While watching Amends (third season episode in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (don’t judge!)), The First were introduced with their eyes sewn shut. I immediately wondered if there were any cases in the early 1900s of people being found with their eyes sewn shut. What I found was far more horrible and far more barbaric than I could have imagined.
1. The Hogs Kept Eating His Chickens
In 1916, a Pleasant Valley, NJ farmer got himself into a bit of trouble. You see, his hogs kept eating his young chicken and so, instead of providing a safe place for the chickens, he decided to sew up the hogs’ eyes. According to one report, the farmer said “his father had taught him the method of stitching up the eyelids of the pigs to prevent them from seeing the chickens.”
While the farmer saw nothing wrong with what he was doing, the man was arrested for animal cruelty and was brought before a judge. He was fined $20. [1]
2. A Cure for Pecking
Again in 1916, a woman was charged with cruelty to animals. Mrs. Mary of Oregon had a pecking problem with three of her hens. Whenever they would hatch a new batch of chicks, the hens would peck at them mercilessly. The only solution to the problem in Mary’s mind was to get out the sewing needle and thread.
After it was discovered that she had sewed the chickens’ eye shut, she was charged with cruelty to animals. [2]
3. Severe Animal Abuse
This following article was published in 1902. It upset me so greatly that I could not paraphrase what happened. [3]
4. Mustangs
Wild horses, caught by Native Americans in 1910, were hobbled (“one front foot is bound up”) to prevent them from running. To tame the wild horses, they sewed their eyes shut. [4]
