22 5 
of the optic nerves. 
blindness was not so complete as to amount to absolute 
blackness, but was a shaded darkness without definite outline. 
The complaint was of short duration, and in about a quarter 
of an hour might be said to be wholly gone, having receded 
with a gradual motion from the center of vision obliquely 
upwards toward the left. 
Since this defect arose from over fatigue, a cause common 
to many other nervous affections, I saw no reason to appre- 
hend any return of it, and it passed away without need of 
remedy, without any farther explanation, and without my 
drawing any useful inference from it. 
It is now about fifteen months since a similar affection oc- 
curred again to myself, without my being able to assign any 
cause whatever, or to connect it with any previous or sub- 
sequent indisposition. The blindness was first observed, as 
before, in looking at the face of a person I met, whose left 
eye was to my sight obliterated. My blindness was in this 
instance the reverse of the former, being to my right (instead 
of the left) of the spot to which my eyes were directed ; so 
that I have no reason to suppose it in any manner connected 
with the former affection. 
The new punctum cascum was situated alike in both eyes, 
and at an angle of about three degrees from the center ; for, 
when any object was viewed at the distance of about five 
yards, the point not seen was about ten inches distant from 
the point actually looked at. 
On this occasion the affection, after having lasted with little 
alteration for about twenty minutes, was removed suddenly 
and entirely by the excitement of agreeable news respecting 
the safe arrival of a friend from a very hazardous enterprise. 
MDCCCXXIV. G g 
