RECOVERED FROM BLINDNESS. 61 



this time, diftinguifhed by fight any fort of object ; and I was 

 aflured by both that he never had, on any occafion ; and 

 that, when he wiflied to difcover colours, which he could 

 only do when they were very ftrong, he had always been 

 obliged to hold the coloured object clofe to his eye, and a 

 little on one fide, to avoid the projection of the nofe. No 

 further experiments were made on that day. On the 1 ft of 

 January, I found that his eye continued quite free both from 

 pain and inflammation, and that he felt no uneafinefs on the 

 approach of light. I fliewed him a table knife; which at 

 firft he called a fpoon, but foon rectified the miftake, giving 

 it the right name, and diftinguiming the blade from the 

 handle, by pointing to each as he was defired. He after- 

 wards called a yellow pocket-book by its name, taking 

 notice of the fiiver lock in the cover. I held my hand before 

 him ; which he knew, but could not at firft tell the number 

 of my fingers, nor diftinguifh one of them from another. I 

 then held up his own hand, and defired him to remark the 

 difference between his thumb and fingers ; after which, he 

 readily pointed out the diftinctions in mine alfo. Dark- 

 colotfred and fmooth objects, were more agreeable to him 

 than thofe which* were bright and rough. On the 3d of 

 January, he faw, from the drawing-room window, a dancing a dancing bear; 

 bear in the ftreet ; and diftinguiftied a number of boys that 

 were ftanding round him, noticing particularly a bundle of 

 clothes which one of them had on his head. On the fame 

 evening, I placed him before a looking glafs, and held up looking glafs. 

 his hand : after a little time he fmiled, and faid he faw the 

 fhadow of his hand, as well as that of his head. He could 

 not then diftinguifh his features ; but, on the following day, 

 his mother having again placed him before the glafs, he 

 pointed to his eyes, nofe, and mouth, and feemed much 

 gratified with the fight. 



Having thus ftated the principal obfervations that were Companion of 

 made by Mafter W. I fhall now make a brief companion J^theTmous 

 between this ftatement, and that which is given in the inftance of Che- 

 XXXVth volume of the Philofophical Tranfadions, of Mr/ elden - 

 Chefelden's patient, who was fuppofed to be born blind, and 

 obtained his fight when he was between thirteen and fourteen 

 years old, 



*i ■' ; it 



