( 447 ) 
VII. An Account of fome ObferVations made by a 
young Gentleman , who was born blind , or lojl his 
Sight Jo early , that he had no Remembrance of e- 
' yer haying Jeen , and was couch'd between 1 5 and 
14 Tears of Age. By Mr. Will. Cheffelden, 
F. R S. Surgeon to Her Majefty, and to St* 
Thomas’* HoffitaL 
T H O’ we fay of the Gentleman that he was blind, 
as we do of all People who have Ripe Catarads, 
yet they are never fo blind from that Caufe, but that 
they can difcern Day from Night ; and for the molt 
Part in a ftrong Light, diftinguifh Black, White, and 
Scarlet j but they cannot perceive the Shape of any 
thing ^ for the Light by which thefe Perceptions 
are made, being let in obliquely thro 5 the aqueous Hu- 
mour, or the anterior Surface of the Chryftailine (by 
which the Rays cannot be brought into a Focus upon 
the Retina) they can difcern in no other Manner, than a 
found Eye can thro 5 a Glafs of broken Jelly, where a 
great Variety of Surfaces fo differently refrad the Light* 
that the feveral diftind Pencils of Rays cannot be col- 
lected by the Eye into their proper Foci 7 wherefore the 
Shape of an Objed in fuch a Cafe, cannot be at all 
difcern 5 d, tho 5 the Colour may ; And thus it was with 
this young Gentleman, who though he knew thefe Co- 
lours afunder in a good Light ^ yet when he law them 
O 0 0 after 
