Commentary for Avodah Zarah 56:11
וכי מדידי הוא דמר שמואל היא ההיא אמתא דהואי בי מר שמואל דקדחא לה עינא בשבתא צווחא וליכא דאשגח בה פקעא עינא למחר נפק מר שמואל ודרש עין שמרדה מותר לכוחלה בשבת מאי טעמא דשורייני דעינא באובנתא דליבא תלו
[Rav Judah said]: Was it on my own authority [that I permitted it?] It was on that of Mar Shmuel. It once happened to a maid-servant in Mar Shmuel's house that her eye became inflamed on a Sabbath. She cried, but no one attended her and her eye dropped. The next day Mar Shmuel went out and expounded that if one's eye gets out of order it is permissible to paint it on Shabbat. What is the reason? Because the tendons of the eye are dependent upon the valves of the heart.
Daf Shevui to Avodah Zarah
Sadly, the rabbis learn how serious eye injuries can be from the maid servant who cries out in pain, but no one pays attention to her because they do not want to transgress Shabbat.
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