24th Febi-iiary, ii)i4. 



Professor J. A. Lindsay, M.A., M.D., F.R.C.P., President 

 in the Chair. 



"DEFECTS AND CURIOSITIES OF SIGHT." 



By Professor William Stirling, M.D., D.Sc, LL.D., 

 of Victoria University, Manchester. 



{Abstract.) 



The Chairman offered a hearty and sincere welcome to their 

 distinguished visitor, recalling with pleasure a previous lecture 

 delivered in Belfast by him. 



Professor Stirling then proceeded to deliver his lecture 

 in a most interesting and entertaining manner. His analysis of the 

 defects and curiosities of the human eye were illustrated by 

 coloured lantern slides, and experiments on insects, animals, &c., 

 projected on the screen, and greatly assisted to enlighten the 

 audience on such a technical subject. The lecturer described the 

 human eye as the eye-gate of knowledge. We were so accustomed 

 to regard the eye as a perfect organ that we never realised it could 

 be defective, and yet the eye had every possible defect that could 

 be found in optical instruments, and even some that were peculiar 

 to itself. The eye was a combination, and performed the functions 

 of a microscope, telescope, camera, range-finder, self photo-meter, 

 adjusting lens, automatic diaphragm, autochrome camera, cine- 

 matograph, and stereoscope, and therefore any instrument which 

 combined within itself ten such. instruments could not be perfect 

 in every respect. The eye was nothing more or less than a 



