58 CASE OF YOUNG GENTLEMAN 



Hiflory of the foon difcovered a great fondnefs for mufic ; his memory was 

 chldWiV 'th vcr ^ retent ' ve °f ^ little ftories that were read or recited to 

 cataracts. him; and, iu every way, it became evident that he had a 



mind capable of receiving information. A's loon as he couM 

 fpeak, it was alio obferved, that when an object was held 

 clofe to his eyes, he was able to diftinguiih its colour, if 

 ftrongly marked ; but, on no occaiion, did he ever notice its 

 outline or figure. In November, 1 800, his parents took him 

 to Briilol ; whither they went for the purpofe of feeing the 

 works carried on in the fchool for the indigent blind in that 

 city, and in order that they might afcertain whether their fon,' 

 who was then arrived to his feventh year, could be taught 

 any tiling that would be ufeful or amufing. Here he very 

 quickly learnt the art of making laces. Bnt his parents, 

 having brought him fo far from home, thought it advifeable 

 to extend their plan, and make a vifit to the metropolis, for 

 the fake of giving me an opportunity of infpecting his eyes, 

 and of hearing whether my opinion continued the fame as 

 that which I had written to them fix years before. About a 

 Cafe of a boy month previous to the time of their arrival, a Portuguefe boy, 

 who recovered fourteen years old, had been put under my care, who was in 

 puncture of the a fimilar fituation ; and, in this cafe, notwithftanding all the 

 capfule of the efforts I could ufe, I found it impoflible to fix the eye, in 

 order to extract the cataract, without employing a degree of 

 force which might have been highly injurious. I therefore 

 relinquished my intention of performing the operation in that 

 way,, and determined to make ufe of the couching needle ; 

 being prepared, either to deprefs the cataract with this in- 

 ftrument, if it was fufficiently folid for the purpofe, Or, if it 

 was foft or fluid, (which I rather expected,) to puncture its 

 capfule largely, fo as to bring the opaque cryftalline into free 

 contact with the aqueous and vitreous humours. In order to 

 fix the eye for this operation, I was not afraid to make ufe of 

 a fpeculum oculi ; fince a prefTure, which would have been 

 highly dangerous in extracting the cataract, might be applied 

 on the prefent occafion with perfect fafety. Conformably to 

 my expectation, the cataract was of a foft confiftence ; in 

 confequence of which, I was not able to deprefs it, and con- 

 tented myfelf with making a large aperture through the cap- 

 fule, by means of which the cryftalline was brought into 



contact 



