BLINDNESS. 



cal chemistry at Manchester, delivered 

 to the Manchester society by Dr. Bew, 

 it appears that mechanical exercises 

 were the favourite employment of his in- 

 fant years : and that at a very early age 

 he was so well acquainted with the use of 

 edge tools, as to be able to construct lit- 

 tle wind-mills, and even a loom. By the 

 sound, and the different voices of the 

 persons that were present, he was direct- 

 ed in his judgment of the dimensions of 

 the room in which they were assembled ; 

 and in this respect he determined with 

 such a degree of accuracy, as seldom to 

 be mistaken. His nrcmory was singularly 

 retentive ; so that he was capable of re- 

 cognizing a person on his first speaking, 

 though he had not been in company with 

 him for Iwo years. He determined with 

 surprising exactness the stature of those 

 with whom he conversed, by the direc- 

 tion of their voices ; and he made toler- 

 able conjectures concerning their dispo- 

 sitions, by the manner in which they con- 

 ducted their conversation. His eyes, 

 though he never recollected his having 

 seen, were not totally insensible to in- 

 tense light : but the rays refracted 

 through a prism, when sufficiently vivid, 

 produced distinguishable effects upon 

 them. The red produced a disagreeable 

 sensation, which he compared to the 

 touch of a saw. As the colours declined 

 in violence, the harshness lessened, until 

 the green afforded a sensation that was 

 highly pleasing to him, and which he de- 

 scribed as conveying an idea similar to 

 that which he gained by running his hand 

 over smooth polished surfaces. Such 

 surfaces, meandering streams, and gentle 

 declivities, were the figures by which he 

 expressed his ideas of beauty ; rugged 

 rocks, irregular points, and boisterous 

 elements, furnished him with expressions 

 for terror and disgust. He excelled in 

 the charms of conversation ; was happy 

 in his allusions to visual objects ; and dis- 

 coursed on the nature, composition, and 

 beauty of colours, with pertinence and 

 precision. 



This instance, and some others which 

 have occurred, seem to furnish a pre- 

 sumption, that the feeling or touch of 

 blind persons may be so improved, as to 

 enable them to perceive that texture and 

 disposition of coloured surfaces by which 

 some rays of light are reflected, and 

 others absorbed, and in this manner to 

 distinguish colours. 



It redounds very much to the honour 

 of modern times, that the public atten- 

 tion has been directed to the improve- 

 ment of the condition of blind persons ; 



and that institutions have been formed in 

 different countries for providing them 

 with suitable employment, tending not 

 only to alleviate their calamity, but to 

 render them useful. The first regnlar 

 and systematic plan for this purpose was 

 proposed by M. Hally, in an " Essay on the 

 Education of the Blind," priuted at Paris 

 in the year 1786, under the patronage of 

 the Academy of Sciences. An English 

 translation of this essay is annexed to 

 "Dr. Blacklock's poems," printed at 

 Edinburgh in 1793, 4to. The object of 

 this plan is to teach the blind reading, by 

 the assistance of books, in which the let- 

 ters are rendered palpable by their eleva- 

 tion above the surface of the paper ; and 

 by these means to instruct them, not only 

 in the liberal arts and sciences, but, like- 

 wise, in the principles of mechanical ope- 

 rations, such as spinning, knitting, book- 

 binding, &c. so that those who are in easy 

 circumstances may be capable of amusing 

 employment, and those of the lower ranks 

 of life, and such as have no genius for li- 

 terary improvement, may, nevertheless, 

 become respectable, useful, and indepen- 

 dent members of society, in the situation 

 of common artisans. By these palpable 

 characters they are taught to read, to 

 write, and to print ; and they are like- 

 wise instructed, according to their seve- 

 ral talents and stations, in geometry, al- 

 gebra, geography, and every branch of 

 natural philosophy. The institution en- 

 courages and cherishes a taste for the 

 fine arts; it teaches the blind to read 

 music with their fingers, as others do 

 with their eyes ; and it does this with so 

 much success, that though they cannot at 

 once feel the notes and perform them up- 

 on an instrument, yet they are capable of 

 acquiring any lesson with as much exact- 

 ness and rapidity, as those who enjoy all 

 the advantages of sight. 



We are happy to add, that institutions 

 of a similar kind have been established in 

 our own country; and to render our par- 

 ticular tribute of respect to the founders 

 and supporters of the school for the indi- 

 gent blind, instituted in London, 1799. 

 The object, with a view to which this 

 school was founded, is unquestionably 

 one of the most important and interesting 

 kind that can excite compassion, or de- 

 mand encouragement. It provides in- 

 struction for the indigent blind, in a trade 

 by which they may be able to provide, 

 either wholly or in part, for their own 

 subsistence ; and thus, instead of being 

 altogether a burthen to the community, 

 they will be of some service to it; and 

 instead of being depressed and cheerless 



