THE BLINKING EYE

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1523, 20 August 1912, Page 8

THE BLINKING EYE

• fA "CURE" FOR INSOMNIA. Alexander Robitschek, a young Austrian, has invented a machine which he olainis will euro the most obsfcinato cases , of insomnia (says the "New York Herald"). His inventive faculty was stimulated in this direction by- tho sad case of his landlady, who had insomnia in an ooute form. Bobitschek made a study of tie mutter, and after a day and a night he announced that ho had perfected the Bobitschekoscope, a simple device, like many another great invention or discovery. In brief, it is tiro eyes fashioned of phosphorous, with eyelids of black cloth suspended from a thin wire. A pendulum causes the eyelids to swing up and down, in <tlie manner of blinking. Tne inventor says that looking upon the blinking' eye.?, like imagining the fight of sheep jumping over a fence, will immediately put one to sleep. But his invention is much better than the shren chase, he admits. "I made a working model," he paid, "and the first night I tried it on my landlady. T did not 'we any clorl; arrangement fitted to the mni'hino, «o T had to stand in an outer room and pull a string to keep the pendulum in motion. She sn id -die did not count fifty Wore she dozed off. T hiing it mi a siring in front of my Imml one night, and I w»« aslopp before I knew it. Ido not intend To patent the machine, T am doing it for the benefit of humanity, that giVat legion of persons who cannot sleep when they wish to. This .thins is «a good thai: if you u<o it in a ihrkpiiod room after yon awake from a frc.-hi-ned sloop it. will put yon back to sleep in a few minute*." The landlady goes to sleep at dark every night now and sleeps 50 latp, free from all signs of insomnia, that Kobih'c.hek is often late for work, having ( 0 wait: for a late breakfast. Beside? insnmnin patients,, the machine is lecommend- . Ed by the inventor-to the wives of hus\)3.nos who are afflicted with "auti-.-lesp-ing sickness," and only come home eiicli night for a short nan and to shave before hurrying to work ag-niii.

Tlio inventor agreed thnt a phonostrapbir attachment with jons> and nils would assist in bringing the machine to a higher state of perfection.