The eye whereby the beauty of the world is reflected is of such excellence that whoso consents to its loss deprives himself of the representation of all the works of nature. The soul is content to stay imprisoned in the human body because thanks to our eyes we can see theses things; for through the eyes all the various things of nature are represented to the soul. Whoso loses his eyes leaves his soul in a dark prison without hope of ever again seeing the sun, light of all the world; How many there are to whom the darkness of night is hateful though it is of but short duration; what would they do if such darkness were to be their companion for life? (How to Think Like da Vinci, Daniel Smith)
Since da Vinci himself was the first to study anatomy, including anatomy of the eyes, it is not likely that he had thorough eye exams. I can only speculate that his failing eye sight may be due to cataract or macular degeneration, as it happened in his later life, aside from infection and injury. It is likely sun/age-related. The good news is that thanks to da Vinci himself, modern day medicine allows individuals to seek prevention and treatment for their eye concerns with an optometrist.
Dr. Yan L. Liang, OD
Markham Optometrist
www.wardenoptometry.ca
Contact Warden Optometry to book your appointment today.