The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-03-02
HIS VISION IS PERVERTED.
A Boy Who Writes Backward, But
Sees IT as If Writtan Correctly.

Sees 1t as II written correctly
A remarkable case of what, for want
of a better name, is termed perverted
vision, is just now attracting much at
tention in North Adams, Mass
The victim OF this strange malady
is John Ghidotti, a 6-year-old boy who
attends the public schools of that Sly-
Physically and mentally, so far as
scientists and physicians can deter
mine, he in no way differs from other
boys of his age, except that it is prac-
tically impossible for him to write in
the ordinary manner. He uses his LETT
hand, writing from right to left, form
ing his letters and sentences back
ward.
This popularity of the boy was no.
ticed as soon as he began TO take writ
ing lessons He learned the letters
quickly, and wrote rapidly for one so
young, but his writing was invariably
in the reverse order.
Starting from the wrong side of the
page he would cover his copybook with
characters which looked unlike any
thing called writing. but if the page
was held before a mirror the reflection
was perfectly legible and appeared like
ordinary writing. Strange to say,
he makes figures in the proper man
ner. Yet he cannot explain the differ
ence between writing figures from left
to right and letters just the reverse
1t seems impossible to teach this child
that there is anything peculiar about
his chirography, and he persists that
his handwriting is like that of any
other person.
One may guide his right hand over
a line of COPY in the proper manner
but the moment his hand is released
he instantly changes the pencil to his
left hand and commences to write IN
his through the-looking-gla fashion
Another peculiar feature Of this per-
verted vision is that apparently he
has no difficulty in reading the hand
writing OF other persons. although
there is such a difference between his
own and that of others.
His teacher, Miss Alice c. Buckley,
SAYS that he evidently tries very hard
to do as he is told, but il is as difficult
for him to write in the ordinary man
ner as it would be for another to prac-
tice his unique method She cannot
make no her mind whether his diff
Guilty comes from defect in his eyes
or from the fact that he IS left handed,
but she has little hope of remedy unless
she can induce the child to use his
right hand.
Dr. C. W. Wright of North Adams. a
specialist on the eye, after a number
of examinations of the boys eyes. has
arrived at the conclusion that the child
is. to use his own expression. "a freak
of nature" He does not. however.
think that there is any unusual cross
ing of the nerve fibres of the eye The
doctor. in all his years of experience,
never met with an analogous case.
Some years ago returning Arctic ex-
plorer told of a number of Esduimaux
whom he met in the north of Green
land. who. when he gave them some
colored Autographs, persisted in hang
ing them upside down, and when asked
why thew did so declared that only
when they were so hung did they ap-
pear natural.
To these natives the actual individual |
or object seemed to occupy a proper po-
sition, but in the case of pictures. aD-
parently, they found it necessary to re-
verse them in order to appreciate them. /