Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1806-10-11
,EysrpA opDiNAPY WDMAM- The

! Paris papers recount prodigles OF woman
in the neighborheod of Lyons. The cir,
cumsta nces of her case have confonnded
the philosophers, and lefs her no credit
with men accustomed toscicnti6c reason.
ing. Learning hesisa.es, because it wants
principles to explain ignorance dscidesas
once, because it knsws not the variety OF
undiscovered principles which exist.
The case of this weman is, that of a
confusion Of all the senses-of seeing, smell.
ling, hearing, touching, tasting. 9'nequa-
Inv of one sense seems transferred TO ano.
Their there is kind of organic confusion
and substitution the eyes do duty tor the
ears, the taste for the eyes, and the touch
for the taste.
A very learned physician, q writer in the
Journal de San!e, gives 40 account OF hav.
ing visited this woman at Lyons:
8 To believe in apparent impossibilsies
Che says is, ofsea the necessity of men OF
science bur it is their good fortune like.
wise to discover that the world contains
many more miracles than is first imagined,
and that nothing is impossible, as referred
TO the Omnipo!ence OF the Deity, and that
impossibilities are mochrarer in thu comb.
nations of hunan life than the vanity Of
science will acknowledge.
I" This woman whom visited, ard TO
whom presented several solis of nedi-
cine, powders, simple, compounds, and
many other substances which / am cen
vinced she never saw before, told ne their
several tastes, as nearly aud with as much
precision, as taste could pronouncs. she
described iher,. indeed, with astonishing
exsctuess, and frequently when my own
palate was coafounded.
Her eyes were next bouad With thick
bandsge, and drew from nav pocket seve-
raj sorts Of silk ribbapds. All these that
differed in the original coloys she irnmsslj.
asely told me. 1t was IN VAIN 10 a,semps
pu2sling her, she made no mistske she
passed the ribbsnd merely ,iroeGh her
hand and Immediately decided on It's pscu.
liar color. She could, in fact, discover,
the quality Of aay thing by he touch CT
taste, as accurately as / cooid know with
my eyes.
" The organs of hearing were then clos.
cd as well as tse costTiyanes OF stufhng the
ears could answer tbee pur pose. ithen CON-
merced conversation with a friend in The
apartment and spoke inalmos, 90 inauai-
bic whisper. She repeated WIKI great pow
er of memory, every word of The coaves.
sation. IN short, cams away a coave,t;
in Other words 1 believed what bad seen.
4 philosopher knows the fala5iii.y OF the
senses but ne should know Likewise, that
science ought nos TO rejecthecause !, eau
not have REORGANIZATION. We Lust admit
miracles, or We mls, question almost al
the Appearances ofnasure, Ignorance doubts
what, If it choose. it may easily uude,
stand science enGeavors 20 comprehend
and when IL cannot it Submits to the
senses"
Singular Escape ef a French prisoner -
A French seamsu having lately eludsd The
vigilance of the guard at Chatham, where
he was confined, and reached the neigh
borhood ofBroads,airs,was in the course OF
afew days apprehended, and pus On board
q vesseleat that place, 20 be carried to his
former con6nen,ent. AS he had ahewn
great dssperacy aud ingenuity Ia efec,ipg
bis escape in the frs, instance, twas tho's
advisable to place 3 guard over him on
board, by way Of efec.uai security; night,
however, being pretty far advanced before.
the ssssel could sail, the Frenchmap, who
was permitted to remain on deck, stretch-.
ed himself with great presence Of mind at
full length and pretended r snoariDg loud
ly that he was fas, asleep. The cen;inei,
being thus put off hi: guard, seated him..
self, naturally enough at,he dead of night,
and soon fell fast asleep in good eatnest.
The prisoner. who was on the swatei, the
whole time, 6nding that he had thus com.
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