115 



that I have ever had to solve in the mysteiy of 

 horse-dealing. 



I must enter a little into the anatomical descrip- 

 tion of it, to make the subject at all intelligible; 

 though here again the reader would act more wisely 

 to apply to an intelligent practitioner, and ask him 

 to show him an eye, and explain its structure. 



The eye-ball is enclosed in a white membrane 

 called the tunica conjunctiva, which, after em- 

 bracing the globe of the eye, extends itself over 

 the interior surface of both eye-lids. The sclerotic 

 coat forms the external or horny membrane of the 

 eye, beginning from the optic nerve, and termi- 

 nating in the margin of the cornea. The choroides 

 is a dark membrane, also beginning from the optic 

 nerve, and Hning the interior surface of the sclerotic 

 coat, till it approaches the margin of the cornea ; 

 and in its anterior portion it forms the circular 

 membrane called the iris. Here, as is well known, 

 a circle is left ; the choroides terminating at the 

 inner margin of the iris, in plaits or folds called the 

 ciliary processes, so as to leave what to the ignorant 

 appears merely a black spot, known as the pupil, 

 but which in fact is rather a perforation allowing 

 the passage of the rays of light, when refracted by 

 the crystalline lens, to reach every portion of the 

 retina. This last-named membrane is an expansion 

 i2 



