Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1830-07-30
ANECDOTES or THE BLIND.

DERsoN:-
Saunderson having been deprived in his in
fancy, not only of sight but of the organ itself,
contrived to become so we'll acquainted with the
Greek tonsue as to read the works of the ancient
mathematician in the original. He made such
advances in the higher departments of the SCI
cnce, that he was appointed. though not matricu-
lated at the Universitv,,to fill the chair which
short time previous had been occupied by Sir
Isaac Newton at Cambridge. The lectures of
this blihd professor ON the most abstruse points
of the Newtonian philosophy, and especially on
optics, naturally filled his audience with admira-
ton; and the perspicuity with which he commu-
nicated his ideas is said to have been unequaled
He was enabled, BY the force of his memory, to
perform many long operations IN arithmetic, and
TO carry in his mind the most complexed geo.
metrical figures. As however, it became ne
cessary to supply the want of vision by symbols
which might be sensible to the touch, he con-
triyed table in which pins, whose value was
determined principally BY their relative position
to each other. served him instead OF figures;
while for his diagrams he employed pegs, insert
ed at the requisite angles to each other, repre-
senting the lines by threads drawn around them.
He was so expert in the use of these materials.
that when performing his calculations he would
change the position of the pins with nearly the
same facility with which another person could in
dite figures; and when dlsturbedin an operation,
would afterwards resume it again, ascertaining
the posture in which he had left it by passing his
hand carefully over the table.
The celebrated mathematician Euler c0ntinu-
ed for many wears after he became blind, to in
dite and publish the results OF his scientific la
bors, and at the time of his disease left nearly
hundred memoirs ready for the press, most of
which have since been given to the world. An
example of diligence equally intefatisable,
though turned into different channel, occurs in
our contemporary Huber, who has contributed
one OF the most delightful volumes within the
compass of natural history, and who, if he en-
ployed the eyes of another, guided them IN their
investigation TO the right results, by the light of
his own mind.
1t is told of Saunderson, that he, on one occa-
sion detected by his finger counterfeit coin,
which had deceived the eye Of c0nnolssuer.-
We are hardly aware how much of our dcxterity
in the use ofthe eve arises from ncessant practice
Those who have been relieved from blindness,
az an advanced or even an early period Of life.
have been found frequently to recur to the old
and more familiar sense of touch, in preference
to the sight. The celebrated English anatomist,
Chese'teu, mentions several illustrations of this
fact, in al account given BY him OF blind boy,
whom he had successfully cOuChed for cataracts,
at the age OF fourteen. 1t was long before the
youth could discriminate by his ewes between
his old companions. the family cat and dog, dis
similar as such animals appear to Us in color
and confirmation. Being ashamed 10 ask the
oit-repeaied question, he was observed one day
to pass his hand carefully over the cat, and then,
looking at her steadfastly, to rxcaim. so, puss,
| shall know YOU another time 1t ismore natu-
raj that he should have been deceived by the IL
lusory art Of painting; aud It was long before
he cGald comprehend, that the objects depicted
did not possess the same relief on the canvass as
in nature. He inquired, (which is the lying
sense here, the sight Or the touch"
The clergyman, who visited him in his latter
hours, endeayored to impress upon him the evil
dence ola God, as Afforded by the astonishing
mechanism of the universe. Alas. said the
dying philosopher, L have been condemned to
pass my life in darkness, and YOU speak TO me OF
prodigies which cannot comprehend, and which
can only be felt by YOU. and those who see like
vou!' When reminded of the faith & Newton.
Leibnitz, and Clarke, minds from ~h0m ne had
drunk SO deeply of instruction. and for whom he
entertained the protoundest veneration, ne re-
marked: The testimony of Newton is not so
strong for me. as that of Nature was for him.
Newton believed ON the word Of God himself,
while am reduced to believe on that of Newton.'
He expired with this ejaculation on his lips,
God of Newton have mercy on me-
The fingers are the eyes of the blind. They
taught to read in Paris BY feeling the surface
of metallic types, and in Edinburgh by meaas of
letters raised on blank leaf of paper If they
are previously acquainted with spelling, which
may be easily taash them before entering the in
stitu,ion, they learn to discriminate the several
letters with great facility. Their perceptions get
to be SO fine by practice, that they can discern
even the finest print, and when the fingers fail
them, readily distinguish it by applying the
tongue. A similar method is employed for in
structing them in figures.
As it would be labor lost TO learn the art of
reading, without having books to read, various
attempts have been made to supply this desidera-
tum. The first hint of the form, now adopted
for the impression of these books, was suggested