs of the value of #bdj4 ,,chapter ,,iv4 8,allured by hope of plunder1 and intent ,by force to rob1 by fraud to circumvent10--,,neis4 ,i shall give a few instances of the manner in which advertising adventurers rack their ingenuity to dress up their announcements in the most catching and attractive style2 and1 failing to find language sufficiently striking and pointed to arrest attention1 scruple not to manufacture terms and apply similies1 which1 however preposterous and absurd they are seen to be when examined1 yet answer their purpose of mystifying the public1 and inducing a purchase of the vaunted articles4 ,we have only to glance at the columns of our newspapers1 and the covers of periodical publications1 for illustrations of the extent to which the system of scheming1 falsehood1 and trickery1 termed puffing1 is carried4 ,in one specious and lofty-toned announcement we are told that the most splendid discovery of the present age is now admitted1 by the most unquestionable 787 testimonials1 to be 8,grindstone ,snuff10 which is warranted to cure gutta serena1 cataract1 and all other diseases of the eyes1 while a single pinch scares away headache and nervousness6 ,another startles the weatherwise by his impudent pretension to be the only maker of barometers and thermometers in ,london2 whereas1 if the real truth were disclosed1 it would be found that his connexion with the trade consisted in some such occupation as engraving the index plates of the instrument for his employers1 who surely have the greater right to be considered real makers4 ,balsams1 cough drops1 rheumatism and gout dispersers1 pills1 cerates1 syrups1 shaving soaps1 cornplasters1 and heal-alls--all boast of the wondrous cures effected1 and testimonials received4 ,the long list of essences and decoctions1 from vinegar to honey1 also have the names of distinguished gentlemen of the faculty1 the royal family1 nobility1 clergy1 and gentry1 appended as bearing testimony to their surprising virtues4 8,highgate's universal irresistible ,ointment0 we are informed1 is an invaluable specific for all disorders4 8,but who shall decide when doctors disagree80 ,a counter address denounces the same individual as an uncertificated impostor1 who has no testimonials of his own1 but has filched extracts from the only real original certificates and testimonials of 8,monsieur ,holabolo's genuine ,panacea10 which alone is a radical cure for all internal and external complaints4 ,another ointment puffer1 whose nostrum is warranted to cure the plague and cholera1 among other evils1 occupies two columns of a newspaper with cures said to be effected by it2 and these are flanked with no less than seventy-six names of surgeons and oculists1 who1 among others1 testify to its monstrous virtues66#f ,now in all these quack advertisements1 we find the names1 titles1 and residences of the professional gentlemen correctly given1 which1 possibly may be of some consideration4 ,indeed1 ,i know it is to some few an advantage not to be overlooked1 as their names are thus kept before the public eye free of expense to them1 and they are1 although indirectly1 as effectually puffed into notice as the quack himself4 ,without charging the respectable and high-minded members of the profession with entering into a compact1 and designedly lending the sanction of their name and office to these abominable schemes of imposition1 and granting full force to the apologies they offer as to its 8being customary20 8that the profession generally do it20 8that to interfere would be expensive and troublesome20 and that 8it is the fault of the public1 who suffer themselves to be deluded by such shallow artifices10 ,i conceive it to be the bounden duty of every man of honour1 when those tricksters employ his name without his sanction or authority1 to adopt measures to disabuse that very large section of society1 who attach full credit to statements appearing under such auspices4 ,but it is with spectacle advertisers that we are more immediately concerned1 and it is therefore essential to convince every individual of ordinary capacity1 that he can1 by the exercise of common sense1 and the moderate use of his reasoning faculties1 safely and judiciously determine for himself1 when spectacles are required1 and what powers and qualities they should possess2 either when the eyes first require restorative aid1 or at any subsequent period of life4 ,amber spectacles have been bepraised and forced into notice as much as any of these quack specifics4 ,i consider that the apathy and indifference manifested by those who know the statements put forth to be a tissue of falsehoods1 are extremely reprehensible4 ,no wonder that thousands have been tricked and trifled with when such novel and plausible pretensions have remained unchallenged1 and those who know them to be hollow and deceitful artifices have suffered them to remain unexposed4 ,amber is so soft that a proper degree of polish cannot be given to it to make it suitable for spectacles4 ,the streaks1 specks1 veins1 and irregularities in it may be detected by the most casual observer4 ,glass and pebbles assimilate closely to the composition of the eye itself1 but amber only imitates its diseased and decayed appearance4 ,when the powers of the eye begin to decline1 the crystalline humour becomes somewhat yellow1 and as the decay proceeds this tinge increases4#g ,amber is strongly charged with electricity2 it has an affinity for oil1 grease1 and human perspiration2 8and it was from amber that the electrical fluid was first obtained40#h ,since writing the above1 ,i have received1 by the medium of the twopenny post1 a printed circular1 headed1 8,amber ,spectacles4--,m----having experienced from the use of amber spectacles that which is expressed by the following eminent gentlemen1 considers it to be his duty to caution the public against the use of them3-- 8,amber is a soft substance1 and it is impossible to form it into a perfect lens1 and a lens improperly constructed would prove most injurious to vision4 ,amber1 in a moderate heat1 becomes sticky2 and by cleaning it in a short time1 the polish wears off4 ,it is also easily scratched1 and soon loses the little transparency it possesses4 ,glue1 as to substance and colour1 is quite equal to it2 and although purchasers pay an enormous price for amber spectacles1 yet they incur a great risk of materially injuring their vision40#i ,if there even were any merit or superiority in amber spectacles1 be it observed1 that the persons who prate about their discovery1 are not the parties who originated or introduced the article4 ,i have in my possession several which were first brought to this country1 and sold by a ,prussian mechanic1 long before he came in contact with individuals1 who took a shameful advantage of his forlorn situation1 and1 after deluding him with specious promises1 reduced him to their own terms4 ,the poor man found remonstrances to be unavailing2 and as he knew that redress was both uncertain and expensive1 he refrained from farther interference1 sighing as he said1-- 8,my poverty and not my will consents40 ,cautions respecting amber spectacles have frequently appeared in the daily newspapers4 ,on the #agth of ,,april1 #ahch1 the 8,sun0 contained a long advertisement1 lauding their extraordinary virtues4 ,in the same page1 followed an expos of the puff2 and in another part of the paper was the following paragraph1 made to appear as the editor's remarks3-- 8,an advertisement appeared in our paper of the #ith instant1 calling into question the merits of patent amber spectacles1 which have been so highly recommended for the preservative and assisting qualities for defective vision1 by men of high character and professional reputation4 ,the names of ,messrs4 ,dollond and ,curtis being used1 it is right that the public should be apprised of the ascertained fact1 that it owes its insertion1 not to the knowledge of those gentlemen1 but to the personal pique of interested individuals40 ,persons who are somewhat acquainted with the manner in which such paragraphs are got up1 well know what importance is to be attached to them2 the uninitiated1 however1 are led to suppose that ,messrs4 ,dollond and ,curtis were not of the opinions expressed1 but that some of the trade1 jealous of the advertisers' 8high character10 had maliciously questioned the 8superior refractive property10 8light modifying10 8cool10 and 8soothing0 attributes of the admirable amber4 ,but what ought we to think of the professional and literary characters who countenance the system of fraud and delusion practised by puffing advertisers4 ,we might in charity suppose that the signatures of those eminent persons were surreptitiously obtained2 and in that case1 the straight-forward course they ought to adopt1 should be publicly to disavow all connection with the cheats4 ,but if they really hold the opinions attributed to them1 we are bound to declare that1 opposed as such idle notions are to truth and common sense1 their presumption is ridiculous in publishing opinions on a subject of which they are grossly ignorant--ay1 grossly ignorant6 however capable and popular they may be in their own professions4 ,indeed many names of able and skilful surgeons are enumerated in the list of patrons and testimonial writers1 who would smile at the effrontery of self-dubbed opticians1 and the credulity of the public1 conscious that they had no pretensions to any superior acquaintance with the subject4 ,the ingenious and talented ,dr4 ,neill ,arnott remarks1 in his 8,elements of ,physics10--8,will it be believed that there are medical men who neither understand mechanics nor hydraulics1 nor pneumatics1 nor optics1 nor acoustics1 beyond the merest routine2 and that systems of medical education are put forth at this day1 which do not even mention the department of physics or natural philosophy20 ,but a general diffusion of knowledge is changing the condition of society1 and elevating the human character4 ,at first we almost tremble at our own boldness1 in demanding proofs of the capability of our teachers2 but the mind1 gathering power1 and unfolding its strength1 with every opportunity for its manifestation1 insists on having positive proofs1 rather than vague pretensions1 and demands solid information1 instead of empty nothingness1 however gorgeously arrayed1 or pompously introduced4 ,,footnotes3 #f ,as for operators on the teeth1 they have multiplied exceedingly in the land4 ,their successful career is a biting satire on the credulity of their supporters4 ,american ,quackery4--,the cost for advertising quack medicines in the ,united ,states1 annually1 is estimated at #bjj1jjj dollars4 ,a peck of pills per day is considered necessary for ,boston1 and half a bushel for ,new ,york4 ,on an average1 only one in twenty-five who take them is actually sick2 and the proportion of those dispensing with some necessary of life to purchase nostrums1 which do them a positive injury1 is in the ratio of eighty-seven to every one hundred throughout the country4 #g ,dr4 ,petit found the crystalline in the eye of a man eighty years of age so yellow as to resemble amber4 8,when exposed to heat it becomes soft1 swells1 bubbles up1 is apt to take fire1 and burns with a yellowish flame40--,heron's ,chemistry4 8,it gives out electricity by friction4 ,it is an indurated vegetable juice1 and not produced by the laws of crystallization1 but by the same causes which influence the mechanical condition of gum arabic1 and other resinous substances4 ,insects are often found embedded in it40--,parkes's ,chemistry4 ,it is a fact1 that to silence such objections1 a great improvement in amber1 very pure and costly1 was announced2 this was nothing more nor less than yellow plate-glass1 the same as is used in stained-glass windows4 ,i have several specimens of these 8superlative patent amber0 in my possession4 #h ,dr4 ,neill ,arnott4 #i ,dollond--,curtis4 ,,chapter ,v4 8,nothing extenuate or set down aught in malice40--,,shakspeare4 ,some instances which have come under my own cognizance will illustrate the way in which gross imposition is practised1 and the public morals materially injured1 by weakening confidence in those who are1 from their education and rank1 looked to as guides and preceptors1 and causing the mind to turn with indignation from the needy1 but debased and grovelling creatures1 who resort to any means1 however infamous1 to effect their selfish purposes4 ,a military gentleman1 of ,stonehouse1 was waited upon by a renowned optical quack1 who1 the moment he entered the parlour1 exclaimed1 8,goot ,got1 ,sar6 vy1 you are a'goin plind2 the sight is leaving your left eye6 ,if you don't immejartly take to my improved classes ,i vill not answer for the konserkences2 kataract will grow on it in a month60 ,the gentleman1 taken by surprise1 tried on some of the preservers1 and finally purchased two pairs of hand-folding spectacles1 for which he paid four pounds4 ,some time after1 they were more particularly inspected1 and proved to be common glass1 instead of pebbles1 as was represented1 and of much stronger focus than the eyes required4 ,the full ,london retail charge for such articles is #ajs4 per pair4 ,in the same town the same distinguished individual forced his way into the study of a reverend gentleman1 and alarmed him by a similar prognostication4 ,a pair of the 8clarified crystals1 ground by a peculiar process10 were purchased1 price fifteen shillings4 ,afterwards1 upon finding that one eye was irritated1 and derived no assistance from the spectacles1 the gentleman called upon the optician who had always previously supplied him1 and was convinced of the trick which had been put upon him4 ,they were common machine-worked glasses1 each of a different focus1 and neither of them suitable to his sight4 ,their proper price1 sold in their proper place 7viz41 by hawkers1 in the streets17 is one shilling per pair6 ,a gentleman of ,norwich1 struck with the advantages promised by some extraordinary spectacles1 paid two guineas for a pair of blue steel1 with blue glasses1 which were warranted pebbles1#aj and had the additional vexation to be severely censured by several friends1 who complained that the fellow had fixed them with similar trash by representing that he 7the gentleman7 had said1 8,after you leave mine1 do you go down past the ,norfolk ,hotel1 and say ,i bid you to call on ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ----1 to sell them spectacles such as ,i have bought40 ,this1 of course1 was a manuvre of the cheat himself4 ,a gentleman1 of ,tavistock1 purchased a pair of silver spectacles1 declared to be very fine pebbles1 price thirty-five shillings2 they were merely glass2 and as he required a glass in an old pair of spectacles1 the pompous hawker offered to oblige him by putting one of his 8clarified lenses0 to match the focus3 for this he charged five shillings and sixpence4 ,it was two inches different in focal length to the original glass6 which would have been properly matched1 by any resident optician1 for one shilling6 ,one of the hawking tribe called at the residence of ,major ,c----1 near ,hereford1 and represented that ,m----1 ,esq41 had ordered1 on the previous day1 two pairs of spectacles1 and desired him to call upon his friend1 the major1 to suit him also4 ,in this case the attack was parried2 and1 spite of the hawker's vehement declaration1 that the eyes were in a terrible state1 he was dismissed1 8to call again to-morrow40 ,thus the major preserved his eyes1 and saved his money4 ,in the evening he saw his friend1 and inquired if he had sent a fellow to his house with spectacles8 8,no10 was the reply1 8but you sent him to me2 for he came this afternoon1 saying you had bought two pairs1 and wished me to have some of the same kind2 therefore1 ,i bought two pairs1 and paid him the price he said you gave1 viz41 three pounds1 ten shillings1 though at first he wanted four guineas60 ,a naval captain1 residing at ,monmouth1 showed me a pair of silver spectacles with six-inch focus glasses1 very jagged and splintered at the edges1 worth at most twelve shillings1 for which he had given one of the tribe of impostors two guineas1 and a pair of tortoiseshell 7which did suit his sight7 into the bargain4#aa ,a lady at ,belfast was attracted by the showy advertisement of an itinerant optician1 and called upon him1 8between the hours of ten and six10 for the purpose of purchasing a pair of spectacles4 ,the first thing he did1 after staring at her1 and impudently declaring that her eyes were being ruined1 was to snatch her spectacles from her face1 and put a pair of his own in their place4 8,there1 ,matam6 they are the spattacles for your eyes1 those you have peen vearing vill pring on kataract40 8,i see pretty well in these10 said the lady1 8but my own suit about as well1 ,i think40 8,oh dear no1 it's quite a mistake1 your own are retched2 put them on--isn't there a differench now1 ,matam80 8,yes1 there is10 said the lady1 7who had too much penetration for the pedlar7 8they require cleaning after having been held in your hot hand all this time20 and taking up a washleather she wiped the glasses1 and1 replacing them1 bade adieu to the testimonialed optician4 ,a lady1 who was visiting for a few weeks at ,margate1 was startled one morning1 by a big1 blustering1 shewily-dressed man1 who1 after knocking at the street door1 pushed past the servant1 and rapping loudly at the parlour door opened it without waiting for any reply4 8,goot morning1 ,matam1 ,i am the optician to the royal family2 your friend1 ,lady ,w----1 terives so much goot from my pellucit lenses1 she peggd me to call and suit you40 ,before all this had been uttered he had taken a package from a confederate1 dressed as a livery servant1 who accompanied him1 and covered the table with his stock4 8,your eyes are in a most alarming state ,matam1 this pair of cold spattacles will suit you40 8,really10 said the lady2 8how came ,lady ,w---- to suppose ,i wanted spectacles8 ,i have never worn any at any time in my life40 8,no1 that's the vary reason your sight is leaving you2 your eyes are vary pad40 8,what is the price of this pair80 inquired the lady4 8,three guineas0 was the answer4 ,the price was paid2 and after punishing her eyes for a few days1 the lady met with a scientific friend who convinced her that they were totally unfit and improper for her1 her eyes being in excellent order1 and not requiring spectacles at all6 ,a gentleman1 visiting at ,canterbury1 in #ahcd1 was induced through the representations of the same notorious cheat to purchase a pair of spectacles1 which were warranted to dissipate the cataract forming in his eye2 the price paid was five pounds4 ,as he was lamenting the terrible state in which he was informed his eyes certainly were 7although1 strange to say1 he was quite unconscious of it7 another pair was placed upon his nose1 which1 he was told he ought to wear as a change1 in case the eyes were pained by the efforts of the first pair to dissipate the cataract4 ,another five pound note was handed over to the hawker1 who began to grow quite pathetic2 and artfully alluding to the services of the gentleman during the war1 and expatiating upon a few circumstances with which he had made himself acquainted in a chat with one of the gossips at the public house where he lodged1 he pretended to lament the necessity for the gentleman staying within doors4 8,what1 may ,i not take a walk or ride as usual8 ,i can't endure being cooped up within doors40 8,there's danger in your going out10 said the pedlar1 8except your eyes are guarded with green ,refractive ,preservers40 8,oh1 bless me10 said the gentleman1 8that's very serious2 then you really think ,i ought to have another pair for walking and riding1 eh80 8,oh certainly1 by all means2 nothing else can save your eyes1 unless you confine yourself within doors40 8,what's the price of such a pair of preservers80 8,six guineas1 ,sir2 but as you have bought the others you shall have them for five pounds40 8,why1 dear me1 ,i shall be ruined in buying spectacles1 and yet ,i never felt that ,i wanted them before40 8,that's just the vay1 ven the eyes are a'going blind it comes on all at once1 my tear ,sir40 ,by this transaction the pedlar actually pocketed three five pound notes4 ,in less than a week afterwards the first two pair were sent to me to have the yellow coloured glasses exchanged for white lenses of four degrees less magnifying power2 the price at which the whole three pairs could have been purchased elsewhere would be forty-five shillings4 ,it will scarcely be credited that the individuals who thus practise on the public are grossly ignorant2 and were it not that the anxiety of the purchasers to possess something extraordinary renders them liable to imposition and allays suspicion1 such shallow pretensions never would pass undetected4 ,one of the tribe1 who1 until lately1 practised the art and mystery of his forefathers as a dealer in old clothes1 suddenly changed his profession1 and1 calculating the chances to be two to one in his favour1 ventured1 neck or nothing1 to blazon himself forth as an experienced1 scientific1 and practical optician4 ,a book1 bearing his name as its author1 and sundry special appointments1 obtained by dint of the most brazen assurance and persevering importunity1 were ostentatiously paraded before the wondering eyes of her majesty's liege subjects4 ,the public are stultified1 and the eminent individual himself1 is almost astonished that the scheme should take1 and like the 8,fly preserved in amber1 wonders how the d---- he came there40 ,there are artists in his locality who can give many graphic illustrations of the disregard to truth1 violation of friendship1 and cunning perversion of facts1 of which this individual has been guilty1 and yet no one has a greater array of eminent names and testimonials to show--many signatures of really clever men having been obtained by some means or other4 ,surely there is much piquancy and truth in the ,spanish proverb3 8those who know most are oftenest cheated40 ,,footnotes3 #aj ,pebbles1 it is scarcely necessary to say1 are colourless4 #aa ,this gentleman stormed most lustily when made aware of the trick which had been practised upon him1 and threatened legal exposure to the 8professional optician40 ,but this course is seldom resorted to1 the dupes recollecting that1 while they publish the swindler's villainy1 they give us but an indifferent idea of their own discernment1 beside the uncertainty and incongruity ever attendant upon ,law1 thus quaintly sketched by ,bentham2--8,if a man give you a black eye1 you make him pay for it1 but if he put your eye out1 you get nothing2 and whatever is taken from him goes nominally to the queen--really to ,john ,stokes or ,jack ,nokes who have no concern at all in the matter4 ,if a man kill your pig1 you get the value of it1 but if he kill your wife or your child1 you get nothing--if any thing is got out of him it goes to a stranger1 as before4 ,a man sets your house on fire1 if by misfortune1 you receive amends1 if through malice1 you receive nothing40 ,,chapter ,,vi4 8,see1 arm'd with great authority1 they come1 ,and with great names and numbers strike us dumb2 ,reason and common sense to names must fall1 ,and strength of argument's no strength at all40--,,dodsley4 ,i will now produce a few specimens of ,puffing ,advertisements1 which will show how sounding words are senselessly strung together to give an air of importance to their originators1 and leave my readers to judge for themselves how far the public ought to be influenced by them4 ,the orthography 787 of these puffs is1 in every way worthy of the authors of them4 ,they are given pure4 ,,puff1 ,no4 #a4 ,improved ,eye ,preservers1 patronized by the ,faculty of the ,eye ,infirmaries for ,cataract1 and other improved glasses4 ,mr4 ---- optician to the ,queen1#ab ,her ,royal ,highness the ,duchess of ,kent1 c4 sole ,inventor of ,optical ,glasses1 ground and shaded on the ,exact#ac ,principle4 ,mr4 ---- has been for twenty-five years a manufacturer1 who has devoted his study with time to bring this branch to perfection4 ,mr4 ---- has been earnestly solicited to pay a short visit for a limited period4 ,he has the honour to announce his arrival from the ,london1 ,bristol1 and ,edinburgh ,optical ,establishments4 ,spectacles for far and near distances1 for those who have a full eye1 ground in a peculiar manner4 ,sight is often abused by inexperienced persons taking upon themselves the impracticable task of assisting it4 ,the ,improved ,spectacles1 and other glasses1 made by ,mr4 ---- on the authority of professional gentlemen1 are the very best ever invented2 they have gone through a different process1 which clarifies and makes them the greatest improvement ever heard of by candle light or dull day4 ,mr4 ---- can tell by the physiology and figure of the eye when to give the greatest assistance4 ,his glasses are of a refractive quality2 so constructed as to effect the greatest relief2 manufactured by machinery of a new construction1 and by a peculiar way4 ,turbid glasses destroy the cornea and iris of the eye1 and harbingers all ocular diseases4 999999 ,a book will be given for the use of the ,improved ,spectacles and advice for all diseases4 ,sight is injured by buying ,spectacles of ,shops1 or other chance places of sale1 totally unacquainted with vision4 ,ladies and ,gentlemen whose eyes are weak will1 by using these extraordinary ,spectacles for two or three hours a week1 find their matchless qualities1 as they are ground in a peculiar way4 ,mr4 ---- will call with a large ,assortment4 ,,licensed ,,hawker1 ,,no4 ---- 999999 ,this ,circular will be called for4 ,,puff1 ,no4 #b4 ,the sight of the aged assisted by the ,improved ,spectacles1 upon unerring principles4 ,persons have been going round copying ,mr4 ----'s ,bill1 who is the only real original manufacturer of them8#ad it has been the cause of many persons nearly losing their sight1 ,mr4 ---- has had fifteen years practice on the eye3 there is such a monstrous difference in these improved glasses1 that one pair will serve a person his whole life4 ,the sight of the aged assisted1 the weak strengthened1 and the perfect improved1 by ,mr4 ----'s improved spectacles4 ,spectacles for those who have a full eye2 the glasses are ground in a peculiar manner4 ,blindness has took place from the ignorance of persons wearing the glasses in common use1 owing to the glasses drawing the eyes4 ,these glasses are highly recommended by professional gentlemen1 who view them to be the greatest improvement ever known2 they have gone through a different process1 which clarifies them1 and makes them the greatest improvement by candle light or dull day1 qualifying you to see the greatest length of time at one sitting2 those persons whose eyes are weak1 by using a pair of those extraordinary preservers for two or three hours will find they are ground in a peculiar manner4 ,a treatise will be given for the use of the ,improved glasses1 with advice gratis for all diseases of the eye4 ,mr4 ---- flatters himself he can perform the most difficult cures in the sight with the greatest ease2 there is no complaint of the eye but he is acquainted with4 ,mr4 ---- cautions the public against a person who is selling ,spectacles which pretend to be his4 ,mr4 ---- will call with a large ,assortment of ,improved glasses1 which will give satisfaction4 ,,licensed ,,hawker4 ,,puff1 ,no4 #c4 ,caution against a person taking the name of ,messrs4 ----1 the professional opticians3 and imposing upon ladies and gentlemen in selling shameful spectacles1 as ,messrs4 ---- improved1 and charging forty shillings1 while ,messrs4 ---- only charges for the same twenty shillings1 or1 with pebbles1 only fifteen shillings4 ,,permanent ,,relief for all disorders effecting the eyes1 and cases of dimness4 ,were it necessary1 ,a ,,host ,,of ,,cases might be named by which persons1 distinguished1 have1 by their improved scientific and successful using of their ,,improved ,,glasses been much benefitted4 ,the honourable patronage noticed at the head of this article1 and their hourly increasing patronage1 are proofs of their great skill and talent for ,,all ,,disorders ,,of ,,the ,,sight4 ,they have the honour to be professionally consulted by the chief families in the empire4 ,imperfect sight can only be handled properly by those who by deep study have a talent for ,,the ,,organs ,,of ,,sight4 ,many people injure their sight by buying improper spectacles1 whereas it is ,,the ,,especial ,,object of ,messrs4 ---- to rest the claim of patronage on those numerous persons of the first quality4 ,,the ,,nobility ,,and ,,gentry ,may be suited with ,spherical ,pellucid ,glasses1 of every class1 according to their exalted rank4 ,,the ,,mercantile ,,and ,,labouring ,,classes may have their daily toil sweetened by these improved glasses2 administered1 in cases of distress1 on terms accommodating to their situations in society4 ,,licensed ,,hawker1 ,no4 ----1 ,a4 ,,puff1 ,no4 #d4 ,for a short time only4 ,mr4 ----1 ,optician to their ,royal ,highnesses the ,prince and ,princess of ----1 ,king and ,queen of ----1 has the honour to inform the nobility and visitors of ----1 he has arrived from the ,london ,royal ,eye ,infirmary1 for a short time only4 ,a reference to the distinguished patronage he boasts1 will convince the public he possesses great skill in the ,optic ,line1 and is without a parallel when such organs as the eyes is liable to evils from common glass and pebbles1 one being no better than the other6 ,it is his imperative wish to guard the public against them2 therefore1 he announces his stay will be for a short period4 ,,licensed ,,hawker1 ,no4 ----1 ,b4 ,,puff1 ,no4 #e4 ,,may ,,be ,,consulted1 ,mynheer ----1 ,practical and ,professional ,optician1 ,surgeon-,oculist and ,surgeon-,dentist1 announces his arrival4 ,in all recent or chronic weakness1 a perfect cure is his far-famed ,keysell ,spectacles1 which have the density and translucency of a diamond1 and refractive preserving powers1 being composed from rare crystals1 produced from the ,carpathian ,rocks1 so highly recommended by the faculty4 ,mynheer ,m ---- being based upon the greatest perfection which the dento-chirurgical art can be carried1 can renovate all decay by his succedaneum1 which all the faculty of the continental cities recommend4 ,in two seconds it removes pain1 and lasts many years4 ,but it is to the ,keysell ,spectacles and ,terrence ,teeth that he would draw the eyes of his friends to3 they are fixed in the mouth so that it is impossible to remove them without wires4 ,they increase the beauty by their elegant matchlessness4 ,,licensed ,,hawker1 ,no4 ---- ,,puff1 ,no4 #f4 ,,positively ,,for ,,this ,,week ,,only4 ,messrs4 ---- have succeeded1 after fifteen years' professional practice1 and devoting their whole lives to the optic line1 in bringing out a wonderful translucency for the organs of sight1 coupled with a conductor for deafness4 ,this wonderful discovery brings faulty hearing to perfection4 ,they are so arranged and combined with scientific principles1 with the long practice of the inventors1 that they will allow such an extent of relief that will quite astonish every beholder4 ,they are anxious not to be confounded4 ,there are other people who pretend to the skill of ,messrs4 ----1 therefore the public are liable to be imposed upon4 ,inferior spectacles can be had of persons calling themselves opticians1 but ,messrs4 ---- think it is scarcely necessary to state1 that their improved ,translucency for ,spectacles1 and ,conductors for ,deafness1 are manufactured under their own eyes1 upon spherical principles4 ,,licensed ,,hawkers1 ,no4 ---- ,one of the ,firm may be professionally consulted from #aj to #f4 ,,puff1 ,no4 #g4 ,,important ,,discovery4 ,mr4 ----1 ,professional ,optician1 patronized by the faculty of ,london1 ,brighton1 ,bath1 ,edinburgh1 ,glasgow1 and ,paris4 ,spectacles ground and shaded on the exact principle of truth1 by ,mr4 ----1 the celebrated ,optician from the ,london ,optical ,establishment1 established for a number of years4 ,mr4 ----1 in consequence of the flattering encouragement he received from the first families1 he has established himself here for a short time4 ,he has made the study of vision his own1 and can remedy any organic defect1 neglect1 disease1 or imperfection4 ,many individuals of rank and royalty acknowledge the immense improvement4 ,mr4 ---- will send a treatise1 explaining every thing in the line1 to every house1 and will attend himself with a splendid quantity of improved glasses4 ,as several persons travel through the country in his name1 he begs the public to look at his patronage at the top of his circular4 ,he is the sole ,inventor of the ,improved glasses4 ,they have gone through an elaborate process1 they are therefore clarified and pellucid4 ,they throw a clearer light1 and more brilliant than any others4 999999 ,at home from #b till #f4 ,,licensed ,,hawker1 ,no4 ---- ,please to observe the brass plate in the window4 ,how often1 too1 accompanying such advertisements as the preceding1 do we find paragraphs1 in the laudatory style1 to some such effect as the following 7see also page #dd74 ,it requires but little penetration to arrive at a conclusion as to who are the authors of them4 ,,puff ,,paragraph1 ,no4 #a4--,we again call the attention of our readers to ,mr4 ---- and his valuable assortment of ,spectacles4 ,they are manufactured with extraordinary care1 and constructed upon the strictest scientific principles4 ,m4 ---- has for a long period past devoted his attention exclusively to that important branch of optics--the human eye2--and the proficiency he has attained of the complicated structure of that noble organ has enabled him to adapt glasses to every degree of defective vision4 ,but the highest panegyric which can be pronounced upon the skill of this artist1 is the unprecedented number of applications which have been made to him4 ,our readers will observe1 that his stay is restricted to a few days4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,puff ,,paragraph1 ,no4 #b4--,we have more than once had occasion to allude to the surreptitious conduct of individuals1 who are eager to profit by the established reputation of our resident opticians1 ,messrs4 ----1 who are about making arrangements for visiting all the neighbouring towns1 making this place their permanent residence4#ae ,the 8,messrs4 ----10 the 8resident10 the 8distinguished10 decamped at the expiration of three weeks4 ,,footnotes3 #ab ,the royal arms appear at the head of this elegant announcement4 7,query7 ,ought not the proper authorities to prohibit such vile use being made of the name of royalty4 #ac ,query--,exaction principle4 #ad ,were those individuals really manufacturers1 they would not require a ,licence to vend their articles4 ,see ,act of ,parliament1 #ej ,geo4 ,,iii4 cap4 #da1 sec4 #bc4 enacts3 8,provided always1 and it is hereby enacted1 that nothing in this ,act shall extend to prohibit any person or persons from selling any printed papers1 licensed by authority1 or any fish1 fruit1 or victuals2 nor to hinder the real worker or workers1 or maker or makers of any goods1 wares1 or manufactures of ,great ,britain1 or his1 her1 or their children1 apprentices1 or known agents or servants usually residing with such real workers or makers only1 from carrying abroad or exposing to sale1 and selling by retail or otherwise1 any of the said goods1 wares1 or manufactures of his1 her1 or their own making in any mart1 market1 or fair1 and in every city1 borough1 town corporate1 and market town4 ,nor any tinkers1 coopers1 glaziers1 plumbers1 harness makers1 or other persons usually trading in mending kettles1 tubs1 household goods1 or harness whatsoever1 from going about and carrying with him1 or them1 proper materials for mending the same40 #ae ,it is gratifying1 however1 to find that many editors of newspapers repudiate the iniquitous system1 perceiving that their readers might justly look upon them as participators in the fraud4 ,one of the puffing1 professional licensed hawkers entered the office of the ,reading newspaper1 and with the authoritative air of an ,alexander1 desired that his announcement should appear in the front column1 and the usual laudatory paragraph in another part of the paper4 ,he was informed that his advertisement could be inserted1 but that the proprietors had determined never to admit such insidious clap-trap notices1 which1 while they injured the resident tradesman1 and were looked upon as the bona fide opinions of the editor1 generally referred to matters of which he could not honestly express a favourable opinion4 ,the pedlar stood aghast6 8,what10 said he1 8not put in a paragraph8 ,why1 ,i'd sooner pay for a good paragraph than care about the advertisement at all40 ,his professional visit was of unusually short duration1 finding it impossible to bribe the press to trumpet forth his praise4 ,,chapter ,,vii4 8,it is a strange thing to behold what gross errors and extreme absurdities men do commit for want of a friend to tell them of the same6 ,the help of good counsel is that which setteth business straight40--,,bacon4 ,i have1 for many years1 visited nearly every town in the kingdom1 on commercial pursuits1 at intervals of six months2 and wherever ,i have met with the brazen advertisers alluded to1 ,i have issued public notices1 and inserted counter-advertisements1 to put my friends and the public on their guard against such egregious imposition4 ,such a step1 spiritedly carried out1 has uniformly proved successful1 and the notable pretenders have decamped from ,bath to ,norwich1 from ,brighton to ,carlisle1 sometimes assuming other names1 or changing the initial letters2 as ,s4 and ,e41 who had been vapouring away at ,norwich1 suddenly flitted to ,margate1 and there announced themselves as ,c4 and ,b41 the celebrated opticians from the ,royal ,eye ,infirmaries1 c4 c4 ,for low cunning and unprincipled trickery1 such adventurers as ,i have described1 stand unrivalled4 ,upon several occasions they have echoed my cautions1 and copied1 word for word1 remarks levelled at themselves2 hoping thus to shield themselves from detection1 and confuse the public in identifying them2 as the pick-pocket1 when the hue and cry is raised of stop-thief1 joins in the shout1 in order to allay suspicion4 ,it is in the provincial towns that such persons are most successful2 the game is seldom played in the metropolis with so much effect2 and although some of the tribe have been lately launching forth dashing advertisements in the ,london papers1 it is understood to be with the design of attracting country customers1 and overwhelming their dupes with an idea of their professional importance1 rather than with the expectation of effecting sales in ,london4 ,when they sally forth to 8fleece the natives10 who would think of questioning the abilities of such renowned opticians1 armed with testimonials1 credentials1 and certificates6 so recommended by the newspapers1 and patronized by such eminent practitioners866 ,the fair trader would defend himself at the same time that he unmasked imposture1 and protected his customers1 if1 when his neighbourhood is infested by such mountebanks1 he advertised the simple truth4 ,he would assuredly find 8,that those base slaves1 'ere yet the fight be done1 pack up40 ,a few extracts from the advertisements ,i have inserted in the ,london and provincial journals may be useful as specimens4 8,spectacle swindlers are now practising deceptions upon the public to an unparalleled extent6 ,they are principally wandering tribes of licensed hawkers1 who change their names1 or shift their residences1 as occasion requires2 copy the language of honest men1 and puff off1 as their own inventions1 the very articles1 which1 without a shade of difference1 have been regularly made and sold for above two hundred years4 ,to accomplish their designs of fleecing the public1 they resort to the most pompous and extravagant eulogiums on the peculiar virtues of their #8,saxon ,crystals6' #8,patent ,preservers6' #8,tinted ,amber6' and #8,light ,refractors6' ridiculous terms1 which they have invented1 and which1 embellished with a long list of distinguished names1 are calculated to entrap1 and impose upon the uninitiated4 8,spectacle wearers1 beware6 those tricksters1 with all their lofty pretensions1 are ignorant quacks4 ,their charges for the trash they foist upon you1 are beyond all precedent1 enormous6 8,the flagrant impositions daily practised on ,spectacle wearers1 by hawkers and ignorant pretenders1 imperatively demand exposure4 ,the boasting charlatans are certainly indebted to the silence of practical opticians for their successful career1 since persons requiring optical aid eagerly listen to whoever promises most4 ,to those who have been victimized not another word is necessary to direct their choice1 but experience calls on all who need optical remedies to profit by advice1 and procure such important scientific instruments only of the known working optician or his resident agent1 and thereby insure every advantage--better quality1 lower charges1 a liberal trial1 and an exchange if not approved of40 99 99 99 99 99 8,the patronage such individuals quote has never been bestowed1 or has been surreptitiously obtained4 ,mr4 ,c4 has documents from celebrated oculists stating this fact most unequivocally1 and authorizing him to give publicity thereto4 ,he has the gratification of knowing that his efforts to expose such fraudulent delusions1 to defend the fair trader1 and to protect the public1 have been properly appreciated by the reflecting and intelligent1 who perceive the impropriety of countenancing persons who resort to falsehood1 misrepresentation1 and dishonest artifices2 and allow the superior claim of the respectable resident shopkeeper1 whose charges are fair1 whose desire and interest it obviously must be to supply the article which will suit and to make any exchange or alteration if required4 8,beware of the tricksters who blazon forth their pretended discoveries1 in terms which1 however absurd and ridiculous1 nevertheless catch the attention2 and combined with an array of great names1 unbounded assurance1 and various manuvring devices1 enable them to foist their worthless wares upon purchasers at the most exorbitant prices4 8,such charlatans are the pests of science1 and speculators on the credulity of society4 8,mr4 ,c4 feels assured that his friends1 and the public generally1 will remark the necessity there is for some one1 practically acquainted with the science of optics1 to come forward and state the real facts of the case1 at a time when bombast and chicanery1 supported by the most shameless falsehoods1 are put forth by itinerant hawkers and pedlars--the pretended discoverers of a superior method of constructing glasses for spectacles4 ,he is anxious to expose such deceptions1 and to protect the ,spectacle wearer from the gross frauds and impositions continually practised in the sale of ,spectacles at enormous prices1 although made of the cheapest material1 and in the most inferior manner4 8,such ,spectacles are productive of endless annoyance to the wearer2 and1 instead of rendering any assistance are instruments of torture1 producing the most serious consequences to the sight1 owing to their imperfect construction and the misapplication of their powers to the purposes required4 8,persons requiring ,spectacles are earnestly recommended to seek advice and assistance from opticians or their agents1 of known respectability and experience1 who are capable of judging what kind of lenses are necessary in each particular case3 and to avoid those charlatans whose ignorance of optics is only equalled by their impudence1 in obtruding themselves into houses1 and alarming the occupiers by declaring that they perceive serious defects in their eyes1 the formation of cataract1 incipient blindness1 c41 in order to give an exalted idea of the value of the remedies they offer40 99 99 99 99 99 8,t4 ,h41 ,watch and ,clock maker1 agent to ,cox1 optician of ,london1 begs to caution his friends against the impositions of itinerant hawkers1 who boast of exalted patronage1 wonderful discoveries1 and superior skill in optics1 professing to suit the sight by merely examining #8the figure of the eye4' ,such individuals frequently enter into respectable houses1 and terrify ladies and gentlemen by declaring that they perceive serious defects in their eyes1 and1 of course1 that nothing can avert the evil but their wonderful ,spectacles2 sometimes pretending that their only motive in calling is from their wish to relieve mankind from the chances of losing their sight1 and to enable them to see as well at fourscore years of age as at twenty1 while their main object is to fill their pockets at the expense of those who have fallen into their snare4 8,the fallacy of their statements may always be ascertained by the parties taking medical opinion of known value1 and consulting a respectable optician4 8,it cannot be too generally known that the best glass lenses1 constructed on the most accurate principles1 suited to the purposes of vision1 and worked by hand1 can be had of all respectable opticians1 at from one shilling and sixpence to three shillings per pair1 shewing that there can be no occasion for persons1 who require a change of glasses in their spectacles1 to pay a guinea or thirty shillings1 and give up their old pebbles or glasses into the bargain4 8,a trick was practised at ,brighton1 during the season of #ahcd1 which shews that those certificated gentry do not hesitate at trifles4 8,two ,jews1 licensed hawkers1 inserted glowing advertisements in the ,brighton newspapers1 couched in their usual bombastic style1 but naming one gentleman only as having taken up his residence at ,brighton1 and stating that he would wait upon the nobility and gentry with a splendid stock of his wonderful and improved ,spectacles4 8,a man called at the houses of the gentry1 made many sales at the usual swindling prices1 and disarmed all suspicions by inviting the purchasers to call at his residence1 and make any exchange they pleased4 ,in some cases1 where the price was objected to1 or the parties were taken by surprise1 not having suspected that they wanted ,spectacles until this experienced professional optician told them they did1 they were1 notwithstanding imposed upon1 #8for1' said he1 #8to prove that ,i am anxious to preserve your sight1 which is rapidly leaving you1 and cataract is growing in your eyes1 these ,spectacles1 which are five pounds per pair1 ,i will leave you at half-price1 and you may pay me the balance at any time4' ,this offer appeared so very liberal that it succeeded in several instances1 and1 it is scarcely necessary to say1 left to the hawker forty shillings profit1 five pounds being only mentioned to get more easily the smaller sum4 8,but the most profitable part of the scheme is yet to be told4 ,those who purchased soon found that something was wrong--the patent preservers gave great uneasiness to the eyes1 which1 suffused with tears1 seemed to grieve at the simplicity and credulity of their owners4 ,the residence of ,mr4 ---- was besieged with complaining purchasers1 who1 when their turn arrived1 were ushered into the presence of the other of the partners1 and as the person who had sold them the ,spectacles promised to make any exchange they required1 they asked for a pair which would suit their sight1 or a return of the money paid4 ,the man they now saw looked at them1 and asked1 #8,am ,i the person who sold you the spectacles8' #8,why1 no1' was the reply1 #8,i cannot say you were the gentleman1 but he was uncommonly like you1 and he told me he would exchange the ,spectacles if they did not suit4' 8#8,then you had better find him and compel him to do so1 for the trash he has sold you will destroy your eyes and ruin your sight4 ,he is an impostor2 ,i know nothing of him4' #8,bless me1' said the disappointed purchaser1 #8what a scandalous shame6 what would you advise me to do now1 ,sir8' 8#8,why1 my ,spectacles are produced after twenty years of deep study and research1 and manufactured1 under my own eyes1 upon improved principles1 yet ,i only ask fifty shillings per pair2 but ,i am sorry for you and though those you have bought are vile rubbish1 ,i will take them in exchange1 and thirty-five shillings for my ,patent ,tinted ,crystals1 which are the only ,spectacles proper for the eyes4' ,thus the reader will perceive a double imposition was effected4 ,a41 after performing his part in the scheme of deception1 kept out of the way until ,b4 had completed the fleecing of the nobility1 gentry1 and public1 and in a few weeks the resident opticians were on their way to other places1 chuckling at their success1 and inventing fresh plans of operation40 99 99 99 99 99 ,page after page has been pirated from the works of eminent authors1 and palmed upon the public as their own composition2 consequently1 though the advice may be excellent1 the parties from whom it appears to emanate are vile plagiarists1 whose practice is quite uninfluenced thereby4 ,when imposture disguises itself in such a plausible form the difficulty of detection is increased1 therefore our best security against deception is to transact business with men of known reputation4 ,the resident tradesman has a character for fair and honourable dealing to maintain4 ,he can be appealed to if any exchange or alteration is requisite1 and the spirit of fair competition1 now abroad1 is the best security against overcharge from him2 while the itinerant vender and pompous advertiser has to repay himself for such forced and expensive means of getting custom by exacting great prices1 pushing off coarse and inferior goods1 and practising any dishonest trick rather than not effect a sale of his wares4 ,it may be said1 with great truth1 8his articles are not cried up because they are things that ought to be desired1 but they are desired because they are generally cried up40 ,the ,liverpool ,mercury of ,friday1 ,sep4 #aeth1 #ahcd1 has some remarks on this subject1 which1 as they are important and appropriate to our purpose1 ,i transcribe3-- 8,we beg to caution our readers against the arts of all those who profess to supply the public with superior ,spectacles2 we have been for many years connected with the business1 and we can assure the public that the ,spectacle glasses sold by the advertising eye quacks are precisely the same as those provided by any respectable optician1 the only difference being in the price4 ,the charlatan varies his charge according to the gullibility of his dupes2 sometimes he puts up with double the proper and regular price1 but more frequently he exacts three or four times more than a regular and honest optician charges4 ,we recollect a once famous optical quack1 in ,london1 who made a large fortune by cheating the public4 ,he advertised his superior glasses1 which he assured the public were all ground to the true parabolic curve by his own hand1 and for each of these glasses he charged four shillings1 whilst the working optician who lived a few doors from him1 and who furnished him with all his glasses1 could only get nine pence for the very article for which the puffing eye doctor charged four shillings4 ,as we knew both the parties we pledge ourselves to the fact1 and1 in conclusion1 we advise the public to have nothing to do with quacks1 whether they be scientific quacks1 who are plentiful enough1 or other quacks1 who swindle people out of their health and cash at the same time40 ,,chapter ,,viii4 8,who will1 for him1 may boast of sense1 ,his better guard is impudence40 ,in the early part of the present year ,i addressed letters to several gentlemen who figure in the list of patrons to the advertising ,spectacle quacks1 and enclosed a copy of the advertisements in which their names had appeared as giving unqualified approval to the trickster's invention4 ,from the specimens ,i have given of such advertisements it is unnecessary to give a verbatim copy again here2 and as the truths which this correspondence elicits apply to one and all of the puffing tribe1 ,i have omitted the names of the individuals particularly alluded to1 my object being to expose a system of villainy1 and not to denounce one or two rapacious creatures1 while the rest of the clique escape detection4 ,therefore1 although many of the remarks in these pages may seem to have only a local or particular reference1 they are applicable to the whole tribe of locusts1 and describe the species too definitely to admit of mistake4 ,the characters sketched are not caricatures1 but1 unfortunately for the eyes of her majesty's lieges1 really exist in propri person4 ,feeling assured that the ,duke of ,wellington would rejoice to see an exposure of such tricksters1 ,i forwarded to him a copy of ,spectacle ,secrets1 and the following acknowledgment was promptly returned3-- ,walmer ,castle1 ,nov4 #aa1 #ahch4 ,the ,duke of ,wellington presents his compliments to ,mr4 ,cox1 and has received his letter and the work referred to3 he is much obliged to ,mr4 ,cox for the communication4 99 99 99 99 99 ,copy of a ,letter to ,,frederick ,,tyrell1 ,esq4 ,,sir1--,the advertisement enclosed frequently appears in the daily and weekly newspapers1 to which1 as your name is attached1 ,i beg to direct your attention1 and solicit an answer to the following questions at your earliest convenience4 #ast4--,have you proved the superior efficacy of the ,spectacles1 7as stated in the advertisement71 and consider they merit your unqualified approbation8 #bnd4--,will you oblige me by stating what peculiar advantages you consider them to possess over the usual ,spectacles1 manufactured by the ,london opticians8 #crd4--,does your approval extend to all the ,spectacles sold by the advertiser1 or to those which he designates ,amber ,spectacles only8 ,i remain1 ,sir1 yours obediently1 ,,george ,,cox4 ,to ,frederick ,tyrell1 ,esq4 99 99 99 99 99 ,mr4 ,,tyrell',s ,reply4 #ag1 ,new ,bridge ,street1 ,blackfriars4 ,january #bith1 #ahch4 ,,sir1--,in reply to your letter respecting ,mr4 ---- ,i have to state1 ,first1 ,that ,i am not acquainted with any institution which is designated 8,the ,royal ,eye ,infirmary10 to which he states that he is optician4 ,the ,royal ,ophthalmic ,hospital1 in ,moorfields1 is sometimes so called1 but ,mr4 ---- is not optician to that institution4 ,secondly1 ,that ,mr4 ---- has not any permission from me to make use of my name in advertisements1 as approving of any glass1 spectacles1 or other articles he may either manufacture or sell4 ,and thirdly1 ,that ,i do not consider his glasses to be in any respect superior to those manufactured by other persons in the trade4 ,you are at liberty to make use of this communication in any way you deem proper to counteract ,mr4 ----'s advertisements4 ,i remain yours respectfully1 ,,frederick ,,tyrell4 ,to ,mr4 ,george ,cox4 99 99 99 99 99 ,j4 ,hodson1 ,esq41 consulting ,oculist to the ,eye ,infirmary1 ,birmingham1 resolved upon coming to ,london to give me his disclaimer1 rather than incur any chance of misrepresentation from an unjustifiable use being made of his signature1 he being an entire stranger to me before ,i addressed him upon this subject4 ,he authorizes me to state that ,mr4 ---- has no authority or right whatever to make use of his name4 ,about four years since a man came to his surgery1 and introducing himself as the inventor of roseate tint preservers and amber spectacles1 showed him a pair in silver frames1 and1 expatiating upon their wonderful properties1 mentioned the names of several leading surgeons and oculists who had inserted their signatures in a book which he handed to ,mr4 ,hodson1 who1 without suspecting the design of the knave1 added his to the list1 for the same reason1 he said1 that folks do so at a watering place1 a library1 or as having visited or seen some particular exhibition--in fact1 because it was customary to do so4 ,four or five days afterwards the same individual called again1 apparently in great haste1 and requested ,mr4 ,h4 to lend him two sovereigns1 as he had immediate occasion for that sum4 ,he produced a pair of amber spectacles1 and said1 8,i will leave these as security until ,i return the money40 ,mr4 ,h4 began now to suspect the fellow1 and guessed it to be very unlikely that he would trouble himself to redeem the ,spectacles 7worth about twelve shillings7 if he succeeded in raising two pounds upon them2 he therefore referred him to a pawnbroker in the neighbourhood1 whose business it was to enter into such arrangements1 which were1 clearly quite foreign to his1 ,mr4 ,h4's practice4 ,mr4 ,hodson has ever since regretted having 7though inadvertently7 given his signature1 which1 as the reader will perceive1 is solicited as a mere matter of form1 and is then made the most unwarrantable use of1 involving the parties in many dilemmas1 and exposing them to the ridicule and reprehension of every intelligent observer4 ,the fact is1 if one signature of an eminent person can be procured by dint of false representation or plausible pretence1 the rest follow as a matter of course2 thus ,mr4 ,hodson signed his name1 seeing that some of the 8heads of colleges0 were there inscribed4 ,mr4 ,soden1 of ,bath1 gave his signature because ,mr4 ,ledsam had given his2 and ,mr4 ,ledsam signed because ,mr4 ,hodson had done so4 ,mr4 ,alexander1 ,oculist to the ,royal ,family1 was waited upon by one of the crafty crew1 whose object was to get his signature at all hazards4 ,the fellow fawned and entreated1 but was sternly resisted by ,mr4 ,a4 who showed him the door1 and declared1 if he presumed to make use of his name1 in his quack advertisements1 he would set a solicitor to work immediately4 ,copy of a ,letter from ,,robert ,,keate1 ,esq41 ,surgeon in ,ordinary to ,her ,majesty4 ,albemarle ,street1 ,july #ag1 #ahch4 ,,sir1--,although ,i do not consider myself bound to reply to the questions put to me by you1 being in utter ignorance of the use which you propose to make of my answer2 yet ,i can have no hesitation in saying that ,i think ,mr4 ---- has been guilty of an unpardonable liberty in publishing my name1 without my sanction1 and more especially in appending it to the document 7a copy of which you sent to me71 and to which ,i have never affixed my signature4 ,i was requested to look at ,m ----'s amber spectacles1 and ,i saw no others2 and looking through them on a day when the sun shone brightly1 they appeared to me to soften the light more than crystal or pebbles2 and seeing the names of many eminent surgeons and oculists attached to various certificates1 ,i wrote and signed what ,i have stated above1 and ,i believe no more2 namely1 that the amber spectacles seemed to soften the light more than the pebbles4#af ,i am not aware of having seen any other sort2 and certainly ,i have not ventured to sign my approval of these1 or of any others4 ,i am1 ,sir1 your obedient servant1 ,,robert ,,keate4 ,to ,mr4 ,george ,cox4 ,i could give the disclaimers of other gentlemen who have been trepanned into giving their signatures1 which are afterwards so pompously paraded by the testimonialed and certificated adventurers2 but these will suffice to illustrate the working of the system4 8,a wise physician1 skill'd our wounds to heal1 ,is more than armies to the public weal40--,,pope4 ,i cannot but feel gratified1 that this correspondence1 while it has substantiated my arguments1 affords an opportunity for those gentlemen to explain the real truth of the matter1 and to exonerate themselves from the contaminating connexion1 which appeared to place their reputation for that 8quality called honesty0 in jeopardy4 ,i have received several impromptu effusions from humorous correspondents in different parts of the kingdom1 where ,i have been and unmasked the impositions of spectacle cheats4 ,one says-- 8,they make not spectacles1 you say2 ,with that ,i can't agree1 ,both wife and ,i have worn their trash1 ,now spectacles are we40--,,quiz4 ,another-- 8,a celebrated chemist has ascertained1 by very accurate analysis1 that there is enough brass in the countenances of the spectacle men of ,duke's ,place and ,petticoat ,lane to make spectacle-frames for all the spinsters in the neighbourhood40--,,satirist4 ,i have1 of course1 laid myself open to the furious and vindictive hostility of those quacks1 whose nefarious practices are exposed1 and whose career will be checked in proportion as this treatise is circulated and dispassionately perused4 ,but1 secure of the approbation of all my readers who will avail themselves of the information contained in these pages1 ,i may conclude with satisfaction1 since ,friends ,i have made whom envy must commend1 ,and not one foe whom ,i would wish a friend4 ,,the ,,end4 ,r4 ,,cottle1 ,,printer1 ,,basingstoke4 ,,footnotes3 #af ,when the eyes are distressed and overwhelmed with light1 any shade or screen is viewed with satisfaction4 ,coloured glasses 8soften the light0 more naturally1 and present to the eye equal and parallel surfaces3 parasols1 veils1 and even opaque substances1 may thus be said to shield the eye1 and 8modify bright and strong light10 but it would be as ridiculous to consider these as fit mediums for the ordinary purposes of vision1 as it is to select amber for the purpose4 ,transcriber's ,notes pg #dc ,changed3 and the eminent individval himself to3 and the eminent individual himself pg #de ,changed3 ground in a pecular manner to3 ground in a peculiar manner pg #de ,changed3 the only real original manufacter of them to3 the only real original manufacturer of them pg #di ,changed3 received from the first familes to3 received from the first families pg #fj ,changed3 charge according to the gullibilty of his dupes to3 charge according to the gullibility of his dupes pg #fa ,changed3 being to expose a system of villany to3 being to expose a system of villainy pg #fb ,changed3 ,the ,royal ,opthalmic ,hospital1 in ,moorfields to3 ,the ,royal ,ophthalmic ,hospital1 in ,moorfields