cryſtalline, that the rays cannot be brough into a focus upon the retina; they can dif.
cannot be at all diſcerned, though the co- 112 CASES OF the moſt part, in a ſtrong light, diſtinguiſh black, white, and ſcarlet, but they cannot perceive the ſhape of any thing; for the light, by which theſe perceptions are made being let in obliquely through the aque. ous humour, or the anterior ſurface of the cern in no other manner, than a ſound e can fee through a glaſs of broken jelly, m where a great variety of ſurfaces fo differ. th ently refract the light, that the ſevem ed diſtinct pencils of rays cannot be collected fel by the eye into their proper foci; where. 8 fore the ſhape of an object in ſuch a caſe e.
me Jour may: and thus it was with this young gentleman, who, though he knew thek kn colours aſunder in a good light, vet, When. he ſaw them after he was couched, the I faint ideas he had of them before, were to! not ſufficient for him to know them by ” obſ afterwards, and therefore he did not think them the ſame, which he had before known by thoſe names. Now ſcarlet he Fc 8 5 _ thought BLINDNESS. - 86 1 WE thought the moſt beautiful of all colours, and of others the moſt gay were the moſt be pleaſing;. Whereas the firſt time he ſaw black, it gave him great uneaſineſs, yet after a lintle time he was reconciled to it; bot fome months after, ſeeing by accident a negroe woman, he was ſtruck with great horror at the ſight.
When he firſt ſaw, he was ſo far from ly, WY making any judgement about diſtances, that he thought all objects whatever touch- ed his eyes (as he expreſſed it), as what he ted felt did his ſkin, and thought no object ſo re. Nagreeable as thoſe which were ſmooth and ze regular, though he could form no judgein any object that was pleaſing to him: he knew not the ſhape of any thing, nor any hen ene thing from another, however different in ſnape or magnitude; but upon being told what things were, whoſe form he be- fore knew from feeling, he would carefully obſerve, that he might know them again; ght | | he ment of their ſhape, or gueſs what it was but having too many objects to learn at once, he forgot may of them, and (as = CCATESTOS che ſaid) at firſt he learned to know, ani again forgot a thouſand things in a day, One particular only, though it may appex trifling, I will relate: having often for: got which was the cat and which the dog he was aſhamed to aſk, but catching the cat, which he knew. by feeling, he wa obſerved to look at her ſtedfaſtly, and thet iſetting her down, ſaid, So, puls, I ſhal know you another time.” He was ven much ſurprized that thoſe things, which ht had liked beſt, did not appear moſt agree able to his eyes, expecting thoſe perſons would appear moſt beautiful, that he lovet moſt, and ſuch things to be moſt agrees ble to his ſight, that were ſo to his taſte We thought he ſoon knew: what picture "repreſented, which were ſhewed to hin, but we found afterwards we were miſtaken; for about two months after he was couch ed, he diſcovered at once they repreſented ſolid bodies; when to that time he conlt dered them only as party- coloured planes zor ſurfaces diverſified with variety of paint but even then he was no leſs furprizcd 2 expect ni pecting the pictures would feel like the aj things they repreſented, and was amazed ex When he found thoſe parts, which by their © Wight and ſhadow, appcared now round and uneven, felt only flat like the reſt, and th aſked, which was the lying ſenſe, feeling or ſeeing?
Wa ha Being ſhewn his father's natives in a hal Wocket at his mother's watch, and told what it was, he acknowledged a likeneſs, but was vaſtly ſurprized; aſking, how. it ould be, that a large face could be ex- refed in fo little room? Saying, it ſhould ſeem as impoſſible to him, as to put a buſnel of any thing into a pint.. At firſt he could bear but very little light, and the things he ſaw, he thought xtremely large; but upon ſeeing things larger, thoſe firſt ſeen he conceived Teſs, ever being able to imagine any line be- yond the bounds he PS; the room he as in, he ſaid, he knew to be but part of the houſe, yet he could not conceive hat the whole houſe could look bigger. Before he was couched, he expected little advanwo. "CASES: OF advantage from ſeeing, worth undergoing an operation for, except reading and vn ing; for, he ſaid, he thought he coul have no more pleaſure in walking abroy than he had in the garden, which he coul do ſafely and readily. And even blindneſ he obſerved, had this advantage, that | could go any where in the dark, much bet ter than thoſe who can fee; and after | had ſeen, he did not ſoon loſe this quali nor deſire a light to go about the houſe ni. the night, He ſaid every new object uf a new delight; and the pleaſure was Men great, that he wanted words to exprels it and his gratitude to his operator he coul not conceal, never ſeeing him, for ſont time, without tears of joy in his eyes, an other marks of affection: and if he did nd happen to come at any time when he wi expected, he would be fo grieved, that If could not forbear crying at his diſappoint ment. A year after firſt ſeeing, bein. carried upon Epſom Downs, and obſerviny a large proſpe&t, he was exceedingly de lighted with it, and called it a new kin 0 BLINDNESS. 117 f ſeeing. And now being lately couched his other eye, he ſays, that objects at appeared large to this eye, but not ſo ge as they did at firſt to the other; and oking upon the ſame object with both yes, he thought it looked about twice as nge as with the firſt couched eye only, ut not double, that we can any ways diſ- over. have couched ſeveral others who were ofn blind, whoſe obſervations were of the me kind; but they being younger, none f them gave ſo full an account as this ntleman, _— OB/ervations 118 P 80 * m Obſervations on Mr. Blackleck, 00 Aer bis fight in bis Infancy. but 1 18 indeed true ant Homer, the molt 1 celebrated poet of antiquity, and Mil | ton, who is without a rival among the moderns, were both blind. But Minne: was not blind till he was fifty years old * and Homer, for aught we know, not til che after he had written his Iliad and hs Odyſſey; and it is not ſtrange that thei power of recollecting, combining, and expreſſing ideas, which had been perceived and treaſured in their minds, when they could ſee, ſhould be increaſed when they ; ſtat became blind, as they were able to exen *; more intellectual force upon any certan e object, when every other was excluded 11 Blacklock's peculiarity as a poet is, that he I was blind almoſt from his birth, and hoy bu he, who can have no conception of an h. ideas that depend upon ſight, ſhould "be...able to expreſs them, not only intelligibly, but with propriety; how he ſhould be able to beichten deſcription, and decorate ſentiment B EDN D'NESS. ITg ment with figures and metaphors, which depend not only upon viſion in general, 42 but all the particular phenomena of viſt- 4 ble objects, is moſt aſtoniſhing. | Mr. Spence obſerves, in a ſhort account juſt publiſhed of Mr. Blacklock's life, writings, and character, that his notions of day may comprehend the ideas of warmth, variety of ſounds, ſociety, and chearfulneſs; and his notions of night the contrary ideas of chillneſs, ſilence, ſoli- tude, melancholy, and, occaſionally, even of horror: that he ſubſtitutes the idea of glory for that of the ſun; and of glory, in a leſs degree, for thoſe of the moon and ſtars, That his ideas of the beams of the ſun may be compoſed of this idea of glory, and that of rapidity; that ſomething of Wilidity too may perhaps be admitted, both into his idea of light and darkneſs, but that what his idea of glory is, cannot be determined. Mr. Spence alſo remarks, 55 that Blacklock may attribute paleneſs to able grief, brightneſs to the eyes, chearfulneſs o green, and a glow to gems, and roſes, without 120 CASES O * N without any determinate ideas; as boys a 4 ſchool, when in their diſtreſs for a word, 1 to lengthen out a verſe, they find pumi.
1 reus olor, or purpureum mare, may after.
q wards uſe the epithet purpureus with pr.
4 priety, though they know not what i | means, and have never ſeen either a ſa, or the ſea, or heard that a ſwan is of 0: \ight, and the ſea of a dark colour. Bui.
Ts he ſuppoſes too that Blacklock may hav j: "of been able to - diſtinguiſh colours by hf, [ I touch, and to have made a new vocubu-Ml, 1 lary to himſelf, by ſubſtituting tangible;: 0 far viſible differences, and giving them j; if the fame names; ſo that green with hin may mean ſomething pleaſing or ſoft to, the touch, and red ſomething diſpleaſingMr:c or rough. In defence of this ſuppoſition...it may be ſaid with ſome plauſibiliyM.,. that the ſame diſpoſition of parts in tel ſurfaces of bodies, which makes the reflect different rays of light, may mak them feel as differently ro the eXquzit touch of a blind man. But there is much difference in the tangible qualitie mann F 5 BLINDNESS 127 of things of the ſame colour, ſo much "WM roughneſs and ſmoothneſs, harſhneſs and ſoftneſs, ariſing from other caules, that it is more difficult to conceive how that minute degree, ariſing from colour, ſhould be diſtinguiſhed, than how a blind man ſhould talk ſenſibly of the ſubject, without having made ſuch diſtinction. We cannot conceive how a piece of red velvet, wool- len cloth, camblet, ſilk, and painted can- bo vas, ſhould have ſomething in common, bu which can be diſtinguiſhed by the touch, ave through the greateſt difference in all qua- hem lities which the touch can diſcover, or in hing what mode green buckram ſhould be it u more ſoft and pleaſing to the touch than alingWred velvet. If the ſoftneſs peculiar to 110100 green be diſtinguiſhed in the buckram, ili end the harſhneſs peculiar to red in the n thvelvet, it muſt be by ſome quality with the Which the reſt of mankind are as little ac - make quainted, as the blind with colour. It quitt may perhaps be ſaid, that a blind man is 1; ſuppoſed to diſtinguiſh colours by his alin Much, only when all other things are e- G qual; 122 C AS E S O as much violate the order of his ideas to Call velvet red, as to call ſoftneſs harſh, or indeed to call green red; velvet being ſomewhat ſoft and pleaſing to the touch, and ſomewhat - ſoft and - pleaſing to the touch, being his idea of green.
But whatever be his mode of percep- tion, he has uſed the names of mere vi- ſible qualities with the utmoſt propriety, through all their combinations and diver- Aities 'of appearance.
: qual: but if this be admitted, it would.
ler an BLINDNESS. 123 An account of ſome aſtoniſhing particulars that bappened toalady, after ber having bad the confluent kind of the ſmall-pox.
IN the courſe of this diſeaſe, during which- the lady was attended by the late Sir Hans Sloan, ſeveral threatening ſymptoms appeared, which, however, i- Wh vere at length overcome; and the pati- „ ent, being thought out of danger, took 1. ſeveral doſes of ſuch purgative medicines as are uſually adminiſtered in the decline of the diſeaſe, without any bad conle- - quence. | EW, OWE 4 But in the evening of the day on which ſhe had taken the laſt doſe that was intend- ed to be given her on that occaſion, ſhe was ſuddenly ſeized with pains and con- vulſions in the bowels; the pain and o- ther ſymptoms became gradually leſs vio- lent, as the force of the medicine abated, and by ſuch remedies as were thought beſt apted to the caſe, they ſeemed at ag JJ be entirely ſubdued.
G 2 They G 2 They % AS ES OF They were, however, ſubdued only i in appearance; for at eleven o'clock-in the FTorenoon of the next day, they returned with great violence, and continued me hours: when they went. off, they left th muſcles af. the lower jaw ſo much relaxed, that it fell down, and the chin was ſupport- ed on the breaſt. The ſtrength of the pa- tient was ſo much exhauſted during this paroxyſm, that ſhe lay near two hours with no other ſign of life than a very feeble re. Wl | ſpiration, which was often ſo difficult to be diſcerned, that thoſe about her coneluded 7 ſhe was. dead. | 0 From this time, the fits returned perio- 5 dically every day, at about the ſame hour. W, At firſt they ſeemed to affect her. nearly in f the ſame degree, but at length all.the ſymp- 5 toms were aggravated, the convulſions be-M ter came more general, and her arms were Jometimes convulſed alternately: it allo frequently. happened, that the arm which was laſt convulſed remained. extendec and inflexible ſome. hours after the ſtrug les were over. Her neck was often tyil E ELTNDNESS. 127 ed with fuch violence, that the face looked directly backwards, and the back part of the head was over the breaſt: the muſcles of the countenance were alſo ſo contracted and writhed by the ſpaſms, that the fea- tures were totally changed, and it was im- poſſible to find any reſemblance of her natural aſpect by which ſhe could be known: Her feet were not leſs diſtorted than her head, for they were twiſted almoſt to dif- location at the inſtep, ſo that ſhe could not walk but upon her ancles.
To remove or mitigate theſe deplorable ſymptoms, many remedies were tried, and; among others, the cold- bath; but either by the natural effect of the bath, or by ſome miſmanagement in the bathing, the unhap- py patient firft became blind, and ſoon af- ter deaf and dumb. It is not eaſy to con- ceive what could increaſe the miſery of deaf. neſs, dumbneſs, blindneſs, and frequent paroxyſms of excruciating pain; yet a con- ſiderable aggravation was added, for the loſs of her ſight, her hearing, and her ; pech, was followed by ſuch a ſtricture of G 3 b 86" "CASES QOF- the muſcles of the throat, that ſhe could not ſwallow any kind of aliment, either ſo- lid or liquid. It might reaſonably be ſup. - poſed that this circumſtance, though it ad- ded to the degree of her miſery, would have ſhortened its duration; yet in this condition ſhe continued near three quarters of a year, and during that time was ſup- ported, in a very uncommon manner, by chewing her food only, which having turn- ed often, and kept long in her mouth, ſhe was obliged at laſt to ſpit out. Liquors were likwiſe gargled about in her mouth for ſome time, and then returned in the fame manner, no part of them having paſl- ed the throat by an act of diglutition; fo that whatever was conveyed i into the ſtomach, either of the juices of the ſolid food, or of liquors, was either gradually imbibed by the ſpongineſs of the parts, which they moiſtened, or trickled down in a very ſmall quantity along the ſides of the veſſels. But there were other peculiarities in the caſe of this lady, yet more extraordinary. During the 2 of her e and B LENDN:ESS 27 and hearing, her touch and her ſmell became ſo exquiſite, that ſhe could diſtinguiſh the - different colours of ſilk and flowers, and was ſenſible when any ſtranger v was 1n the room with her.
After ſhe. became blind, and a and | dur H, it was not eaſy to contrive any me- thod by which a. queſtion could be aſked. her, and an anſwer received. This how ever was at laſt effected, by talking with.
the fingers, at which ſhe was uncommonly ready. But thoſe who converſed with her- in this manner, were obliged to expreſs.
e themſelves by touching her hand and fin- {- Wh gers inſtead of their own.
at A lady, who was nearly related to her, h, having an apron on that was embroidered: or Wl vith filk of different colours, aſked her, ed in the manner which has been juſt deſcrib- ey ed, if ſhe could tell what colour it was?
and after applying her fingers attentively to the flowers of the embroidery, ſhe re- plied, that it was red, and blue, and green; zor- which was true; but. whether there were cbt aN, other colours in the apron, the. writer and G 4 | "Of: > LY 128 r of this account does not remember. The ſame lady having a pink- coloured ribbon | on her head, and being willing ſtill far. ther to fatisfy her curiofity and her doubts, aſked what colour that was? her couſin, after feeling fome time, anſwered, that it | was pink colour; this anſwer was ye Ml. more aſtoniſhing, becauſe it ſhewed not only a power of diſtinguiſhing different co- Ml | lours, but different kinds of the fame co- | lour: the ribbon was diſcovered not only Ml to be red, but the red was diicovered to | be of the pale kind, called a pink. | This unhappy lady, conſcious of ber _ own uncommon infirmities, was extremely | - unwilling to be ſeen by ſtrangers, and IM | 1 therefore generally retired to her chamber, MI ! where none but thoſe of the family were likely to come. The ſame relation, who f had by the experiment of the apron and MW | [i ribbon diſcovered the exquilite ſenſibility M 1 of her touch, was ſoon after convinced by an accident, that her power of ſmelling was t acute and refined in the ſame. aſtoniſhing M \ I degree.
Being vent up into her couſin's chamber, and at- B LIN DN ESS. rg Being one day viſiting the family, ſhe ter making herſelf known, ſhe entreated her to go down, and. fit with the reſt of the family, aſſuring her, that there was no other perſon preſent; to this ſhe at length comented, and went down toethe- parlour door; but the moment the door was opened, ſhe turned back, and retired to her own chamber, much diſpleaſed, alledging, that there were ſtrangers in the room, and that an attempt had been made to deceive her. It happened, indeed, that there were ſtrangers in the room, but they had come in while the lady was above ſtairs; fo that ſhe did not know they were there. When ſhe had fatisfied her couſin of this particular, ſhe was pacified; and being af- terwards aſked how ſhe knew there were ſtrangers in the room, the replied, by the ſmell. | | But though ſhe could by this ſenſe diſ- tinguiſh, in general, between perſons with whom ſhe was well acquainted, and ftrangers, yet ſhe could not fo eaſily diſtinguitts * - | one - ——ͤ— — ù 2 — — — one of her acquaintance from another, without other aſſiſtance. She generally diſtinguiſhed her friends by feeling their hands, and when they came in they uſed to preſent their hands to. her, as a means of making themſelves known: the make and warmth of the hand, produced, in gene- ral, the differences that ſhe diſtinguiſhed. but ſometimes ſhe uſed to ſpan the writ and meaſure the fingers. A lady, with, whom ſhe was very well acquainted, com- ing in one very hot day, after having walk- ed a. mile, preſented her hand, as uſual; me felt it longer than ordinary, and ſeem- ed in doubt whoſe it was; but after ſpanning. the wriſt, and. meaſuring the finger, ſhe ſaid, © It is Mrs. M. but ſhe „is warmer. to-day than ever 1 felt her before.“ To amuſe herſelf in the mournful and perpetual ſolitude and darkneſs, to which her diſorder had reduced her, ſhe uſed to work at her needle; and it is remarkable that her needle-work was uncommonly neat and exact. Among many other pres | $7 $7 BEAN-DNES.S. 23 of her work that are preſerved in the fa-. mily, is a pin-cuſhion, which can ſcarce be equalled. She uſed allo ſometimes to write, and her writing was yet more ex- traordinary than her needle-work; it was executed with the ſame regularity and ex- actneſs; the character was very pretty, the lines were all even, and the letters placed at equal diſtances from each other; but the molt aſtoniſhing particular of all, with reſpect to her writing, is, that ſhe could by ſome means diſcover when a letter had by miſtake been omitted, and. would place it over that part of the word where it ſhould have been inferted, with a caret un- der it. It was her cuſtom to ſit up in e bed at any hour of the night, either to r Write or to work, when her pain or any other cauſe kept her awake. 1 d Theſe circumſtances were fo very extra- ch ordinary, that it was long doubted whether to ſhe had not ſome faint remains both of were made to aſcertain the matter; ſome of theſe experiments ſhe accidentally diſcover- 128. 1 hearing and ſight, and many experiments e AS ES OH ed, and the diſcovery always threw her in- to violent convulſions. The thought of being ſuſpected of inſincerity, or ſuppoſed capable of acting © wicked a part as to. feign infirmities that were not inflicted, was an addition to her miſery whic® ſhe could not bear, and which never failed to produce an agony of mind not leſs viſible than thoſe of her body. A clergyman, who found her one evening at work by 2 table with a candle upon it, put his hat between her eyes and the candle, in ſucha manner that it was impoſſible. ſhe could receive any benefit from the light of it, if ſhe had not been blind. She continued ſtill at work, with great tranquillity, till. putting up her hand ſuddenly' to rub her forehead, ſhe ſtruck it againſt the hat, and diſcovered what was doing 1 upon which the was thrown. into violent convulſions, and was not without. great aifficuty reco- ed. Fe family were, 97 theſe experiments, Ion. and by ſeveral accidental circumſtances, line: fully convinced that. ſhe was totally, Parr, «2 | |: | | | deal Ee « UW 1 rr. CER 00 pa er the : q * * * - "IF - wb — BLINDNESS. 133 deaf and blind, particularly by her fit- ting unconcerned at her work, during 2 dreadful ſtorm of thunder and lightening, though ſhe was then facing the window, and always uſed to be much terrified in ſuch Circumſtances. But Sir ans Sloan, her phyfician, being ſtill doubrful of the truth of facts, which were ſcarce leſs than miraculous, he was permitted to fatisfy himſelf by ſuch experiments and obſer- vations as he thought proper; the iſſue of which was, that he pronounced her toꝰ be abſolutely deaf and blind.
She was at length ſent to Bath, where ſhe was in ſome Meaſure relieved, her convulſions being leſs frequent, and her pains leſs acute; but ſhe never recovered her ſpeech, her fight, or her heating, in the leaſt degree.
ſonie of which there are inſtances er —̃ ces, Nineations with a caret, the writer of this tall, Parrative hath ſeen, and they are now im dee cuſtody of the widow. of one of ler ers, who, with many other perſchs, Can Many of the letters dated at Bath, in.
* 42 82 9 * | =. > 134 ©asrs OF BLINDNESS. can fp the facts here related, however "wond, h ſuch evidence as it would not only Lice, but folly, to diſbe- lieve.
Books Printed for Richard Dym IELDING' Works, a new Ed with his Life and Preface es; phy 8 vols. octavo "cs. Glaſs's Art of Cookery, a 5 — o aports in th Folie