Figure observed with centre curved backward
at the fovea, and ends curved forward
owing to irradiation.
This was exactly similar to the preceding, except that the intensities of the various dots were reversed. The end dots were covered with tissue paper, instead of the centre one. Then the centre dot appeared first and the end dots after it.
EXPERIMENT X
Professor Hess finds that an image which, compared to those we used, was very long, subtending an angular distance of about thirty degrees, and which extends entirely across the fovea and overlaps the surrounding parts of the retina will appear curved backwards at the fovea, owing to the longer time of latent perception of the fovea and the macula. The accompanying illustration shows a modification of one of Hess's figures, in which the presence of this phenomenon and that of the convex image are both shown. The two phenomena were observed when a two-inch image was observed at a distance of about fourteen inches. The intensity of the light was that of an eight-candle-power lamp with three pieces of ground glass in front of it. (Very many of Hess's intensities are too great to give convex images.) Thus the image would be about 12° in height. About 5/12 of the figure would then fall on the macula and fovea and appear curved backwards in relation to the ends. The ends where they fell on the extra foveal parts of the retina appeared convex in front and concave at the rear as any small image of the right intensity does which falls on a homogeneous part of the retina.
EXPERIMENT XI
Charpentier, Bidwell, and others have made the observation that if a small source of light be exposed for a brief interval, excitation will proceed out in all directions over the retina, but if the light be exposed for a slightly longer period, the excitation will contract again and the light appear nearly its proper size and in its proper location at the stimulated portion of the retina. Using variously shaped figures we obtained analogous results, and the additional fact appeared that the outgoing excitation proceeds from the borders of the figures and that its form is somewhat determined by the form of the figure. An oblong image appeared vaguely elliptical, a diamond-shaped figure in the form of a more pointed ellipse, etc. These images were exposed for only a small fraction of a second, by means of a shutter. As the exposure grew longer the true form of the figures came out more and more clearly. There thus seems to be a general spreading of the stimulation in all directions over the retina from the borders of the images. Then, upon a slightly longer duration of the stimulus, this very rapid irradiation of excitation contracts and the irradiation becomes confined within the borders of the stimulated portion and affects the intensity of the different portions of the image. With strong intensities and certain colors it is, however, never wholly confined to the stimulated portion even of moving images. Charpentier speaks of "clouds of light accompanying his figures." With green light these clouds are especially noticeable. His "palm branch" phenomenon is a good instance of the irradiation of stimulation.
Besides these experiments which I have just described, several phenomena of a like sort were observed in connection with other experiments which were being performed in the laboratory at the same time. Dr. Holt was experimenting with a bright circular spot of light about one half inch in diameter, surrounded by a very faint ring about one half inch wide. When the whole image was moved about, the spot would seem to go back and forth across the less intense part so that the whole image looked like a jelly-fish swimming about in the water.
When the figure was allowed to remain stationary for a few moments it would resume its natural shape. Otherwise the bright part would seem to advance faster than the rest, sometimes even overlapping the border. This phenomenon was due to the fact that a bright light requires less time in coming into consciousness than a less intense one, and is, of course, the same in principle as those which were performed with dots when the bright dot moved ahead of the rest.