432 INTERPRETATION OP VISUAL SENSATIONS. 



some time after tolerably distinct vision had been obtained, 

 saw everything flat as in a picture, the impression made upon 

 his retina being simply transferred to his mind ; and it was 

 some time before he acquired the power of judging, by his 

 sight, of the real forms, characters, and distances of objects 

 around him. Thus, among other interesting circumstances, 

 it is mentioned that he was well acquainted with a Dog and 

 a Cat by feeling, but could not remember their respective 

 characters when he saw them ; one day, when thus puzzled, 

 he took up the Cat in his arms and felt her attentively, at 

 the same time looking steadfastly at her, so as to associate 

 the two sets of ideas ; and then, setting her down, said, " So, 

 puss, I shall know you another time." A similar instance 

 has come under the Author's own knowledge ; but the subject 

 of it was scarcely old enough to present facts of so striking a 

 character. One curious circumstance, however, may be men- 

 tioned, as fully bearing out the view here given. The lad had 

 been accustomed to find his way readily about his father's 

 house by the use of his hands, and he continued to do the 

 same for some time after his sight was tolerably clear, being 

 evidently puzzled, rather than assisted, by the impressions 

 conveyed through his new sense ; but, when learning a new 

 locality, he employed his sight, and evidently perceived the 

 increase of facility which he derived from it. Hence, we can 

 have little hesitation in deciding upon the question which has 

 perplexed many able reasoners, whether a person born blind, 

 who was able by the sense of touch to distinguish a cube from 

 a sphere, would, on suddenly obtaining his sight, be able to 

 recognise these bodies by the latter sense. This question was 

 answered in the negative by the celebrated mental philosopher, 

 Locke, and with perfect justice. 



558. We shall now inquire into the mode in which we 

 form our notions of the nature, sizes, distances, &c., of external 

 objects, from their pictures impressed upon our retina. The 

 first question is one on which a vast amount of discussion has 

 taken place, with very little satisfactory result. It is, why 

 are the objects which we see, represented to our minds in 

 their true erect position, their images upon the retina being 

 inverted? Various replies to this question have been pro- 

 posed at different times; and, amongst others, it has been 

 actually assumed that the Infant really does see objects 



