Was this a really big problem at the time? Big enough that people needed to carry around portable cinder pluckers? A safety-first device, small enough to carry in a vest pocket, has been invented by A. F. Ouellet, of New York City, in 1929 to aid in removing cinders or dust particles from your eyes.
A five-power magnifying mirror, one inch in diameter, is fitted with a wire clamp by which it is attached to the little finger of the left hand. While the mirror is held before the irritated eye, the thumb and forefinger of the same hand push back the eyelids, and a folded piece of soft paper, cut to a point, is manipulated by the right hand to remove the dust speck. The eye that is being treated observes the action.
Besides magnifying the eye, the mirror reflects light on the spot where the irritating particle is located. The mirror and clamp fit into a small case for carrying in a man’s pocket or in a woman’s hand bag.
