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  XXXII. 
  Kote 
  on 
  the 
  Psychological 
  Accommodation 
  of 
  the 
  

   Lenses 
  of 
  the 
  Eye. 
  By 
  A. 
  L. 
  Hodges*. 
  

  

  [Plate 
  IX.] 
  

  

  IF 
  one 
  chances 
  to 
  look 
  at 
  a 
  picture 
  or 
  drawing 
  showing 
  in 
  

   perspective 
  a 
  road 
  leading 
  off 
  into 
  the 
  distance 
  he 
  can 
  

   feel 
  the 
  lens 
  of 
  his 
  eye 
  changing 
  focus, 
  as 
  if 
  the 
  object 
  

   were 
  reaUy 
  getting 
  a 
  greater 
  distance 
  away. 
  Now 
  of 
  

   course 
  all 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  picture 
  are 
  practically 
  the 
  same 
  

   distance 
  from 
  the 
  eye 
  and 
  no 
  such 
  change 
  in 
  shape 
  of 
  the 
  

   lens 
  should 
  occur. 
  I 
  append 
  a 
  simple 
  perspective 
  drawing 
  

   to 
  illustrate 
  (PL 
  IX.). 
  

  

  Run 
  the 
  eye 
  rapidly 
  from 
  the 
  seemingly 
  nearest 
  part 
  of 
  

   the 
  track 
  to 
  the 
  farthest. 
  The 
  eye 
  consciously 
  and 
  by 
  will 
  

   accommodates 
  itself 
  to 
  the 
  seemingly 
  increased 
  distances. 
  

   This 
  is 
  readily 
  perceived 
  by 
  trying 
  it. 
  This 
  should 
  throw 
  it 
  

   out 
  of 
  focus. 
  I 
  have 
  found 
  that 
  it 
  does 
  with 
  some 
  people 
  

   and 
  does 
  not 
  with 
  others. 
  Dr. 
  Horace 
  Richards, 
  to 
  whose 
  

   attention 
  I 
  called 
  the 
  phenomenon, 
  seems 
  to 
  think 
  that 
  the 
  

   eye 
  is 
  fooled 
  into 
  changing 
  its 
  focus, 
  and 
  immediately 
  on 
  

   coming 
  to 
  rest 
  again 
  at 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  line 
  finds 
  out 
  its 
  

   mistake 
  and 
  re-focusses. 
  I 
  have 
  tried 
  this 
  myself 
  and 
  feel 
  a 
  

   perceptible 
  jerk 
  on 
  letting 
  the 
  eye 
  come 
  to 
  rest. 
  But 
  on 
  

   several 
  students 
  whom 
  I 
  persuaded 
  to 
  try 
  it, 
  the 
  final 
  re- 
  

   focussing 
  effect 
  was 
  not 
  noticed, 
  they 
  claiming 
  that 
  they 
  

   could 
  see 
  equally 
  well 
  along 
  the 
  whole 
  line 
  but 
  still 
  perceiving 
  

   the 
  change 
  in 
  the 
  accommodation. 
  I 
  think 
  it 
  a 
  rather 
  

   interesting 
  little 
  effect 
  and 
  one 
  not 
  devoid 
  of 
  interest 
  to 
  

   physicists. 
  The 
  question 
  is 
  : 
  If 
  the 
  brain 
  can 
  see 
  an 
  upright 
  

   image 
  where 
  the 
  eye 
  sees 
  an 
  inverted 
  one, 
  why 
  cannot 
  the 
  

   brain 
  fool 
  itself 
  into 
  seeing 
  a 
  clearly 
  defined 
  object 
  where 
  the 
  

   eye 
  sees 
  a 
  blurred 
  one 
  ? 
  Because 
  it 
  certainly 
  pursues 
  the 
  

   method 
  that 
  always 
  gives 
  a 
  clearly 
  defined 
  image 
  in 
  real 
  life, 
  

   and 
  the 
  sub-conscious 
  reasoning 
  — 
  if 
  such 
  there 
  be 
  — 
  possibly 
  

   proves 
  to 
  the 
  brain 
  that 
  the 
  blurred 
  image 
  falling 
  on 
  the 
  

   retina 
  is 
  really 
  a 
  sharply 
  defined 
  one. 
  

  

  * 
  Communicated 
  by 
  the 
  Author, 
  

  

  