Points — a thing so universal and habitual what to do justice to greatness of this invention somehow even does not come to mind. And meanwhile, still 800 years ago points were unknown, and 1000 years ago no means of correction of the spoilt sight existed at all. Short-sighted young men could not choose for themselves many kinds of activity even if they to them had abilities. The age far-sightedness overtaking at mature age everything, compelled the most active members of a society to depart from affairs when they only reached the blossoming of knowledge and skill, — because of a far-sightedness they could not read (in particular to supervise account books) and to write, or to perform thin, masterful work. Absence of points in this connection, resulted not only in personal dependence and dependence of people with bad sight, but was also a brake on a way of development of all society — cultures, sciences, commerce, crafts and arts.
Points were included into the use in the Middle Ages. Exact date and a place of their invention, as well as their founder, are unknown. Properties of lenses to increase the image of subjects or to do by their more accurate, apparently, were known in Ancient Rome. The Roman emperor Neron who had weak sight, under the legend, used specially ground stone — smaragdom (emerald) when observed fight of gladiators on arena. Its teacher, philosopher Seneka, noticed, that at examining through the glass sphere filled with water, the small and not clear letter it seems more largely and razborchivee.
In 1280 the attention steklovara was involved with a drop of the fallen asleep glass. The master took it in hands and has seen, that it is capable to increase subjects. Then at it the idea of use of this feature for correction of senile sight was born. So in 1280 there was a first documentary fixed prototype of points.
In 1300-1301 the Venetian state council does not allow to use bad glass for manufacture of points; these purposes suits only good, that is crystal.
Thus, it is possible to consider, that in the end of HSH centuries in Italy points already well-known. However long time they were very expensive, that spoke difficulty of manufacturing of rather pure and transparent glasses. They along with jewelry were included in the wills by kings, princes and other rich people.
However, demand for points then big was not. Very few people was able to read and write in those days, was also books a little: hand-written prayer books, chronicles, compositions of ancient classics. Therefore men of means used points only formed, most.
When in the middle of XV century publishing has been invented, the requirement for points has increased also: their advantage for suffering a far-sightedness became obvious. Concave glasses for the short-sighted have been invented considerably later-in XVI century.
That at lens edges did not appear skoly, a lens have started to frame obodkami: at first wooden, and later the horn. Then masters have thought up to connect obodki a handle to a pin, like scissors. Though it was and it is not so convenient, but nevertheless has allowed to fix somehow lenses on a nose. The idea to adhere a string for obodki frames and to hook on it behind ears has appeared only in XVI century.
After occurrence zaushnikov masters have thought up rigid connection obodkov on the centre. So points had a nose bridge, and process of formation of basic elements ochkovoj frames has ended. Numerous variations concerned different cultures (for example, rope outsets have been applied earlier and were used longer in the east owing to a structure of the person of local inhabitants).
Level with the frame form in each country materials for manufacturing of frames developed also. In Europe as the main criterion simplicity of processing and profitability acted. In the east the main emphasis became on magic properties of materials. For example, the turtle, therefore a frame made of a tortoise armour was considered as a longevity symbol, should make a long-liver of the one who carries it. For lenses sacred stones, such as rock crystal, transparent or smoky quartzes, amethyst and topazes were often used. Frequently these lenses have not been intended for sight correction, they only protected eyes that underlines a status role of points which people of a certain rank could carry only. It is interesting to recollect, that traditionally the emperor was esteemed as the son of the sun on the earth, therefore come nearer to it court could, only having put on points, as though protecting eyes at a meeting with a deity.
As it is paradoxical, doctors during the long period disapproved of points. So, known Saxon oculist George Bartish, the author of one of the first managements by the eye illnesses, published in 1583, forbade to wear glasses and considered their harmful to eyes.
Only in XIX century, thanks to works of such scientists as Ship's boys, Gelmgolts and Donders, the optical defects which have opened essence of an eye (short-sightedness, far-sightednesses, astigmatizma, senile easing of sight), selection of points finds a strong scientific basis and to it start to be engaged doctors. To the beginning of our century the technology of this selection which basically is not differing from the today's is developed: at first by means of devices objectively define defect of sight and its degree, and then select the lenses in the best way correcting this defect.