The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-12-19
SIGHT.
Effect Upon the Other Senses OF the
Lack OF Sight.

LACK OIL Si2nf.
IL is often questioned, says the London
Globe. which OF the senses II the most va
uable. Pitiable a. Is the lot Of the deaf
and dumb, blindness il probably the ca
lamity which appeals most readily to the
general sympathy. In the East kind OF
sacredness attaches TO blind beggar; and
even the most inveterate opponent II
casual almsgiying" in this country will
often relax his principles in favor OF
the sightless mendicant. Loss OF eye
sight was one OF the most terrible penal
ties inflicted by tyrants OF old; To deprive
man OF sight was looked upon rs equiya-
lent to booming him to death. Not that
loss OF life invariably followed the cruel
operation, but that a blind man became so
helpless that he was no longer looked upon
as dangerous. Hungary boasts OF her
blind King Bella. but, rs rule. when
n pretender To the crown was de-
priyed OF sight, he became dead so
far as his pretenSions were concerned.
1t would be melancholy bead-roll TO
90 over list OF historical victims who
were thus rendered harmless to their rivals,
from the days OF the Eastern empcrors
down to the better known characters Of
medieval history. Total or partial loss Of
sight long figured among the penalties OF
our ancient criminal code. the Norman
kings inficting it for infractions OF the
Forest Laws. aS well rs for gravcr offences.
a tribute OF human eyes was not an unfre-
quent demand i'm Oriental wars down to
comparatively recent date.
Physicians call attention 10 the increasing
instances OF defective or imperfect sight
occurring in civilized countries. and attr-
butte il TO various conditions OF modern
life-tbe oyerwOrk OF the eyes in child
hood, the study OF books in small print. the
habit Of reading bv imperfect light, and
MANY other causes. II appears certain that
in the matter OF eyC>ight the savage has
usually the advantage OF the civilized man.
The gift OF sight is one very unequally
distributed among the animal world.
some creatures enjoy il IN excess,
like the eagle: others are totally de-
priyed Of il. like the carth-worm. In
many other instances the sense OF sight, il
not actually lacking, IS extremely imper-
feet, as i'm the ease oi the mole. insects
are in many cases far more richly endowed
with eyes than even birds or beasts. The
little creature called a whirlwig QGyrinus
natatOr). which skins about on the surface
OF standing water. Is furnished with Il
double set Of optics. the upper portion
OF the ewes fitted for seeing in the air.
/ being placed in the upper portion
OF the head. and the lower portion Of
the eyes Gifted for seeing IN the water)
| i'm the lower portion OF the head, Il
| thin division separating the two. Spiders
possess six cyeS- SOmt species eight; GEN.
/ f;,.I.- oh tho 90 n
sccts (becS. butterflies, drangon-fies) are
composed Of 4 number OF facets. each eye
/ being, in fact, cluster OF eyes. DIR. Hook
counted li.0G0 OF these facets in the eye OF
q dagOn.ny, and Lecuwenhoek found rs
many rs l2.ji4 in another specimen OF the
same species. The latter naturalist adapted
/ one of the eyes o. a dragou-lly so as to
/ be able to see objects through it by
means of a microscope, and found that
| he could view the Steepe Of church
300 feet high and $50 feet from the
place where he stood; he could also dis
! tinguish ii the door Of house ut the same
distance was open or shut. Fleas' eyes
diminish rs well ~ multiply objects, rs
! Puget discovered by performing a similar
experiment to that OF Lecuwenhoek. \
soldier viewed through it represented an
army of pigmies, the flame OF
a candle seemed the illumination of
thousands OF lamps" Blind or imper-
fecty sighted human beings may think
with envy Of the beautiful provision OF
visual organs bestowed by Nature on some
Of her children, and yet many crclture'
live happily with but a small shar,
OF the blessings OF sight. In some OF the
insects who possess the largest share OF
visual organs. some other sense, taste
hearing. or touch, is deficient. Huber be-.
! lieyes their sense Of both hearing and taste
10 be mperfect. On the other hand. the
blind earthworm will retreat rapidly into
its hole il the light OF q candle il thrown
upon it, it, sense OF hearing or smell warn
inc Ii OF the approach OF the danger
it cannot see. \ bats senses OF touch,
hearing. and smell. are 80 acute that
il depends little on the aid Of its eyes.
Spalanzan tested this by the cruel expert
ment OF destroying the light OF several
bats, and then setting them free. IN their
flight through the room they avoided even
the smallest thread placed To obstruct their
way. Latreile. the French naturalist,
states that there is species OF ants which
are entirely blind, but pursue the same
mode OF life rs their sighted brethren.
A lecturer at blind institution was once
heard to protest against what he described
as the common deluSion that, when Il per.
son lost his sight, he received "somc mys-
FERROUS sixth sense" in compensation,
which placed him in better position foi
gaining his living than he had been before.
Without disputing the fact that the
affection OF blindness il one which
seriously disqualilics man for liie's
race. il is interesting 10 remark
how. in blind persons. the other
senses frequently acquire delicacy which
serves ~ Il partial substitute for the organs
OF vision. Touch and hearing are generally
kcenly developed. Children nstinctiyely
close their eyes when coming over a diff
cult lesson, and great inventors aud stu
dents have solved their problems best in
the darkness and solitude Of the night
hours. 1t j., therefore, not surprising that
the exclusion Of the distractions occasioned
bv the sight Of external objects quieken-
the remaining faculties. \ blind MAJ
gives his whole attention to touching anC
listening. because he cannot help bimsei