Two Extracts of Letters, Concerning an Opticall Experiment, Conducive to a Decay'd Sight,Together with Some Notes, Referring to the Observations about a Blemish in Horse-Eyes,Publisht Numb. 32. A Remarque Touching the GreaterSource: Philosophical Transactions (1665-1678), Vol. 3 (1668), pp. 727-731Published by: The Royal SocietyStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/101284 .

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(727) Tydes there, according to the direCions formerly given in the Tranfactions. At prefent he affureth from many former Obfer- vations, that the biggeft Spring-rydes, and Annual Tydes there are about the v.Aqinvxes) according as the Moon is neer the Full, or Change, before or after that time. Of thisyou may expect a more perfeA account hereafter.

4An Extract. of a Letter concerning an Optical Experiment, condcucive to a de-

cayed Sight, communicated by a Worthy perfon, who fewund the benefit of it himfelf.

Am to acquaint you of an Experiment, if it may dcferve that name, and not rather that of a Trifle ; the matter of which

is known to many, but un-applied (for ought I know) to fuch ufe as it affords. And the ufe is to my felf of greater value, than you'l eafily imagine, and I think, it may be equally profita- ble to many. Th bs it is : you know, I have mourn'd for the lofs of my eyes. I confefs my unmanlines, that I have fhed many tears in my ftudy for want of them 3 but that was quite out of the way of recovering them, I know not, -whether by ftanding riach before a blazing Fire, or by writing often right before a bright Window, or what elfe might be the caufe of this decay of my fight, who am not above 60 years of age. But I feem'd alwayes to have a kind of thick fmoak or mift about me, and fome little black balls to dance in the air about my eyes, and to be in the cafe, as If I came into a room fuddenly from a long walk in a great Snow. But fo it was, I could not diftinguifh the Faces of my acquaintance, nor Men from Women in rooms that wanted no light. I could not read the great and black Englifh Print in the Church-Bibles, nor keep the plain and trodden paths in Fields or Paftures, except I was led or guided. I received no benefit by any Glaffes, but was in the cafe of thofe, whofe de- cay by Age is greater than can be helped by Spectacles. Thefai- reft Prints feemed through Speatacles like blind Prints, litle black remaining.

Being in this fad plight, what trifle can you think hathl brought rme help, which I value more than a great Sum of Gold , Truly,

LlIl 1no

(727) Tydes there, according to the direCions formerly given in the Tranfactions. At prefent he affureth from many former Obfer- vations, that the biggeft Spring-rydes, and Annual Tydes there are about the v.Aqinvxes) according as the Moon is neer the Full, or Change, before or after that time. Of thisyou may expect a more perfeA account hereafter.

4An Extract. of a Letter concerning an Optical Experiment, condcucive to a de-

cayed Sight, communicated by a Worthy perfon, who fewund the benefit of it himfelf.

Am to acquaint you of an Experiment, if it may dcferve that name, and not rather that of a Trifle ; the matter of which

is known to many, but un-applied (for ought I know) to fuch ufe as it affords. And the ufe is to my felf of greater value, than you'l eafily imagine, and I think, it may be equally profita- ble to many. Th bs it is : you know, I have mourn'd for the lofs of my eyes. I confefs my unmanlines, that I have fhed many tears in my ftudy for want of them 3 but that was quite out of the way of recovering them, I know not, -whether by ftanding riach before a blazing Fire, or by writing often right before a bright Window, or what elfe might be the caufe of this decay of my fight, who am not above 60 years of age. But I feem'd alwayes to have a kind of thick fmoak or mift about me, and fome little black balls to dance in the air about my eyes, and to be in the cafe, as If I came into a room fuddenly from a long walk in a great Snow. But fo it was, I could not diftinguifh the Faces of my acquaintance, nor Men from Women in rooms that wanted no light. I could not read the great and black Englifh Print in the Church-Bibles, nor keep the plain and trodden paths in Fields or Paftures, except I was led or guided. I received no benefit by any Glaffes, but was in the cafe of thofe, whofe de- cay by Age is greater than can be helped by Spectacles. Thefai- reft Prints feemed through Speatacles like blind Prints, litle black remaining.

Being in this fad plight, what trifle can you think hathl brought rme help, which I value more than a great Sum of Gold , Truly,

LlIl 1no

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(72.8) no other- than this; I took Spe5&acles that had the largeft Cir.. cles ; clofe to the femi-circies, on the over-part, on bo-th fides, Icut the bone; then, takingr out the G1 affes, I p'ut blac-k span~f.

leathier taper-wife into the emptied cilrcles, whiicli widen'd enough (together- with the increafing widenefs of the Leather,) took in, my whole eye at the wider end3- and prefently I faw the benefit thr-ougah the leffer taper-end,_ by read'ing t-he fmalleff Prints that are, as i'f they had been a large and fair Character., I cauf'd a Clover to fow them with a double-drawn tl'tch, that the miht have an agreeable roundnefs, and exclude all rayes, of light. So I colour'd cthe Leather with Ink, to take off-the glitter'ing. And thi,s was all the trouble I had, befides the praCtice,,. and patience in .ufing them. only, finding that the fmailer the remote orifice was, the fairer and clearer the fmalleft Prints appear'd ; and the wider that or,ifice was, --the larger ObjeCtit-tookin, andfCorequi.. red the lefs motion of my hand and head in readingt - I did there- fore cut one of there Tapers a little wider and thoi-ter than the O- ther ;- and this. wider I ufe for ordinary Pu-nts, anid the longer and fl7maller for fmalleft-Prints,# Thefe without' any tr-ouble, as oftc acs I fee need., _or find eafe in the change, I alter. lecan only put the- very end of my little fingert into the orifice of the leff'er, but the famie fingecr fomewhar dtee'per, yet not quite up to the firft joynt, I can infert into the ori'fice of the wilder. Sometimnes I ufe one ,eye, fometimes another, for cafe by the- change - for you muff expeaf that the vifual rayes- of both eyes- will not meet for mutual affiftance in reading, when they are thus- far divi'ded by Tubes of that lengrth.

The li'ghter the fluff is-,,the l'ef i't wil'l cumber. Remember alwayes to -black the 'inf-ide with fome black that hath no luftre or glittering'. And you Thiould have the Tubes Co moveable, that you may draw them longer or fbiorter,, allowing alfo (as was new. ly int'imated) t-he orrifice wider or narrower, as I's found -morc- helpful to them,.-that have need of them0 To met it vas not ne- cefla'ry, bu-t I conceive it convenient, that Velvet or forte gentle Leather fhiold be- fained to the Tabulous part next, the eyes) to iftad o w,th em fr om7 allI t he cenc om pa ffing lig ht

I- have alre-ady, told you, that- I found no -benefi't at allI by a ny kia4 of Spedadc-,glaf&5 - but I lhave not- rryed, wha t Gla.ffes willI

doe)

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(72P) doe, if' fetled in thefre Tubes;- having no oneed of them,lIreft asi1 am. Nowlf hould be heartily glad, ifayo yfinsiol receive any aid or eafe by fuch-an obvilous device (cont-aining no- th'ing but e'mptinefs and darknefs) as this is. And probabl the may be more proper for fome that ar-e fuint-eyed, whofe eyes doe interfere, and fo make tVe objedf, as if you would write one

line pon aothe, where, though both ifhould be ever fo fairly written, e neithier w-ill be eafily legyible. Here Squint-eyes will be kept iai peace, and at fair Law. Certainly it wvill eafe them;,

that cannot well bear thle lig ht; and perchiance it will preferve the Cf9ght for longer durance. If N. NV. thould findi the benefit, as I do) he may thank you fo th nomation)&,

An ixtrajl of 4nother Letter from~ the fame hand, confirmin the contents of

tbe former; and addi igfome other obferva;tions at outS'ight.

1Here is more wiorth in that fligrht notice, whichlI fent you Llaft, than any one, that hiath not the d tfeQ, whichi I liave,

wi eail imgie. And perhaps no man will have the ptec zo endure to ufe it, but he, that is i'n a like cafe of neceffity and diairefs as I am. I praife God for it, INee now by thiis trifle (thefe zaper-tuhes ) as-well as the youngeft i'n m-y Family, and can read t,hrough them the fmalleft and blindeft Prints, as -ever I could

frmm chlhod hughi my fighit be almoft lof. And having uf'ed thefe empty hioles -for Spe-dacles little mo;e than aweek, lI'.can now Ufe thenii wvithout trouble all the day long; and I veri- ly believe, that by this little ufe of them, my fight already is mu'ch amended.- For I do now ~fee the Greenefs of the Garden, and Paftures in a florid, verdure, whereas very lately dark colours, blue, and green, had the fame hue to my eye.

IC you ask me,~ how this -device ca me in my hiead, I- f1ill tell you al I do know, Some years agooe I was framing oeo ee Ii,a's Polemovfcopes( As I was trying the Tube,~ wkh'out the 11 optrick GLd1ts, I perceived, that , thoucah thec TUlbe took fii vtery littil, atid feem'd fearce fervilceable for any confXlderable-pur-

;Yet the obij'ect appear'd to me mnore difinCt a'nd clea~r %,hw,agh thec Tube, than throughi the open Ai'r,Ti Ir~oke

LIII na

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(73o) and thereupon made the tryal, and found the effiet fully to an- f, er to my cafe, and to be moft proper for Charaders, as there printed. And then I blam'd not a little my own ftupidnefs, that I did no fooner apply to my felf the hint, I might have taken tiom the Ingenious Dr. Lowers Obfervations concerning a Ble- mifh in horfes eyes, printed in Number 3 . though that be no- thing to my cafe, forafmuch as I fee very little, if the Air be gloomy, or the Sky clouded, neither have I any refort of hu- mors or fenfible defluxions about my eyes.

And now give me leave to add, that if I had confulted with r.he learnedit and wifeft men living I make no doubt but I fhould have been difappointed of all relief; and perhaps I might have loft the Crepufcular remains of my Sight by adventurous Effayes upon fuch a tender Organ. Who knoweth how often the wifeft of Mortals are loft, whilft they trample on the remedy, that of- fers it (elf at hand . We fee how many ingenious and laborious Artifts have long labour'd for the Elliptical or Hyperbolical Sec- ition of Glaffes, hoping thereby to make that britle body ofGlafs of more worth, than the faireft Diamonds ; yet if this were ob- tain'd to perfeftion, I doubt it would not afford me the kindnefs and relief, I gain by thefe empty and dark Tubes. And now I lhope, that all who pretend to Vertue and Philofophy, will ufe fuch juft fcaies for the virtue of things, as to eftimate every thing, how cheap and contemptible foever it may feem to be, according as 'tis beneficial, and as it brings relief and fupply to the diftricffed. '`AgopX pasv V`6&,§

. muft not let this pafs, without inferting here a few Notes, fome of which referre to thofe Obfervations, you received from Dr. .Lowver, and communicated in the late mentioned Nxm- Cer (32 )

x. That Horfes of an Iron gray, or Dapple-gray are frequent- ly inclining to loofe one or both Eyes, if back'd and hard ridden too foon.

2. That in Man, and Beaft (in Horfes at leafi) the right eyeis rheweakeft, and moft frequently failing.

3. That the pupil or black of the eye is wider and larger in thofe that are flort-iighted, than in thofe that fee at greater di- Iance,

4 I

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( 73' ) . 1 hlave often noted fome that are [hort-fighted, I fay nort

pore-blind, to difcerni all thingcs that are doneabout them,almiofir quilte behind them, more perfe&ly then t-he beft-figyhted, if the room was not too largye for the reach of their fighlt.

5. Alfo fome of Dr. Lowers Obferuations I could confirme by my own experience. In mny youngeft days I hiad a very nar- rowo efcape from an-excellent Hlorfe, whiich hiad that only defed., W~hich they call "Moon- blind (and they told mie of it after the mif- chief.) I purpo's'd to leap a Ditchi, but thie Hloirfe faw no Di1tch,, fo we fell in togyether. As Coachi-and Cait-horfcs hiave flap.s oni the Ear- fides of their eyes, fo thefe flops m-ay be fitted (and ia fome. fliew of ornamenit) to' fhadow the over-part of the eyes,~ and yet. to aflord th'em light enoughi to fiee th'eir way. I know n'ot, whether it be ufual amn4onft you 3 but I hiave feen a youngy Chiild wear a kind'of black Riband, i"ke a narrow Mafque before her eyes, the Riband or M-as ~.;e havi'ng holes made in fit places to guide the eye. And thiis wvas faid to bean effeClual remedy to cure the Child. of Squinting, whiichi fle had hereditarily from her Mother.

To conclude, for your trial of the.. ZuAulous fpectacles ; t >Ie. Tubes may be of paper only colored black, and pafted on, and wilth the inner folds to bedrawn out f'iom one inch to three f omie of the folds to be- taken out, that the or-ifi.ce may be wvider oT-1

narnrower, as beft fitS to eVery degrYlee Of defed.

of the Antiquity of thje Trainsfufion- of B1o.7/d from oni * An i'mf?

to 'anoth er.

Tl Here hath been' of late Conie conteff abouti the or;jztn of the Transfu [ion?, the.Epzglifh firif claimingy it as a late Invention of teirs~ th yrech petening thereup)on, that it had ben

propofed among them ten yeais agoe: after whiichl, it waIs affirm'cd' upon furthler inveflioration- -by fom-e ingenious, perfonis in EngZ~Iad, that there it had been known 30 year-s agoe 5. whiereof the F',u1_-

/4ifer of thefe Tratils hathi good proof in his I iand-s. Bu t i t feems) t-hat anita/ian Philofopher,, in a certan Tra6t, entitluled, i?elati, ,one dell' Efperiencefr&tte -in igh I/terra-, Frncia ' ItaZila Intoto Tr,-a suin c Sn~,lately- printed in Rm,(forr the notice

( 73' ) . 1 hlave often noted fome that are [hort-fighted, I fay nort

pore-blind, to difcerni all thingcs that are doneabout them,almiofir quilte behind them, more perfe&ly then t-he beft-figyhted, if the room was not too largye for the reach of their fighlt.

5. Alfo fome of Dr. Lowers Obferuations I could confirme by my own experience. In mny youngeft days I hiad a very nar- rowo efcape from an-excellent Hlorfe, whiich hiad that only defed., W~hich they call "Moon- blind (and they told mie of it after the mif- chief.) I purpo's'd to leap a Ditchi, but thie Hloirfe faw no Di1tch,, fo we fell in togyether. As Coachi-and Cait-horfcs hiave flap.s oni the Ear- fides of their eyes, fo thefe flops m-ay be fitted (and ia fome. fliew of ornamenit) to' fhadow the over-part of the eyes,~ and yet. to aflord th'em light enoughi to fiee th'eir way. I know n'ot, whether it be ufual amn4onft you 3 but I hiave feen a youngy Chiild wear a kind'of black Riband, i"ke a narrow Mafque before her eyes, the Riband or M-as ~.;e havi'ng holes made in fit places to guide the eye. And thiis wvas faid to bean effeClual remedy to cure the Child. of Squinting, whiichi fle had hereditarily from her Mother.

To conclude, for your trial of the.. ZuAulous fpectacles ; t >Ie. Tubes may be of paper only colored black, and pafted on, and wilth the inner folds to bedrawn out f'iom one inch to three f omie of the folds to be- taken out, that the or-ifi.ce may be wvider oT-1

narnrower, as beft fitS to eVery degrYlee Of defed.

of the Antiquity of thje Trainsfufion- of B1o.7/d from oni * An i'mf?

to 'anoth er.

Tl Here hath been' of late Conie conteff abouti the or;jztn of the Transfu [ion?, the.Epzglifh firif claimingy it as a late Invention of teirs~ th yrech petening thereup)on, that it had ben

propofed among them ten yeais agoe: after whiichl, it waIs affirm'cd' upon furthler inveflioration- -by fom-e ingenious, perfonis in EngZ~Iad, that there it had been known 30 year-s agoe 5. whiereof the F',u1_-

/4ifer of thefe Tratils hathi good proof in his I iand-s. Bu t i t feems) t-hat anita/ian Philofopher,, in a certan Tra6t, entitluled, i?elati, ,one dell' Efperiencefr&tte -in igh I/terra-, Frncia ' ItaZila Intoto Tr,-a suin c Sn~,lately- printed in Rm,(forr the notice

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