SOME SENSE DEFECTS PSYCHOLOGICALLY CONSIDERED. 553 



my amazement I saw what I have endeavoured to depict in 



FiR- I- . 



This phenomenon developed until larger lig-hts also separated 

 thdr images. I once counted 64 clear distinct full moons in my 

 right eye. 



The next stage that suj^ervened was hemorrhage of the 

 retina owing to straining the eye : this was in the right eye, till 

 then the better one. The immediate result was a dark ellipse 

 in the very centre of the optical field, surrounded bv a most 

 lovely rainbow. This was " visible " even when the eye was 

 shut. In due time the figure faded away, but I have never read 

 with that eye since. I suppose a little clot of blood formed 

 right o\-er the yellow spot. 



I thought I was lucky to kee]) my left eye safe anvhow ; 

 but one night I fell over an obstacle in our garden, and nearlv 

 had that eye pierced toy a coujjle of seedling-stakes. Permanent 

 black figures immediately appeared at the side, and I knew that 

 in the instinctive efifort to save itself the eye had sufifered some 

 lesion of the retina. A short while after there came a sudden 

 gush of blood, and that eye was for a while quite blind. 



I am aware that at the time there was published an account 

 of the matter, denying the accident. What motive the person 

 could have in contradicting what he knew to be my description 

 of my own experience, I do not know. I cannot say he was 

 ill-informed : I simply say his statement was untrue. And it 

 becomes important in this connection to say so, because if both 

 lesions had resulted from eye-strain, they would probably both 

 have been central, whereas now I am able to describe the dif- 

 ference between a central and a lateral lesion. 



