600 Royal Irish Academy. 



order to expose the exit of the tendons of the superior rectus and 

 superior oblique muscles ; the superior rectus plays . over its pulley, 

 and the superior oblique passes beneath the former to reach its inser- 

 tion in the sclerotic coat. 



The presence of some such contrivance as is here exhibited might 

 have been inferred from its necessity, and yet it has never been sus- 

 pected to exist. The four recti muscles running from the bottom or 

 apex of tlie orbit, forward to grasp the eye, must, without it, have 

 had the power of retracting the ball of the eye, and yet no such re- 

 traction has ever been observed in the human eye. Retraction is cer- 

 tainly performed in some of the lower classes of animals ; but they 

 are provided with a strong retractor muscle, independent of the four 

 recti muscles. Again, the rotatory movements of the human eye, 

 which enlarge the sphere of vision, and contribute to expression, are 

 not easily accounted for by the received anatomy of the orbit, be- 

 cause the course of the muscles from the bottom of the orbit for- 

 wards, manifestly gives them a power of retracting rather than of 

 rotating the eye upon its centre. Thus, then, there appeared to be no 

 provision for the rotatory movements of the ball of the eye, which 

 are of constant occurrence, and nothing to prevent retraction, which 

 we knew did not take place. A knowledge of the existence of thisnew 

 and beautiful mechanism reconciles and explains these anatomical 

 and physiological contradictions. 



Mr. Ferrall said, he had found these structures in several of the 

 lower animals, in whom they appear to enable the recti to antago- 

 nize the proper retractor muscles. 



Several phaenomena in diseases of those parts, formerly obscure, 

 are now easily understood ; but Mr. Ferrall refrained, on this occa- 

 sion, from discussing questions of a practical nature. 



The following gentlemen were elected Officers and Council for the 

 year 1841-1842:— 



President. — Sir Wm. Rowan Hamilton, LL.D. Committee of 

 Science. — Rev. Franc Sadleir, D.D., Provost; Rev. Humphrey 

 Lloyd, D.D. ; James Apjohn, M.D. ; James MacCullagh, Esq., 

 LL.D. ; Rev. Wilham D. Sadleir, A.M. ; Robert Ball, Esq. ; Robert 

 Kane, M.D. Committee of Polite Literature. — His Grace the Arch- 

 bishop of Dublin; Rev. Joseph H. Singer.D.D.; Samuel Litton, M.D.; 

 Rev. William H. Drummond, D.D. ; Rev. Charles R. Elrington,D.D.; 

 Rev. Charles W. Wall, D.D. ; Rev. Thomas H. Porter, D.D. 

 Committee of Antiquities. — Thomas H. Orpen, M.D.; George Petrie, 

 Esq., R.H.A. ; Rev. Casar Otway ; Rev. James H. Todd, D.D. ; 

 Henry J. Monk Mason, Esq., LL.D.; Aquila Smith, M.D.; Samuel 

 Ferguson, Esq. Officers. — Treasurer : Thomas H. Orpen, M.D. Se- 

 cretary to the Academy : Rev. Joseph H. Singer, D.D. Secretary to 

 the Council: J. MacCullagh, Esq., LL.D. Secretary of Foreign Corre- 

 spondence : Rev. Humphrey Lloyd, D.D. Librarian : Rev. Wilham 

 H. Drummond, D.D. Clerk and Assistant Librarian: Edward Clibbom. 



The President appointed the following Viqe-Presidents : — 



His Grace the Archbishop of Dublin ; the Provost of Trinity Col- 

 lege ; the Rev. Humplirey Lloyd, D.D. ; the Rev. J. H, Todd, D.D. 

 ^ ^ ' ' INDEX 



