110 SPECIAL SENSES. 



As a farther evidence of the connection of accommodation 

 with muscular action, cases are cited in works on ophthalmol- 

 ogy in which there is paralysis of the ciliary muscle as well 

 as cases in which the act of accommodation is painful. 



An interesting phenomenon connected with accommoda- 

 tion is observed in looking at a near object through a very 

 small orifice, like a pin-hole. The shortest distance at which 

 we can see a small object distinctly is about five inches; 

 but, if we look at the same object through a pin-hole in a 

 card, it can be seen distinctly at the distance of about one 

 inch, and appears considerably magnified. In this experi- 

 ment, the card serves as a diaphragm with a very small open- 

 ing, so that the centre of the lens only is used ; and the ap- 

 parent increase in the size of the object is probably due to 

 the fact that its distance from the eye is many times less 

 than the distance at which distinct vision is possible under 

 ordinary conditions. It is well known that myopic persons, 

 by being able to bring the eye nearer to objects than is possi- 

 ble in ordinary vision, can see minute details with extraordi- 

 nary distinctness. 



Accommodation in the Lensless Eye. Within a few years, 

 some very important and interesting pathological observations 

 have been published in Germany upon accommodation without 

 the lens ; but one of the best-observed cases of this kind has 

 been described by Dr. Edward Gr. Loring, Jr., of New York, 

 who observed very accurately an instance of remarkable 

 power of visual accommodation, in a person in whom both 

 lenses had been removed for cataract. This case was re- 

 ported to ophthalmological societies in 1869 and 18TO. The 

 observation is so interesting, and illustrates so beautifully the 

 possible compensating action in the absence of the lens, that 

 we give in full the following report, furnished by Dr. Loring, 

 which has never before been published : 



" In the spring of 1869, Miss E. "W., eighteen years of 

 age, consulted me for the purpose of procuring suitable 



