I£4 DISORDERED EYE'S. 



fomewhat- brighter light ; an advantage whicK cofb me 

 many a conflict to obtain. 



Now no longer able to compofe verfes, I made my 

 fervant read to me. But a good reader among that 

 clafs of people being very rare, and a bad being lb in- 

 tolerable a companion, I could not bear this lecture 

 above half an hour at a time. The few pieces which I 

 played on the harpiichord from memory grew tirefomc 

 from frequent repetition ; and fo ndthingwas left to me 

 but to lit muling in a corner of the dark room. Had 

 I been a prifoner in a fortrefs, free from all remorfe of 

 confeience, without pains of the eyes, my lot would 

 have been far preferable. 



All the methods put in practice by M. Campe, that 

 of, the application of the leeches excepted, I tried ; and 

 all in vain. Twice I applied to the Pyrmont waters, 

 and ufed the cold bath ; but almofi without effect. 

 At length I went four years ago to the Lauchftadt bath ; 

 and though I found myfelf incomparably better after- 

 wards in bodily health, yet my eyes received no benefit. 

 I was weary of trying fo many remedies ; and kept 

 folely- to the ufe of cold water, from which I thought 

 I could perceive fome alleviation. The oval cups o£ 

 china, commonly called eye-baths, were of infinite 

 fervice to me. Thefe cups, which exactly fitted my 

 eyes, filled with cold river water, I held every morn- 

 ing to them till the water was all abforbed. This done^ 

 I dipped my head into a tub of water with my eyes 

 open, turning them about at the fame time, that the 

 water might touch the inner parts on all fides. In other 

 refpects I followed the fame -courfe as M. Campe de- 



fcrib.es. 



