Your Eyes are Like a Japs.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 25 September 1914, Page 8

Your Eyes are Like a Japs.

\ WHY THEY UOOK DIFFERENT. i We call the Japanese "alniondj eyed" and the Chinese "slit-eyed," \ and most of us are apt to suppose ! that their eyes arc; of entirely dif- '■ ferent shape from our own. But ] such is not the case. The eyes of j all the races are practically alike in shape, their difference in appearance being due solely to a dilferj ence in the opening of the lids. I Among the Caucasians when the eyelids are drawn open the outer and inner ends of the lids form a straight, horizontal line. The lids open wide without any special effort, presenting- the effect of the full eye. Among the Chinese and other Mongolians the lids do not open so far, and on this account they are often spoken of as "slit-eyed." Also the line from the inner to the outer corner of their eyes is not perfectly horizontal, the outer end being slightly higher than the inner corner, thus giving the effect of what is termed the "almond eye." In the Caucasian eye the end of the tearduct at the inner corner is plainly visible, but in the Mongolian eye a fold of skin comes down over this, and only when the lid is lifted by the hand can the end of the tearduct be seen. This peculiar formation is characteristic of the Mongolian eye and of no other. Sometimes this kind of eye appears in very young Caucasian children, giving their eyes the almond shape. Another peculiarity of the Mongolian eye is that the lid seems to hang straight from the brow, instead of being sunken over the eyeball, as among Caucasians. When a Japanese? looks downwards the upper lid is stretched out over the eyeball, and the lower lid intorferete with the vision. On account of this peculiarity some scientists claim that the Mongolian eye is intended chiefly for looking straight ahead or upward. Among the Japanese the brown iris of the eye is partially covered, but in Europeans it is always free. In Japanese children the fold of the upper lid is especially marked. The inner corner of the eye is a semii circular fold, resting upon the I lower lid, and even covering its I edge. The outer edige is pointed, thus giving the typical almond shape to the eye. Tt is claimed that the flat noses of the Japanese have much to do with these special characteristics of the eyelid, which give their eyes such a different aspect from our own.