Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1817-11-07
[lnoA zee L.yearooL nEncynY.l

ttRoM TIE MvERPoOL MERCURY
MEMORANDA,
Re,atire to the astonishing ind GnaceoaniatLs
~
MISS M'AVOY,
Ayeung Lady ofLverpooi, supposed to BE- blind,
and to be possessed of the faculty Of 10. ling,
in an unparalleled degree,
About twelve months ago, a singular para
graph appeared IN several OF the Liverpool pa
rcrs, concerning young lady IN ths town,
who was represented as stone blind, and pos
sessIng the sense OF touch in so exquisite "A de-
gree, as TO enable her TO read books and ascer-
yain colours by means Of tue fingers. We did
not copy the paragraph into the Mercury, for
reasons winch We then assigned in notice TO
0iie OF our correspondent &, III our 9TH vol page
i52, ia the following worlds
"cuRIosUs expresses his surprise that we should not
Jet have noticed the young lady IN this town, who is
represented IN all tue other papers stone blind, aud
20 possess The sense OF toach ia an exquisite aud u.
paIa!teled degree We assure correspondent that
we have taken no small pains 10 ascertain HE cTcuDi
slancesoi this extraordinary case but a. there
some points which still remain 10 be further nyestsat
ed. we mnst delay the publication OF report We had
prepared on tue subject soue weeks since. Ia nlean
time We decline copying the parasraphin question:
We do not wish 10 be accessory To ale PRONUNCIATION of
phenomenon involved III such obsOWEt.y."
The succeeding narrative hastily drawn up,
but infinitely correct in point of fact, contains
tbe substance OF the report alluded TO in the
foregoing totiee to correspondents. We
we gave to the public; and 20 sew that cir
cumStance OF so extraordinary anal mysterious
HatuTe bad eScited that attention which It is
ur duty 10 bestow upon every subject of pub
Hc iDtefcsi. We have long INDUCED the hone,
that some If the professional gentlemen OF the
town would have published all the particulars
OF case, perhaps the most singular on record
aud we have therefore heard with satisfaction
that DIR. Renwick is at length about TO draw
up stich narrative.
The following statement will not in any de-
gree interfere with such a pubcation-on the
contrary, II will, III the opinion of the writer,
tend 10 prepare the public mind for a more dIu-
pie detail of the case, which Will be rendered
wore acceptable BY portrait of Miss MAvoy,
With which the work will be embelhshed, and
which is now in the hands OF an eminenteng
yer.-EdiforS.
MEMORANDA.
s2n ne ~ on professional visit he
paid TO Miss M'Ayoy, at her residence in st.
FauiS square, on the east side. She was then
betwe en- 10 aud liz years of age; of pleasing IL
ingenious cOuntenance, and apparently Of a.
miaoie and ariless disposition. Her mother
informed me, that in tiis preceding June, her
daughter had been attacked with the hydroce-
phauS, or water iO the head together with
paralytic affection one side, and a cOmpIi-
cation OF other disorders winch torbear to e.
numerate; because am wholly ignorant of
that part OF the subject, which will no doubt
he willingly detailed in the publication alluded
TO. According To her own statement, corrobo-
rated by that OF her mother. the hydrocepha.
lns preceded, and, in their opinions, produced
the blindness or gutta serena. ander which she
rs supposed to Iabour, but which has been call
ed III question, understand, by some OF the
professional men who have visited her.
her mother, however, declared that the
light OF the san produced not the slightest
sensible effect upon her eyes; and some of the
professional gentlemen who happened to be
present at one of my repeated visits, declared
that though some slight contraction of the pu-
phi was peTceptible upon the approach of a
lighted candle to the eye, ii was by no means
such as uniformly occurs whsu the visual orgaps
perform their regular functions.
Al my first Interview, learned from herself
what had indeed previously been told by o.
theirs, that she had recently acquired the facul-
~ OF distinguishing not only the colours of
cloth and stained glass, but that she could ac
tually decypheT the forms of words of print.
ed book and, indeed, could read, II the
phrase may be permitted, with tolerabe faci-
~. To put these pTetensiOns TO the test, she
permitted shawl TO be passed across the eyes
la double folds, in such way that all present
we're convinced that they could not under ST.
m'iar circumstances discern day from night
In this state book was placed before her, and
opened indiScriminately wien, to our extreme
surprise, she began to trace the words with Der
fnger, aud to repeat them correctly. She APP.
peared 10 recognize a short monOsylIable BY
the simple contact of one finger; but in as
cerIainlHg long word, she placed the forcfn.
ger of her left hand on the beginning, whilst
with that OF her right hand she proceeded from
the other extremity OF the w0rd--and when
the two fiugers, by having trayersed over all
the letters, came IN contact with each otheT,
she invariybly aud precisely asceTtained the
word. ny my watch | lound that she read a.
bout 30 words Va half minute and IL very ma.
tafaiiy occurred TO us. that If notwithstanding
her supposed blindness, and the double band
age over her eyes, she could still see, she would
have read much more rapidly, ii her motive
bad been 90 excite our aStOnshment. And
here It may not be amlss to state, that there
does not appear TO be any adequate motive for
praciiciBga delnsiOu upon the public. Her ST.
tnatiOH in life IS respectable; and her mother
disavOwS any intention OF ever exhibiting her
daughter as a means OF pecuniafy remunerati-
on. fifteen months have now elapsed since
f3e period a. wlnrntslc laid claim to the extra
ordinary faculty which bds given rise TO so much
casOsity, aston slimeHt. and perplexity--du-
Tng which time tie repuGttion Of so wonderful
q circumstance has subjected her TO the "a
Gyae ant. Inconvenience Of daily and almost
i.omlS VISITS.
according q. her oi0a statement the powers Of
touch vary very materially with circumstances;
wien hsr hands nre cod she declares t5at the