eye stone

[oaf]

I have a small stone which has been past down through my family for 3 generations. I am told it originally came from the west indies. It is refered to in my family as an "eye stone". My mother says she remembers that the local country doctor used to send people to here grandfathers house to use this "eye stone" if they had some small object such as hay or piece of wood or metal filing stuck in their eye and couldn't get it out. They would place the small stone in their eye. They would roll their eye around until the stone found the foreign object and fell out. The story says that you are supposed to store the stone in a bowl of sugar. The sugar disappears after some time and you need to add more periodically.

Do you have any information on what I have? I have been unable to find anything about it on line.

[China Doll]

Hi Oaf,

I've not heard of an eye stone... but have a small interest in stones in general... and I know there's at least one geologist who frequents these pages... so perhaps if you can describe the stone a little that might help? At the moment my first thought was a Tigers eye but I suspect that's a little too obvious...

[heathfield]

From "The Lady's Receipt-Book; a Useful Companion for Large or Small Families" by Eliza Leslie, published by Carey and Hart, Philidelphia, 1846

TO APPLY AN EYE-STONE.--Eye-stones are frequently used to extract motes from the eye, sparks from steam-engines, and other extraneous substances. They are to be procured at the druggists'. They cost but two or three cents a piece; and it is well to get several, that in case one fails you may try another. To give an eye-stone activity, lay it for about five minutes in a saucer of vinegar and water; and if it is a good one it will soon begin to move or swim round in the liquid. Then wipe it dry, and let it be introduced beneath the eye-lid, binding a handkerchief closely round the eye. The eye-stone will make the circuit of the eye, and in its progress take up the mote, which it will bring with it, when on the pain ceasing, the handkerchief is removed. Eye-stones are the eyes of lobsters.

We live and learn!

[Clanad]

The same effect can be obtained from inserting a single flax seed. My Mom used this many times when I was a child and it does work...