1893.] Psychology. 171 
PSYCHOLOGY. 
Vision in a Young Girl Six Years of Age, Operated Upon 
for Double Congenital Cataract.—M. Grafé has published in the 
Revue Scientifique July 16, 1892, an interesting account of an opera- 
tion for double cataract, performed by M. Bribosia upon a blind girl 
5 years of age, and discusses, in the same paper, some questions of 
sight psychology. This reminds me of a similar operation performed 
by myself several years ago upon a young girl 6 years old, born with 
a double white cataract. Some notes of that operation, which I have 
kept, will perhaps be of use to M. A. Grafé in the researches he has 
undertaken in a new field. 
What are the sensory impressions and emotions of a person born 
blind when the veil which has hidden from him the marvellous world 
is suddently rent? Would he, at first sight, see, as has been taught, 
objects reversed, in consequence of the crossing of the rays of light 
` from the object before their contact with the retina? Would he have 
intuitively an idea of distance and of the third dimension of matter, 
or would this idea be gained by observation and experience? 
In order to succeed in solving the problems of optical physics and - 
visual psychology, M. A. Grafé arrived a little late after the operation 
by M. Bribosia. I had opportunities in the case of the child 6 years 
of age, more advantageous for studying the curious phenomena which 
took place, not only during the operation, but also during the dressing 
of the wound and the first exercise of the newly acquired sense. 
The following are the notes of the operation : 
Julie D. had a double white congenital cataract at the age of 6 years. 
She perceived less and less from infancy the light of day, even after 
the local use of belladonna. Being intelligent, she had acquired a 
variety of knowledge from conversation. Touch and hearing had 
become very sensitive, and her memory was excellent. 
I operated upon both eyes at the same time, as was my custom with 
double cataract in old people as well as young. But, in order to avoid 
a sudden flood of light, I operate always in a slightly darkened room ; 
and before attending to the second eye, I hermetically seal the first 
with a simple bandage. The dressing of the wound for the first few 
days is done in the same manner in a similarly darkened room. 
When I allowed Julie D. for the first time to remove the bandage 
from her eyes she had a slight sensation of dizziness, which made her 
