Dr. Wells's Observations 
3S8 
of his perfect vision. The results were similar to those which 
had been remarked by Dr. Cutting. The power of altering 
the adaptation of his eye, according to the distance of the ob- 
jects viewed, was for some time entirely lost, and his sight 
became accurately fitted for such only, as were placed at the 
farther extremity of his former range of perfect vision. While 
one eye was under the influence of the Belladonna, the vision 
of the other was unaffected. 
From these experiments it seems probable, that Belladonna 
will in no case produce the same effect upon a young short- 
sighted person, that age has produced in the two instances of 
which I have spoken. I expect, however, to have an oppor- 
tunity of repeating the experiment on two persons, who are 
very considerably short-sighted, and I shall take the liberty 
of communicating the result to the Royal Society, together 
with some observations I have already made, and others which 
I hope to make, respecting those persons, who seem to retain 
to extreme old age the power of seeing perfectly, as far as 
the accommodating power of the eye is concerned, both dis- 
tant and near objects; and of others, who, after being with- 
out this power for many years, appear to regain it at a similar 
period of life. Probably the making known my intention may 
facilitate its accomplishment, by inducing other Fellows of the 
Society to furnish me with opportunities of increasing my 
knowledge of these subjects. In the mean time, I shall offer 
a few words upon two other topics in vision, which seem to 
derive illustration from my experiments with Belladonna. 
V. 1. Not only do the pupils move together, when both eyes 
are in a healthy state, but the pupil of one eye affected with 
gutta serena moves with the pupil of the other, as long as this 
