Weekly Trinity journal., 1875-03-13
CURHOsYTIEs OF BLINDNESS.

Appalling as the deprivation of sight
may be, it is not without some remark
able compensations. Other faculties, of
both intellect and sense, often seem to
gain by it; and Du!au, French writer
afllrms that the blind seldom become i'm.
becile, and still less frequently insane
Profound thinkers practically admit tha
vision interfcres somewhat with deer
cogitation. Malebranche, when he dc
sired to think intently, used to close hi,
window-shutters in the day time, exclud
ing every ray of light; and for lik'
reason Democritus is said to have put out
his eyes in order that he might philoso
phize the better, which latter story, how
ever, it should be observed, though tolt
by several ancient writer's, is doubted by
Cicero, and discredited by Plutarch. M.
Dufau says, in speaking on this point:
"When we wish to increase our atten
ton we shut our eyes, thus assuming
blindness. Diderot often used to tall
with his eyes closed, and at such times
became subimely eloquent"
There was lately living in the county
of York, England, gentleman Of fortune
who though totally blind, was an expert
archer $50 expert" says our informant,
"that out Of twenty shots with the long
bow he was my superior. His sense OF
hearing was so keen that when boy
rang bell behind the target tho blind
archer knew precisely how to aim the
shaft"
The tcnacity of the memory of the
blind is we'll known. This characteristic
faculty, according to Father Charlevoix
is turned to account in Japan, where the
public records of the empire are commit
ted to memory by chosen blind men
An old blind mat maker in England, car
Gf ho still lives) repeat Thompson
Seasons" and ono or two other long
poems, besides having an almost equally
ready knowledge Of several of The
Gospels.
Men Of genius have sometimes tri
umphantIy thrown Off some Of the worst
disabilities of blindness. Genius over de.
visos ways and means of its own. 1t has
a thousand little contrivances unknown
to the ordinary student who is conten
enough TO travel along the beaten roaC
which others have fashioned for him
Saunderson, the blind mathematician
whole machinery for computing was q
small piece Of deal divided by lines into
certain number Of squares and pierced
at certain angles with holes large enough
to admit small metal pin. With this
simple board and box of pins he made al
his calculations yet in I'LL he was the
friend Of Sir Isaac Newton and by his in
terest was elected Lucasian Professor OF
math ematics at Cambridge. 1t is most
probable that he never beheld the distant
orbs Of heaven, yet with the highest skill
he reasoned the laws which control them,
unfolding and explaining the nature asd
beauty OF light which he could not behold
and the glory Of that bow in the clouds
which he had fever seen.
Thus also, was it with Huber, the blind
philosopher Of Geneva. His discoveries
in the honeyed labors Of bees have equal
led, if not surpassed, those Of any other
one student Of nature. II remained for
Huber not only to corroborate truths that
others had partially discovered, but to
detect and describe minute particulars
which had escaped even the acute observ-
alton Of Swammerdam. 1t is true that
others supplied him with eyes, but he
furnished them with thought and intel
lect; he saw with thoir eyes. Thus he
clearly proved that there are two distinct
sets Of bees in every hive-honey gather
ers, and the wax-makars and nurses
that the larvae Of working bees can by
course Of diet be changed into queens
thus also, he accurately described the
sanguinary conflicts Of rival queens the
recognition Of old companions or of royal
ty by the use Of the antenne /; thus he de-
scribed the busy hum and unceasing vi
bration of wing ever going on in the hive,
as being necessary for due ventilation.
One Of the last incidents in the old
mans life that seemed TO arouse and in
terest him was the arrival of present of
stingless bees from their discoverer,
Captain B. Hall. Unwearied diligence