54 EYE. 



of this, by touching your eye with your finger, or let- 

 ting the nib of a pen fly into it. What is to prevent 

 a constant suffering, with a shutter rubbing directly 

 and immediately upon the eye at every wink ? 



A. A wonderful apparatus evinces how distinctly 

 this danger has been foreseen. An oily liquor is 

 continually oozing out from a row of little glands 

 resembling bags and situated at the roots of the eye- 

 lashes. There is also another wash : this is thinner 

 and in much greater quantity. We call it the tears. 

 The tears help to lubricate the eye ; and, besides, 

 answer another purpose, The lids could not have 

 squeezed out the dust; a water was necessary to 

 carry it off. It is found also that when the ball hap- 

 pens to become dry, it loses its clearness and trans- 

 parency in some degree. Now with reference to 

 both these uses, it is admirable to notice how many 

 little circumstancs are made to increase the tears, 

 when the tears are the most wanted. Thus our eyes 

 water the most in the wind, which would otherwise 

 immediately dry them ; and any offending body 

 falling into the eye produces the same effect. 



B. The flow of the tears is an exquisite contri- 

 vance ; but what becomes of the wash ? It cannot 

 remain pure for a long time. 



A. To complete this wonderful structure, there is 

 a provision for this also. There is situated at the 

 inner corner of the eye, an outlet which empties into 

 the nose, and by which the tears are discharged. It 

 is the same contrivance as the dripping hole to a 

 water trough, which continually carries off the water, 



