518 
EXTRAORDINARY CASE OF A BLIND LADY. 
born in the same town with Mr. Waller, who had neither of them the 
least sense of hearing; yet both of them knew, by the motion of the lips 
only, whatever was said to them, and would answer pertinently to 
the questions proposed. It seems they could both hear and speak 
when children, but lost this sense afterwards, although they retained 
their speech, which, though uncouth, was yet intelligible. 
Such another instance is that of Mr. Goddy’s daughter, minister 
of St. Gavar’s in Geneva, related by Bishop Burnet. “ At two years 
old they perceived she had lost her hearing ; and ever since, though 
she heard great noises, yet she hears nothing of what is said to her ; 
but by observing the motions of the mouth and lips of others, she 
has acquired so many words, that out of these she has formed a sort 
of jargon, in which she can hold conversation whole days with those 
that can speak her language. She knows nothing that is said to her, 
unless she sees the motion of their mouths that speak to her. One 
thing will appear the strangest part of the whole narration : she has 
a sister, with whom she has practised her language more than with 
any body else ; and in the night, by laying her head on her sister’s 
mouth, she can understand what she says, and so can discourse with 
her in the dark.” 
Is is observable that deaf persons, and several other persons dull of 
hearing, hear better and more easily if a loud noise be raised at the 
time when one speaks to them ; which is owing, no doubt, to the 
greater tension of the ear-drum on that occasion. Dr. Wallis men- 
tions a deaf woman, who, if a drum were beat in the room, could hear 
any thing very clearly : so that her husband hir^d a drummer for a 
servant, that by this means he might hold conversation with his wife. 
The same author mentions another, who, living near a steeple, could 
always hear very well if there was a ringing of three or four bells, 
but never otherwise. 
Extraordinary Case of a Blind Lady. 
This lady had been afflicted with the confluent small-pox. In the 
course of this disease,” says the narrator, “ during which she had been 
attended by the late Sir Hans Sloane, several threatening symptoms 
appeared, which, however, wore off at length ; and the patient being 
thought out of danger, took several doses of such purgative medi- 
cines as are usuallv administered in the decline of the disease, with- 
out any bad consequence. But in the evening of the day in which 
she had taken the last dose that was intended to be given her, she 
was suddenly seized with pains and convulsions in the bowels ; the 
pains and other symptoms became gradually less violent as the force 
of the medicine abated ; and by such remedies as were thought best 
adapted to the case, they seemed at length to be entirely subdued. 
They were, however, subdued only in appearance ; for at eleven o’clock 
A. M. the next day, they returned with great violence, and continued 
some hours ; when they went off, they left the mus^cles of the lower 
jaw so much relaxed, that it fell down, and the chin was supported 
on her breast. The strength of the patient was so much exhausted 
during this paroxysm, that she lay nearly two hours with no other 
signs of life than a very feeble respiration, which was often so diffl- 
