330 



Kneeland, the Society's Secretaiy, in the "Boston Medical 

 and Surgical Journal," IsTov. 13, 18C0. 



They were born in the State of New York, of perfectly black 

 parents : between them was born one black child. The parents had 

 also several other black children, and one other female albino, that 

 died young. They are now about of the ages of seven and ten, and 

 may be considered as perfectly well-formed and well-developed chil- 

 dren, with the exception of an entire want of pigment in any of those 

 portions of the body where Nature deposits it. 



When they were in Boston before, I had an opportunity of exam- 

 ining the interior of their eyes with the" ophthalmoscope. A report of 

 this examination will be found appended to Dr. Kneeland's remarks 

 in the " Medical Journal." I again had opportunity of an ophthalmo- 

 scopic examination on the afternoon of the day they were shown to 

 the Society: as this was three years and a half since the previous one, 

 and more successful, it is of some interest. 



The children have developed well both mentally and physically. 

 The younger girl is, however, the stronger and more healthy : her 

 vision, and tolerance of light, is also proportionably better : this has 

 always been the case. Both children are near-sighted, apparently not 

 from amblyopia, but from the natural conformation of the eye. Their 

 power of vision, and tolerance of light, had so mucli increased, that 

 some deposit of pigment amongst the choroidal vessels was antici- 

 pated : none, however, was found. The pupils were circular, and 

 acted quickly under the influence of light ; the iris, of a light-blue 

 color fi-om the blood in its vessels, appearing darker than it really is 

 by the shade thrown upon It, particularly In a side-light, by that por- 

 tion of the sclerotic which projects forward beyond its outer edge or 

 attachment. The eyes, after a few seconds of steady gazing, com- 

 mence to oscillate laterally : this has evidently been somewhat over- 

 come ; for It rendered the previous examination very difficult. The 

 pupils were not dilated artificially : the light used was about equal to 

 a common fish-tail gas-burner. In the previous examination, a single 

 candle was used ; and it was all the light that could be borne. The 

 ophthalmoscope used was the same as used before, — Professor Edward 

 von Jager's, — with the " weak reflector," composed of three plain sur- 

 faced pieces of thin glass laid together. The examination was made 

 with the " upright Image," requiring " concave 6 " for my normal eye. 

 The amount of light did not cause the pupil to contract enough to 

 prevent a pretty fair view of the choroid, retina, and optic-nerve 

 entrance with Its veins and arteries. The accommodation-power 

 was active. The ajipeai-ances were those a perfectly normal eye, 

 entirely deprived of its pigment, would give, and such as Is in part 



