Chapter I: Preface

Every effort of human ingenuity professing to remove or lessen pain and inconvenience, is, naturally enough, hailed with approbation, and the public require not so much to be aroused to estimate fully the advantages proposed, as to be guarded against implicit belief and heedless confidence in the value and importance of the remedy. It is, however, of the utmost importance to be accurately informed what kind of benefit we may fairly expect from the use of the given means, and to what extent this benefit may be obtained; and yet the man who steps forward to state this plainly and fairly, too often fails of the success which his undertaking deserves. Experience proves that such endeavours have been contemned by some, looked upon with cold indifference by others, and viewed with suspicion by nearly all. We are too apt to suspect interested motives, to doubt the sincerity, and undervalue the abilities of men, who have devoted their lives, and the force of their talents, to a particular pursuit; and then, as though this cunning incredulity was closely allied to implicit credence in the wildest chimeras, we become ready listeners, and passive victims, to pompous and plausible charlatans, who make the largest promises, alike indifferent to the practicability or usefulness of their specifics. “It is a great mistake,” said an able English statesman of the last century, “to suppose men harmless because they are blockheads; the dunce thinks neither of country nor of consequences in the pursuit of his petty interests and passions, which may, and often do, lead him to work the greatest public calamities.”

I have refrained from advancing any crude theoretical opinions, which might fairly be questioned. The information conveyed in these pages is of a practical character; has stood the purifying test of time; and, being based upon the immutable principles of optical science, courts every enquiry and challenges all investigation.

My object has been to provide the public with a compendium of sound and standard information on this most interesting and essential subject, in order that, possessing themselves of the truth, and becoming conversant with the real merits of the question, they may no longer be the victims of ignorant, designing, and knavish speculators, who so mercilessly practise on their credulity. 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’ standing, and, at the same time, have endeavoured to condense in one publication the essence of many voluminous treatises.

“It is only by condensing, simplifying, and arranging in the most lucid manner possible, the acquired knowledge of past generations, that those to come can be enabled to avail themselves to the full of the advanced point from which they will start.”

I have only to add, that though I would not desire to offend the critical acumen of any of my readers, yet, having but little leisure, and those moments of rest being snatched from the busy whirl of commercial pursuits, I have been much more anxious to give solid information in language universally understood, and divested of technicalities, than to employ nice set terms, chosen to please the critic’s curious ear.

GEORGE COX.

The first edition of this work having found a ready sale, spite of all the opposition and abuse lavished against it by the itinerant _opticians_, I have reprinted it with such improvements as the kindness of friends and my own experience have suggested.

128, HOLBORN HILL, LONDON,
_January, 1844_.

Reviewers’ Opinions of this Work.

“The information which this little book contains is really very good and very applicable to the instruction both of the short-sighted, who never reflect before they buy, and of the very long-sighted, who, from excess of cunning in the search of great bargains, are, like our friend Moses in the Vicar of Wakefield, open to very _gross_ impositions in the matter of spectacles and their very _chagrin_ cases. 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 quacks. But this is not all: though a simple monograph of the frauds of one trade, the book may be generalized into “a manual of the whole art of puffing,” and an exposure of the silly credulity of the public in all its branches. Mr. Cox also discloses some of the machinery of newspaper puffing in a way which almost tempts us to claim it as “our thunder,” it is so much in unison with our published opinions on the subject.”

_Athenæum._

“In this well-written work Mr. Cox has given a popular description of the eye, and the adaptation of spectacles to correct constitutional defects or organic disease: by attention to a few simple rules which he lays down, any one may effectually fortify himself against the artful representations of dishonest dealers in spectacles “made to sell.” The public is indebted to Mr. Cox for having exposed the tricks of the insidious marauders in several towns in which they were practising their impositions, and his tract contains some correspondence between him and several eminent surgeons, from which it appears that they had been represented as vouching for pretended improvements in spectacles, of which they either knew nothing at all, or with regard to which they themselves had been deceived by the fraudulent pretenders.”

_Christian Advocate._

“This is a useful little work, treating on a subject of universal importance—namely, defining the laws by which deficiency of sight can be assisted, founded on scientific principles, and aided by extensive observation in a long practice; we would recommend a perusal of the pamphlet to such as are about to seek the aid of the maker of spectacles.”

_Morning Advertiser._

“This little _brochure_ is correct, ingenious, and useful: moreover, it is valuable as exposing the gross ignorance, impostures, and frauds of Jews, pedlars, and other locomotive quacks. The humbug of _amber_ spectacles, _coloured_ pebbles, clarified crystals, &c., is here thoroughly exploded. Altogether the information in this pamphlet is well deserving of attention.”

_Aldine Magazine._

“An amusing exposure of the puffing and swindling systems pursued by some self-styled opticians, from which besides may be gathered a good deal of sound, practical information.”

_Era._

“If every body’s sight were impaired, we should strongly hope that this little treatise would become universally known; but as we have reason to believe there are some people in the world who can see a little, we shall only address ourselves to the former, to whom we can confidently recommend the perusal of this talented work. Besides a great deal of necessary and sound information on the use and nature of spectacles, we find a number of _exposés_ of the tricks pursued by many unprincipled persons styling themselves opticians, which is put forth by the author in a very distinct manner.”

_Blackwood’s Lady’s Magazine._

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

Page.

Invention of Spectacles and Burning Glasses 1

Examination of Opticians—Artful Impositions 2

Duke of Wellington and the Bubble Schemes 4

Basis of Optical Knowledge—Physiology of the Eyes 6

CHAPTER II.

Failure of Sight and the Application of Spectacles 10

Lenses—how to determine their Focal Lengths 12

Brazil Pebbles—Periscopic and Parallel Lenses—Process of 13

Working—Tests of Quality—and Experiment 14

Railroad Spectacles—Neutral Tint Shades 16

Country-made Spectacles—Trial Box of Sight 18

CHAPTER III.

A Visit to the Optician—Rules for selecting Spectacles 21

Spectacle Frames—Russian Remedy for Short Sight 24

Solid Blue Steel Spectacles 26

Anti-pressure Spectacles—Single Eye Glasses injurious 27

Prices of Spectacles 28

CHAPTER IV.

Specious Quackery—Testimonial Writers 30

Amber Spectacles analysed—Puffing Advertisement 33

Opinions of Dr. Neill Arnott, Dollond, Curtis, &c. 34

Absurdity and Ignorance of Puffing Advertisers, 36

CHAPTER V.

Instances of Gross Imposition—Clarified Crystals and
Coloured Pebbles! 37

Naval and Military Officers—Definition of LAW 39

Ladies and Spectacles—Persevering Roguery 41

An Old Clothes Man Metamorphosed 43

CHAPTER VI.

Specimens of Puffing Advertisements, 44

Royal Patronage—Cataract Alarmists 45

Abstract of Act of Parliament 46

Newspaper Paragraphs, 50

CHAPTER VII.

Provincial and Metropolitan Scheming 52

Public Cautions—Tricks at Brighton 56

Liverpool Mercury—Parabolic Cheats 60

CHAPTER VIII.

Correspondence with the Duke of Wellington 61

—— Frederick Tyrell, Esq. J. Hodson, Esq. 62

Signatures of J. Soden, Esq., J. F. Ledsam, Esq.,
—— Alexander, Esq. 64

Correspondence with Robert Keate, Esq. 64

Pretended Discoveries, Humorous Scraps, &c. 66

SPECTACLE SECRETS.