314 MENTAL FACULTIES. 



tention. The senses, by which he judged of external bodies, were those 

 of touch and smell. His desire to become acquainted with objects was 

 great. He examined every thing he met with, and each action indi- 

 cated reflection. In his infancy, he smelt at every one who approached 

 him ; and their odour determined his affection or aversion. He always 

 recognized his own clothes by their smell; and refused to wear those 

 which he found to belong to others. Bodily exercises, such as rolling 

 down a small hill, turning topsy-turvy, floating wood or other objects 

 on the river that passed his father's house; gathering round, smooth 

 stones, laying them in a circle, and placing himself in the middle, or 

 building houses with pieces of turf, &c., were a source of amusement to 

 him. After the operation on his right eye, he could. better distinguish 

 objects. His countenance was very expressive; and his natural lan- 

 guage not that of an idiot, but of an intelligent being. When hungry, 

 he carried his hand to his mouth, and pointed to the cupboard where 

 the provisions were kept; and, when he wished to lie down, reclined his 

 head on one side upon his hand, as if he wished to lay it upon the pil- 

 low. He easily recollected the signification of signs that had been 

 taught him ; all of which were of course of the tactile kind. To make 

 him comprehend the number of days before an event would happen, 

 they bent his head as a sign that he would have to go to bed so many 

 times. Satisfaction was expressed by patting, him on the shoulder or 

 arm; and discontent by a sharp blow. He was sensible of the caresses 

 of his parents ; and susceptible of different emotions hatred, passion, 

 malice, and the kindlier feelings. He was fond of dress, and had great 

 fears of death, of the nature of which he had manifestly correct notions. 

 Mitchell's case has been pregnant with interest to the metaphysician ; 

 but it is not so elucidative as it would have been had the privation of 

 the senses in question been total. 



There is, or was, in the American Asylum at Hartford in Connecti- 

 cut, a being not less deserving of attention than Mitchell. 1 Her 

 name is Julia Brace. She is the daughter of John and Rachel Brace, 

 natives of Hartford, and was born in that town in June, 1807 ; so that 

 she is now (1850) forty- three years old. At four years of age she was 

 seized with typhus fever ; was taken sick on the evening of Monday, 

 November 29, 1811; and, 'on the Saturday morning following, became 

 both blind and deaf. Prior to her illness, she had not only learned to 

 speak, but to repeat her letters, and to spell words of two or three 

 syllables ; and, for some time after the loss of her sight and hearing, 

 she was fond of taking a book, and spelling words and the names of 

 her acquaintances. She retained her speech pretty well for about a 

 year ; but gradually lost it, and appears to be now condemned to per- 

 petual silence. For three years she could still utter a few words, one 

 of the last of which was "mother." At first she was unconscious of 

 her misfortune, appearing to think, that a long night had come upon 

 the world; and often said, "It will never be day." She would call 

 upon the family to " light the lamp," and was impatient at their seeming 



1 Twenty -first Report of the Directors of the American Asylum at Hartford, for the Edu- 

 cation and Instruction of the Deaf and Dumb, p. 15, Hartford, 1837, et seq. 



