"DISORDERED EYES. 349 



this remedy ; fo that I had great trouble, even by day, 

 to keep open the eye-lids, unlefs I caufed this water, 

 from time to time to be dropped in, for thus inciting 

 .afreih the torpid nerves by procured irritation. 



After I had alternately tried thefe and ftmilar reme- 

 dies for about a year, the ftate of my eyes grew gra- 

 dually fo very much worfe, that even the day-light 

 was extremely painful to them. Accordingly, I was 

 now unable any longer to read or write even by day 

 without being tormented with the acuteft pains in my 

 eyes. To work by candle-dight was utterly impoflible 

 to me, and I had already long bid adieu to it for the 

 reft of my life. 



What rendered my lamentable condition frill more 

 wretched, was the increafing fenfibility of my eyes to- 

 wards air and wind. As often as I expofed myfelf to 

 but a gentle breeze in the fummer, my eye-lids were 

 chapped by it, and I was ever obliged to turn back 

 with inflamed eyes, Ere I heard of a remedy to pre- 

 ferve my eyes againft thefe effecfts, I was reduced to- 

 the neceffity of keeping my chamber frequently for a 

 week together ; while others were enjoying the delight- 

 ful fcenes of nature in the vernal feafon. At -length I 

 procured myfelf a pair of fpectacle glafies fet in leather 

 which covered my face, from the forehead to the mid- 

 dle of the nofe, and fecured the eyes againft the wind. 

 But this method too had its inconvenience : for, to fee 

 through glaiTes required a greater exertion of the ocular 

 nerves, which was always connected with pain, and 

 followed by an additional dimnefs afterwards. 



Now, as all external applications and methods were 

 fo fruitlefs, or had onlv ferved to augment the malad v, 



xecourfe 



