208 ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY. 



also wishes us to be happy. But, after all, it would appear that 

 we cannot use that happiness, or much of it, without first having 

 passed through great sufferings, the lot of all mortals. 



Among even the lower tribes of the Radiata, indications of sen- 

 sibility to light have been observed, but no distinct organs for this 

 sense have been discovered. Ehrenberg has lately described some 

 small spots in the rays of the star-fish, which he conceives answer 

 the purpose of the organs of vision. As we rise higher, visual organs 

 are seen, but the Sepia is the lowest that has eyes constructed like 

 those of the Vertebrata. The eyes of insects are called compound, 

 being, in truth, immense aggregations of eyes, apparently to com- 

 pensate for their want of mobility. The common house-fly has 8,000 

 of these eyes ; the dragon-fly, 12,544 ; and some other species have 

 upwards of 25,000. 



DISEASES. 



The diseases of the eye are very numerous. The conjunctiva, 

 lining the eyelids, and reflected on the eyeball, the sclerotic coat, 

 and the iris, are particularly liable to inflammation. The purulent 

 ophthalmia generally commences in the conjunctiva, and destroys 

 the eyes of great numbers. The lens often becomes opaque, 

 especially in old people, and causes blindness. When this happens, 

 it is called cateract, and very frequently an operation is performed 

 to .restore vision. Blindness also arises from opacity of the cornea, 

 closure of the pupil, disease of the retina or optic nerve, called 

 amaurosis, &c.* 



* The operation for cataracts, instead of restoring the sight, generally destroys it, and 

 extends inflammation to the other eye. One surgeon says he spoiled a hat-full of eyes 

 before he could operate successfully. He should have added, " and then could not suc- 

 ceed in effecting a cure." It appears unreasonable to run an instrument into the ball 

 of the eye, and thus let out the humors, and cause inflammation, to remove blindness. 

 It appears to me, from pretty extensive experience and observation, that the means made 

 use of in diseases of the eye, are calculated to injure instead of benefiting them. In 

 inflammation, scarifying and cupping the eyes are practised, blistering, mercury, blue 

 vitriol, &c., &c.; all this barbarous and empirical practice is sufficient to cause blindness 

 in the eyes of those which are sound, and which, no doubt, is often done. And yet we 

 build asylums for the blind, and we feel great compassion for the inmates. Now, would 

 it not be much more wise to pass laws to suppress this woful quackery of our " sur- 

 geons " and " oculists," and thus prevent the evil and misfortune of those made blind 

 by their malpractice, in place of allowing them to use absurd and dangerous means cal- 

 culated to induce, instead of removing, blindness. But the major part of the commu- 

 nity are so stupid, prejudiced, and intellectually blind on the subject, that we despair of 

 a remedy, unless they or their posterity become more enlightened, if not more honest, 

 I believe if diseases of the eyes were taken in time, and prudently treated, seldom a 

 case of blindness would ever be seen. 



