RECOVERED FROM BLINDNESS. £9 



contact with the other humours, a confiderable part of it 

 coming forwards, and (hewing itfelf directly under the 

 cornea. 



This being the immediate refult of the operation, it could 

 not be expected that any improvement fhould be made in the 

 fight of the patient at that time. In a few days, however, 

 the opaque matter was wholly abforbed : the pupils became 

 clear ; and the lad recovered the fight of both his eyes. * 

 Encouraged by the fuccefs which followed this operation, I 

 was induced to retract the opinion which I had formerly fent 

 to Matter W.'s father, (which opinion I had given under the 

 impreffion that the cataract fhould be extracted,) and I now 

 propofed, that an attempt mould be made to afford relief to 

 one eye, at leaft, without further loij> of time ; this attempt, 

 in the way above mentioned, being practicable with as much 

 fafety at his pre fent age as at any future period ; and, if it 

 proved fuccefsful, it would give the young gentleman the 

 benefit of virion five or fix years fooner than his friends had 

 been encouraged to expect, by my former letter on this fub- 

 ject. They were naturally much pleafed with this alteration 

 in my advice ; and the child himfelf appearing to pofTefs a 

 great degree of fortitude, I performed the operation on the The fame opera- 

 left eye, on the 29th of December lafl, in the pretence of tio " P erfor . m ^ 



J ' ' r on the luLjett el 



Mr. Chamberlayne, F. A. S. Doctor Bradley, of Baliol Col- this piper, at 

 lege, Oxford, and Mr. Piatt, furgeon, in London. It is not ^ ut ei ^ ht >' cars 

 neceffary, in this place, to enter into a defcription of the 

 operation. It will be futftcient to fay, that the child, during 

 ' its performance, neither uttered an exclamation, nor made 

 the fmalleft motion, either with his head or hands. The eye 

 was immediately bound up, and no inquiries made on that 

 day with regard to his light. On the 30th, I found that lie 

 had experienced a flight ficknefs on the preceding evening, 



* It fhould be remarked, that the fight obtained by children who 

 arc born with cataracts, is feldom fo perfect as that which thofe re- 

 cover, after the operation, who are afflicted with the diforder later 

 in life. In confequence either of fonie remaining opacity in the 

 cryftalline capfule, which hinders the free admiffion of the rays' of 

 light, or of a greater tenuity in the remaining humours of the eye, 

 children require, in general, a much deeper convex glafs to enable 

 them to fee minute objects ; and, at the fame time, they are obliged 

 to hold them much nearer their eyes than older perftns. 



but 



