Letters on Natural Magic; Addressed to Sir Walter Scott, Bart. — John Shaqi
Letters on Natural Magic; Addressed to Sir Walter Scott, Bart.Brewster, David
History
Letters on Natural Magic; Addressed to Sir Walter Scott, Bart.
Brewster, David
Scientific recreations
of the contained fluid, while the retina on each side, namely, under
the point of pressure and beyond the protruded part, will be drawn
towards the protruded part or _dilated_. Hence the part under the
finger which was originally compressed is now _dilated_, the adjacent
parts _compressed_, and the more remote parts immediately without this
_dilated_ also. Now we have observed, that when the eye is, under
these circumstances, exposed to light, there is a bright luminous
circle shading off externally and internally into total darkness.
We are led, therefore, to the important conclusions, that when the
retina is compressed in total darkness it gives out light; that when
it is compressed when exposed to light, its sensibility to light is
increased; and that when it is _dilated under exposure to light, it
becomes absolutely blind, or insensible to all luminous impressions_.
When the body is in a state of perfect health, this phosphorescence
of the eye shows itself on many occasions. When the eye or the head
receives a sudden blow, a bright flash of light shoots from the
eyeball. In the act of sneezing, gleams of light are emitted from each
eye both during the inhalation of the air, and during its subsequent
protrusion, and in blowing air violently through the nostrils, two
patches of light appear above the axis of the eye and in front of it,
while other two luminous spots unite into one, and appear as it were
about the point of the nose when the eyes are directed to it. When
we turn the eyeball by the action of its own muscles, the retina is
affected at the place where the muscles are inserted, and there may
be seen opposite each eye, and towards the nose, two semicircles of
light, and other two extremely faint towards the temples. At particular
times, when the retina is more phosphorescent than at others, these
semicircles are expanded into complete circles of light.
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