FONG WAN - Library

THE BEST EYE GLASSES ARE OF CHINESE ORIGIN
For many centuries the Chinese have worn eye glasses, not only to
improve their vision, but also to restore their eyes to normalcy. Be-
fore manufacturing eye glasses, the Chinese studied Nature and based
their ideas on her five principal elements, viz., the mineral, vegetation,
water, fire and earth elements.
The best Chinese eye glasses are made of natural water-crystal
rock, instead of being manufactured from artificial glass. This water-
crystal rock is obtainable either in high mountain streams or in places
where the sun seldom shines. It is always as cold as snow. When it is
made into eye glasses it has a tendency to draw the heat from the
eyes. When a person uses his eyes steadily for any length of time the
eye muscles are weakened and the eyes sometimes become inflamed, as
well as very tired. The crystals, being so cold and belonging to the
water element, counteract the heat, "the fire element," in the eyes and
keep them cool.
In addition to benefiting the eyes by using rock crystals for eye
glasses, the Chinese use tortoise shell eye glass rims. The tortoise
spends most of its life in deep water. It is dark in color. Both its
nature and color belong to the water element. The water-crystal rock
and the tortoise shell rims therefore harmonize and constitute a com-
plete outfit for protection and benefit of the eyes.
These crystal eye glasses with tortoise shell rims are worn chiefly
by Chinese officials and scholars. Only recently has the Chinese idea
for making eye glasses been adopted by other nations. However, these
nations make extensive use of inflammable celluloid (composed chiefly
of soluble guncotton and camphor) and artificial glass in imitation of
the color and appearance of the Chinese glasses. Not only does this
imitation fail to give the benefit of the genuine crystal and tortoise
shell rim eye glasses, but it perhaps accounts for the fact that eye
glasses have to be changed or refitted so frequently
in Occidental
countries. Persons who wear eye glasses are seldom able to differ-
entiate between good and poor glass, worn in front of their eyes. The
writer of this article prefers to care for his eyes by taking properly
compounded herbs.
In addition to the rock crystal, which is Nature's, element, there are
herbs for the eyes which have helped many people when the eye spe-
cialists have failed.
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