18 S 
Mr. Bell on the motions of the eye , &c. 
to the improvement of strict science, yet I am tempted to de- 
scribe the condition of a patient now under my care, because 
it exhibits a succession of those phenomena which we seek to 
explain. He presented himself to me in the hospital, with a 
distinct squint, the left eye being distorted from the object. 
On the eye-lid of the right eye there was a deep and open 
ulcer ; the man was in danger of losing the right eye, and 
required prompt assistance ; but before he could be brought 
under the influence of medicine, the inflamed sore became 
deeper and the cornea opaque. The superior rectus muscle 
being, as I suppose, injured by the encreasing depth of the 
sore, the pupil became permanently depressed. The sight of 
the right eye being now lost, the left eye came into use ; it 
was directed with precision to objects, he had no difficulty in 
using it, and it daily became stronger. 
After a few weeks, medicine having had its influence, the 
sore on the upper eye-lid of the right eye healed, the inflam- 
mation and opacity of the eye gradually diminished, the light 
became again visible to him ; first it was yellow, and then a 
deep purple. And now the muscles resumed their influence, 
and the eye was restored to parallel motion with the other, and 
so as considerably to embarrass the vision. But the inflamma- 
tion of the upper eye-lid had been so great, as considerably to 
diminish its mobility ; and what appeared most extraordinary, 
the lower eye-lid assumed the office of the upper one, and a 
very unusual degree of motion was remarked in it. It was 
depressed when he attempted to open the eye, and elevated 
and drawn towards the nose, when he closed the eye. But 
the upper eye-lid was not only stiff, but diminished in breadth ; 
so that notwithstanding the remarkable elevation of the lower 
