BORN BLIND AND DEAF. 63 



Letter from Dr Gordon to Mr Stewart. 



Edinburgh, October 26. 1812. 

 My dear Sir, 



During my residence in Morayshire, in August last, I did 

 not fail to avail myself of my vicinity to Ardclach, to visit the 

 Mitchell family. I have now to communicate to you, accord- 

 ing to promise, the additional particulars respecting the subject 

 of your memoir, which this visit has enabled me to collect. 

 Some of these, you will easily perceive, are the result of niy 

 own observation on the boy himself; others were obtained 

 from conversations with his eldest sister, whom I considered 

 myself extremely fortunate in finding at home. 



Previously to my visit, report had given me reason to ex- 

 pect, that I should find young Mitchell's vision considerably 

 improved ; and I had not been long in his company, before I 

 received very satisfactory proof that this was the case. Ac- 

 cordingly, I was led to examine his eyes with attention. 

 Twelve months ago, as I have stated in the supplement to 

 Professor Glennie's Account, one could perceive fragments of 

 the lens very white and opaque, behind one-half of the pu- 

 pil of each eye ; and through the other half, a slighter opa- 

 city, or a sort of greyish appearance, in the parts situa- 

 ted farther back. The only change which I could discover, 

 sufficient to account for the improvement which has taken 

 place in his vision, is a diminution in this slighter opacity in 

 both eyes. At present, there is a very white fragment of the 

 lens, behind the upper half of the pupil of the right eye ; and 

 behind the lower half, the humours appear almost perfectly 

 black. In the left eye, there is a dusky- white opacity behind 

 the lower and inner half of the pupil ; and behind the upper 



and 



