Account of Henry Moss, ^c. 13 



ground my conjecture on this circumstance, that the 

 colour of this poor man's face is changing pretty fast ; 

 and the connection between the colour of the skin and 

 the colouring matter of the eyes has long been observed, 

 by anatomists and physiologists. I am not ignorant, 

 however, that some eminent physiologists are of opinion, 

 that the black or brown pigment of the eyes is never re- 

 moved after birth. Thus Professor Blumenbach, speak- 

 ing of the Leucaethiopia humana, says it is a disease, 

 " Semper insanibilis; quippe oculis unquam pigmentuni 

 fuscum post partum demum subnatum esse ne unicum 

 quidem exemplum extat*." But this eminent physiolo- 

 gist has likewise asserted, that the leucaethiopia humana 

 is always a connate disease. " Semper comiatus mor- 

 bus est, nunquam, quod novi, postpartum acquisitusf.'* 

 Many facts demonstrate, that it is not always a connate 

 disease. I shall not content myself with observing, that 

 the case of Moss and that of the Mulatto James oppose 

 the professor's assertion, because he would, perhaps, ra- 

 ther refer these cases to his head of " Cutis fusca macu- 

 lis candidis variegata|," than to that of leucaethiopia 

 humana. But I shall quote what Aulus Gellius writes 

 concerning a certain people in Albania* " Praeteria 

 (says this useful writer) traditum est memoratumque in 

 ultima quadam terra, quae Albania dicitur, gigni homines, 



* De Generis Humani Varietate Nativa. \ 78. p. 276. Got- 

 tingsc : 1795. 



t Ibid. \ 78. p. 276. 



% Ibid. \ 48. p. 150—15.';. 



