Miscellanea Curiosa, Vol. 1: Containing a collection of some of the principal phaenomena in nature, accounted for by the greatest philosophers of this age
History
Miscellanea Curiosa, Vol. 1: Containing a collection of some of the principal phaenomena in nature, accounted for by the greatest philosophers of this age
Natural history; Science -- Early works to 1800; Voyages and travels -- Early works to 1800
2. _Ex parte Organi vel Medii_, Direct Vision has been improv'd by
making use of a _Tube_, without Glasses, or a Man's clos'd Hand, to look
thro'; which admitting into the _Eye_ only the principal Rays, that come
directly from the Object, do very much strengthen and clear the Sight,
by excluding all the Collateral Rays, that crouding into the Eye,
together with the direct ones, would confound and disturb it, partly by
mixing and interfering with the direct Rays, and partly (or rather
chiefly) by too much enlightning the fund of the Eye, wherein Vision is
truly (tho' then imperfectly) made.
On this is founded the Art of making _Spectacles_ without Glasses; (as
well as _Tubes_) which is done by putting into the Glass-holes (instead
of Glasses) two short _Tubes_ of between three and four Inches long (for
their length is to be vary'd according to the Age or Eye of the
Beholder, and so also is the Diameter of the extream ends) which _Tubes_
being made of _Spanish Leather_ (or Past-board, or some such like
Matter) and black'd on the inside, are so to be placed, as that the
visual Rays, receiv'd thro' them, may meet in one point (or rather issue
out from one Point) of the Object standing at such a due distance, as
the Person may clearly and distinctly see it, or according to his length
of Sight (as ABC, in the 4th _Fig. Tab._ 3.)
And these _Spectacles_ may be suppos'd better for preserving the Sight,
than the ordinary ones with Glasses, because they represent the Object
more naturally, and withal more clearly and distinctly to the Eye, than
the other, whose refracted Rays being collected together with the right
ones in the Glasses, do somewhat confound good Vision, as before:
Especially if the visive Power be strong enough to be sufficiently
determin'd by the right Rays alone.
For I speak now of preserving a good Eye by these Spectacles, which
holds in proportion true also of a bad one. Because those Rays (both
right and refracted) being collected and brought so near the Eye
(whether good or bad) as the Spectacles are usually plac'd, do too much
affect it, both by their own brightness, and also by the brightness of
the Colours of the Object (when they are bright) which is brought very
near also; whereby the Eye is dazl'd and confounded, unless there be a
strong attention and _conatus_ of the Spirits, whereto the bright Rays
do certainly engage them, which of necessity weakens Vision, especially
if these Glass-spectacles be much us'd.
Wherefore the now describ'd new Tube-spectacles, contributing so much to
the help and preservation of Sight, may well be counted an improvement
of _Direct Vision_, because they convey the Rays to the Eye without any
kind of Refraction whatsoever. Seeing the same Object also through
various holes, plac'd at certain distances, does somewhat alter Vision;
but of this perhaps more hereafter.
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