374 OF INFANCY. 



unequal in its temperature, is too violent for the 

 lax and delicate fibres of a new-born infant. It 

 is equally fenfible of heat as of cold : In every 

 fuuation it utters complaints ; and pain appears 

 to be its firft and only fenfation. 



Mod animals are blind for fome days after 

 birth. Infants open their eyes the moment they 

 come into the world ; but their eyes are fixed 

 and dull : They have not that luftre and bril- 

 liancy they afterwards acquire; neither have they 

 thofe motions v/hich accompany diftin£t vifion. 

 But they feem to feel the impreiTion of light j 

 for the pupil contra<fls or dilates, in proportion 

 to the quantity of light. A new-born infant 

 cannot diftinguifh objeds ; becaufe the organs 

 of vifion are ftill imperfe<ft : The cornea is 

 wrinkled ; and perhaps the re'.ina is too Toft and 

 lax for receiving the imprefiions of external bo- 

 dies, and for producing the fenfations peculiar 

 to di{\in<fl: vifion. 



The fame remark may be applied to the other: 

 fenfes. They have not yet acquired that force 

 and confillency which the operation of the fenfes 

 demand : And, even when they arrive at this 

 hate, it is long before the fenfations of the in- 

 fant can be juil and complete. The fenfes are 

 inftrumcnts cf Vv-hich we m.uft gradually learn 

 the ule. That of vifion is the moft noble, and 

 the moft wonderful : but, at the fame tim.e, it 

 is the moft uncertain and elufory. The fenla- 

 t'lons .produced by it, if not redlfied every mo- 

 ment 



