into some business, that he can leave as a legacy to his wife and children. But how different was the cafe of my poor hufband? It is the duty of a clergyman to be diligent, let his income be ever fo small. Every other man has a probablę means of promoting himfelf in the world; while the man of learning, the man, whose whole ftudy is how to promote the glory of God, and to point out the way to everlafting happinefs, is incapable of providing for his own temporal interest, has hardly a fufficient support for his family whilft living, and, when he dies, can leave nothing behind him for his wife and children. It is no wonder then, that fuch fcenes of diftrefs fall oftner amongst us, than amongst the widows and children of any other fociety of men. My dear husband was us'd to fay, that the most honourable and moft godlike employment is that of doing good, and that this is always attended with the most lafting pleasure, the most refined delight. What joy, what transport then must the author of that noble scheme, inserted in your fourth number, feel, if he should be so happy as to occafion its taking effect! Thousands will have reason to bless him, and ages yet unborn will reap the benefit of his unparallel'd humanity.

Pardon, Sir, the length of this letter: in which I know I have exprefs'd myself illy; but the painful remembrance of what I have suffer'd, and still continue to fuffer, is too violent to let me attend to forms, or to dress up my thoughts with propriety.

I am, Sir,

N. B. The following piece was fent by the ingenious Dr, HALLER to the ROYAL ACADEMY of Upfal in Sweden, and from thence tranfmitted to us, to be inferted in our Mifcellany.

DE NOVA TUNICA, OCULI FETUS CLAUDENTE PUPILLAM, OBSERVATIO,

AB ALBERTO

8

HALLE R.

POST

OST diuturnum filentium ad officium redeo, SODALES, & inutilis pœnitendique focii culpam aliqua, qualem alii labores finunt, fymbola redimo.

Sex fere anni elapfi funt, ex quo duos fetus fecui, in theatrum noftrum adlatos die 27 Octobris 1743, feptimo pene menfe difficiliori partu editos, ut vitam in ipfo utero viderentur depofuiffe.

Replevimus hos fetus oleo terebinthine tincto cinnabari, deinde craffiori aliqua ceracea maffa: priorem enim coloratum liquorem fatis meabilem experti fumus, ut tamen non adeo facile, ut ichtyocolla folet, in cellulofam telam fe diffundat.

Vidi, per ipfam corneam, ex iridis vafculis repletis aliquos ramulos in ipfum pupillæ foramen produci, et, quantum videbatur, libere natare in aqueo humore.

Cum vero fatis conftet, nufquam NATURAM vafa abfque fulciente membrana deducere, non tenuis mihi nata eft fufpicio, adeffe utique in fetu aliquam membranam, quæ pupillam obducat, & quæ vafculofa quidem, fed peritura foret.

Invitabat ad hanc opinionem exemplum alterius fenfus, poft vifum fubtiliffimi, auditus nempe, cui in fetu plura tutamina, quam in adulto, præpofuit NATURA.

*Confiliario aulæ, Archiatro Regio, et Profeffore Ordinario Göttingenfi, Soc. Reg. Brit. Sodali.

Ibi enim non pulposa albaque folum epidermis (a) facile poteft de orbiculo illo detrahi, quem conjunctim membranam tympani vocant. Nam hoc præfidium etiam in adulto minime deeft.

Sed membrana meatus auditorii, vasculosa, pulpofior, craffior, in fetu obducit ficcam illam intimam lamellam, & facile feparatur in fetu, & mollior eft, quæ in adulto fenfim exfanguis, in pene fimilem cum intima lamina ficcitatem

mutatur.

Major acceffit fides novæ membranæ ex CL. WACHENDORFII obfervatione, quam, ut fieri folet, non exiguo tempore poft primam meam obfervationem elapfo, demum repe-. ri, infertam COMMERCIO NORICO. (b)

Defcribit vir clariffimus membranulam nigram, anteriori lamina ex continuatione iridis, pofteriori forte a pigmenti nigri coagulatione natam, vafis fuis repletis confpicuam, quam pupillarem vocat vir clariffimus, & vafa lente vitreâ aucta depingit (c). Ita vidi, non meam effe inventionis gloriam, ut tamen facile me confolaretur veritatis, quam nondum totam tenebam, confirmatio.

Verum cum nuper (d) duo alii gemelli in theatrum illati effent, & paulo poft tertius fetus, omnes circa feptimum menfem conftituti, in novum inventum ulterius inquifivi.

Reperi veriffima omnia. Per ipfam corneam pellucebant & iridis vulgaria vafa, & ejus membranæ, quæ pupillam claudit, continuatæ ab iridis vafculis, arteriola.

Removi corneam, circumcidendo originem ipfius, interius quam eo loco, quo a fclerotica fecedit. Vidi tumentem bullam membraneam, quam impellebat humor aqueus, in camera pofteriori fatis magna copia effufus, qui pupillarem membranam, qua ab effluxu coercebatur, urgeret antrorfum.

(a) De inventoribus hujus epidermidis, vide Comment BOERH. T. IV...P. (b) A. 1745. hebd. 18.

33°.

(d) Menfe Martio, anni 1747.

(c) T. 1. f. 7,

8.

Hanc

Hanc membranam aperui; ut humor aqueus, qui colorem ipfius naturamque turbabat, dilueret. Albam vidi cum

leviter cinereo colore, fic fatis robuftulam, ut facile cultello & obducere poffes pupillo & reducere.

Trunculi vafculofi, fatis infigni numero, & arbuscularum fpecie, perreptabant.

In aliis oculis fimiliter repletam, fed qualem Clar. WACHENDORFIUS, nigricantem reperi, & mufcofam, & levi preffione diffluxuram, ut tamen ruptæ membranulæ laciniæ iridi adhærentes, facile confpicuæ in oculo fuperfint.

Repetitis ergo experimentis, nihil porro video, quo minus in numerum membranarum fetus, conftans, organica, vafculofa tunica pupillaris recipiatur.

Sed in adulto perit. Nihil enim ibi fupereft, neque fupereffe debet, quod radios, per corneam fubeuntes, a lente, crystallina arceat.

Quo tempore evanefcat primum, alia experimenta demum demonftrabunt, in variæ ætatis vitalibus infantibus facta.

Aliquo tempore fupereffe crediderim. Fetus neque vi dere poteft, neque debet; infantem non fubito, fed fenfim' oculum ad radios lucis oportet accommodare. Rumpi adeo primo hanc membranam, deinde, quæ adeo mollis fit, in aqueo humore fenfim diffolvi probabile fit, diffolutam reforberi, diffipari.

Recens nati infantes non vident, & ne a candela quidem admota, neque ab intentatis plagis nictitant, per plufculas, ni fallor, feptimanas.

Caufa quærebatur hujus phænomeni. Cornean craffam, & rugofam accufavit PETITUS (e). Sed & in homine, & magis in cane, cornea pellucida eft, inque fetubus noftris per hanc membranam vafa iridis abunde diftinguebantur, ut nullum magnum radiis obftaculum ab hac caufa ex

(e) Mem. de l'Acad. des Sciences 1726. pag. 246. feq. Ediz.

Paris.

pe&tari

pectari poffit. Alia ergo quærenda ratio. Canibus recents natis (f) palpebræ claufæ & conglutinatæ funt, cum limpi diffimis oculis. Hæc cæcitatis ipfis caufa eft, membranam autem pupillarem certo non habent. Homini, etiam fetui, palpebræ non nifi connivent. Cur non videat, non alia adeo præter ruborem aquei humoris, & membranam pupillarem caufa eft; cum cornea quidem omnino craffa fit, neque tamen radios ab iride arceat (g). Ruborem auten illum aqueus humor in fetu communem habet cum omnibus aliis liquoribus exhalantibus. Amnii liquor, & peritonæi, & pericardii, & vaginalis tunicæ, & ille, qui ubique effunditur in cellulofam tunicam, neque raro anafarcam, etiam capitis, in fetu facit, undique rubet & in omnibus fetubus. Patere magis ibi vias exhalationis neceffe eft, quas claudat vaforum arcta duritas.

(f) PETITUS p. 251. opacam corneam et lentem facit, ego pellucidiffimas video. (g) Vidit etiam pellucidiffimas

corneas idem PETITUS, p. 243.

To the CLERGY of GREAT-BRITAIN,

A

GENTLEMEN,

S the SCHEME, which was published in our Fourth Number, for raising a FUND for the maintenance of the WIDOWS of fuch CLERGYMEN who should die and leave their families in diftreffed circumftances, cannot be perfected without the consent of the whole body, or at least a great majority, You are all earnestly desired to peruse and confider that defign, and fend your opinions thereon (poft paid) to Mr. NEWBERY at the Bible and Sun in St. Paul's ChurchYard, who will communicate them to a fociety of CLERGYMEN who affemble weekly for this purpose.

N. B. No letter shall be published without the consent of the party from whom it is received.