254 MB HARVEY on an Anomalous Case of Vision 



whereas, to him, to adopt his own words, the whole presented 

 nothing but " a smoky appearance." The face of Nature also, 

 which, to the perfectly organised eye, presents so many exquisite 

 varieties of colour, and so many beautiful diversities of light and 

 shade, has always appeared to him under a dark and murky as- 

 pect. While others have contemplated, with high gratification, 

 the splendour of the setting sun, or the glory of the rainbow, 

 he has seen but little to admire ; and, when led by the chances 

 of a seaman's life, into the Mediterranean, where a bright sun, 

 and a pure and cloudless sky, lend to the glowing tints and the 

 vivid colouring of Nature, charms unknown to the climates of 

 the North, the contrast produced no peculiar effect on him : nor 

 has this arisen from a morbid constitution of mind ; for, on the 

 contrary, he is remarkably happy and cheerful ; and, from all 

 the information I have been able to obtain respecting him, has 

 always been distinguished for his steadiness, cheerfulness, and 

 good conduct. 



From several opportunities that I have had of examining 

 into the peculiarities of his case, I have drawn up the following 

 brief observations. 



Of Whites, he appears to have a very good idea, and so also of 

 Greys ; he having selected five pieces of cloth of the latter co- 

 lour, and arranged them according to their varieties of shade, 

 with perfect ease. By candle-light, however, he mistook a thread 

 of pink silk for grey, and, under the same circumstances, con- 

 founded flax-flower blue (No. 29. WERNER'S Nomenclature of 

 Colours by SYME) with the same colour. 



On SYME'S page of Blacks being presented to him, he thought 

 the whole to be dark-green. At first he pointed out the speci- 

 men which had the darkest tone ; but after a few minutes, he re- 

 marked, that they all appeared the same. When specimens of 

 basalt and hornblende were placed before him, he could perceive 



