Mr. Home’s Account oj an Orifice 
straight muscles of the eye, for no other reason than because 
he could not succeed in the demonstration of it ; the failure, 
probably, arising from the eye not being sufficiently fresh to 
admit of such a separation. Had it been mentioned in my 
former paper, that the preparation, from which the engraving 
was made, had been shown to this learned Society, or to any 
members of it, my assertion would probably have had more 
weight. 
In separating the vitreous humour from the retina, I found a 
greater adhesion at this particular part ; and, when the vitreous 
humour was removed, the retina was pulled forward, forming 
a small fold, in the centre of which was this aperture. This 
doubling was sometimes produced by endeavouring to cut 
through the vitreous humour, to disengage the crystalline and 
its capsule. 
I have been the more particular in describing the appearance 
of this aperture in the retina of the human eye, that, while I 
announce this curious discovery of Mr. Soemmering to this 
learned Society, I may give the most complete confirmation of 
it. To have this in my power affords me a particular pleasure, 
as it gives me an opportunity of doing justice to the merit of a 
foreign anatomist, who deserves so highly of our art ; and who 
has demonstrated to his cotemporaries, that those who labour 
patiently, and follow their pursuits with ardour, may still hope to 
make discoveries, in the anatomy even of those parts of the body 
which are considered as the best understood ; since the human 
eye, so long the favourite object of the most eminent anato- 
mists and philosophers, is still but imperfectly investigated. 
After having made the preceding observations upon this sin- 
gular appearance in the human eye, I found, in Dr. Duncan’s 
