CHILDREN BORN BLIND RESTORED TO SIGHT. 101 



l'ds to remain dosed for a few minutes, and then opening 

 them, the pupil appeared elear, but be conld not bear ex- 

 posure to light. On 1117 asking him what he had seen, he J ®\j ° * e 

 said, " your head, which seemed to touch my eye:" but he 

 could not tell its shape. He went to bed, and took an opi- 

 ate draught: the pain in his eye lusted about an hour, after 

 which he fell asleep. The whole of that day the light was 

 distressing to his eye, so that he Could not bear the least ex- 

 posure to it. 



On the 22d the eye-lids were opened to examine the eye. 

 The light was less offensive. He said he saw my hfad, 

 which touched his eye. There was so much inflammation 

 on the eye-ball, that a leech was applied to the temple, and 

 the common means for removing inflammation were used. 



On the 23d the eye was less inflamed, and he could bear 

 a weak light. The pupil was of an irregular figure, and 

 the wounded cornea had not united frith a smooth surface. 

 lie said he coald see several gentlemen round him, but 

 could not describe their figure. My face, while I was look- 

 ing at his eye, he said was round and red. 



On the 25th the inflammation had subsided, but on the 

 27th returned, and continued notwithstanding different 

 means were employed for its removal, till, the 1st of August, 

 when it was almost entirely gone. On the 4th the eye was 

 apparently so well, that an attempt was made in the pre- 

 sence of Mr. Cavendish and Dr. Wollaston to ascertain its 

 powers of vision ; but it was so weak, that it became ne- 

 cessary to shade the glare of light by hanging a white cloth 

 before the window. The least exertion fatigued the eye, 

 and the cicatrix on the cornea, to which the iris had become 

 attached, drew it down so as considerably to diminish the 

 pupil. From these circumstances nothing could be satis- 

 factorily made out respecting the hoy's vision. On the 11th 

 a second attempt was made in the presence of Mr. Caven- 

 dish, but the pupil continued so contracted and irregular, 

 and the eye so imperfect in its powers, that it became neces- 

 sary a second time to postpone any experiments. 



On the 16th of September the ri^ht eye was couched. The other ey« 

 This operation was preferred after what had happened to the coucie< * 

 other eye, in the hope that there would not be the same de- 

 gree 



