tS6 JJponthe Redatldancles of Kjturey May 



is confencdly rendered more acute, when concentrated into one 

 organ ; and he who withes to take fteady aim, therefore, always 

 ihuts the one eye; though, to render this acutenefs permanent, 

 I would rather propofe the total extirpation of the one eye, to 

 fave the continued trouble of fliuting it :— perhaps I am the firP. 

 to have fug,2;ell:ed this improvement. When, however, 1 rcfle£l 

 upon the latenefs of the difcovery, with the fubfequent rapid 

 progrefs of the ufeful inventions of the variolous, and much 

 more, of the vaccine inoculations, I do not at all defpair of fee- 

 ing the ufeful fafhion of moncrul'ifm become univerfally prevalent. 

 The powers of fong, in birds, is known to be improved by 

 blinding them ; as they then take the more delight in exciting in 

 themfelves the pleafurable confcioufnefs of exigence, by their 

 own melody, when deprived of the capacity of fuch excitation, 

 from the impreflion of external vifibie cbjefts. Senfibility, both 

 literal and metaphorical, is indeed, thus equally acuated by 

 concentration ; and, for this caufe, the wife Homer, to fortify 

 isit powers of his imagination, gazed to the efFe£l of total blind- 

 nefs, upon the dazzling blaze of the armour of Achilles; when, 

 according to the unfufpe£led tefcimony of antiquity, an appari- 

 tion, for this purpofe, was conceded to his prayers. The wife 

 pradice of the amputation of different joints of the fingers, 

 among favage nations, which it has fo much puzzled ignorant 

 travellers to account for, is, I know, certainly to be referred to 

 the fame rational origin. Bui I find I am anticipating myfelf. 



Having thus illullrated my general doctrine of the acfually 

 cxifiing redundancy of Nature, in the rate of her furniflnngs ; in 

 the inftance of the difFufe expanfion of the fenfitive powers : 

 Having alfo, (in a manner, perhaps, not over methodical), af- 

 forded a glimpfe of my theory, and correfponding praccice there- 

 upon founded, in the hints thrown out, as to the improvement 

 of fenfitive excitability — which, I truft, are not thrown away 

 upon you and your fapient readers ; I (hall proceed to illuflrate, 

 and practically to apply the fiime doctrine, in regard to the 

 powers of vegetable and of animal concoction ; powers fo fubfcr- 

 vient, and indeed indifpenfable to animal and vegetable life, 

 growth and vigour, that I ftiall henceforth beg leave to defign 

 them, when neccfiary, by the (hort appellative of the vital 

 pGivers, 



In regard, then, to thefe vital powers, there are two diO;in(ft 

 fpecies of redundancy, in the one or the other of which Nature 

 will generally be found to be peccant. 



if Species of R.edundancy. 



This con fi ft 5 in the bulk of body, to be fuflnined, being overpro- 

 tcrtkned to the extent of efficacy of the given vital poivers. In thrs 



redundancy 



