born with Cataracts in their Eyes. gi 
couched eye, to ascertain the degree of improvement which 
had been made. It was now found that the boy, on looking 
at any one of the cards in a good light, could tell the form 
nearly as readily as the colour, 
From these two cases the following conclusions may be 
drawn : 
That, where the eye before the cataract is removed, has 
only been capable of discerning light, without being able to 
distinguish colours, objects after its removal will seem to 
touch the eye, and there will be no knowledge of their out- 
line ; which confirms the observations made by Mr. Cheselden : 
That where the eye has previously distinguished colours, 
there must also be an imperfect knowledge of distances, but 
not of outline, which however will afterwards be very soon 
acquired, as happened in Mr. Ware’s cases. This is proved 
by the history of the first boy in the present Paper, who be- 
fore the operation had no knowledge of colours or distances, 
but after it, when his eye had only arrived at the same state, 
that the second boy’s was in before the operation, he had 
learnt that the objects were at a distance, and of different 
colours : that when a child has acquired a new sense, nothing 
but great pain or absolute coercion, will prevent him from 
making use of it. 
In a practical view, these cases confirm every thing, that 
has been stated by Mr. Pott and Mr. Ware, in proof of 
cataracts in children being generally soft, and in favour of 
couching, as being the operation best adapted for removing 
them. They also lead us to a conclusion of no small im- 
portance, which has not before been adverted to ; that when 
the cataract has assumed a fluid form, the capsule, which is 
N 2 
