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POPULAR SCIENCE REVIEW. 
consequence of the many blunders he committed in the com- 
bination of his reds and greens. Upon my directing his 
attention not long since to a very brilliant carpet, having a 
bright scarlet ground, with vivid green fern-leaves r unni ng 
over it, he said he could see no difference except in the warmth 
of tone of the red over the green. I have repeatedly examined 
his eyes with the ophthalmoscope without observing any 
departure from the normal condition, except a small difference 
in the colour of the fundus ; the choroid has less blood circu- 
lating' in it, and the pigment-coat is certainly much paler. 
But this must be taken with some modification, as the irides 
are brownish, scarcely hazel : in every other respect the sight 
is nearly normal, as may readily be surmised, from his suc- 
cessful career as a sculptor. An only sister, it should be 
mentioned, paints to perfection. 
From other instances on record, it would seem that colour- 
blindness is frequently compensated for by the greater exact- 
ness with which distant as well as near objects may be 
perceived, and this, too, in a comparatively obscure light. We 
find in the “ Glasgow Medical Journal/’ vol. ii., a case of the 
kind with some valuable remarks by the individual himself. 
“All objects whatever, when viewed at a distance, lose their 
local colouring, and assume more or less of a pale azure blue 
tinge, which painters term the colour of the air : this is inter- 
posed between myself and a distant object. No colour con- 
trasts to me so forcibly with black as this azure blue ; and as 
you know that the shadows of all objects are composed of 
black, the forms of objects which have acquired more or less 
of this blue tint from being distant become defined and marked 
by the possession of shadows which are invisible to me in the 
more highly coloured objects in the foreground, and which are 
thus left comparatively confused and shapeless masses of 
colour. So much is this the case with me when viewing a 
distant object, as to overcome the effect of perspective, and the 
shading in the form and the garments of human beings at some 
distance from my eye is often so predominant, and marks them 
out so distinctly, as to overcome the effect of diminution of 
size ; and although I see the object most distinctly, I am unable 
to tell whether it be a child near me or a grown-up person far 
off.” 
Both Professor Wartmann and Dr. Wilson examined and 
tested individuals who corrected by the touch erroneous judg- 
ments which they formed regarding colours. A case of the 
kind came under my own observation which I shall presently 
relate ; and I know and have met with very many instances 
in the totally blind able to distinguish every variety of colours 
by the delicacy of the sense of touch : they tell me there is a 
