Molyneux's question : vision, touch, and the philosophy of perception / Michael J. Morgan.

  • Morgan, Michael J.
Date:
1977
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

Credit: Molyneux's question : vision, touch, and the philosophy of perception / Michael J. Morgan. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    31/236 (page 19)
    CATARACT OPERATIONS same object with both eyes, he thought it look'd about twice as large as with the first couch'd eye only, but not double, that we can any ways discover. This final paragraph is added in the Anatomy of 1756: I have couched several others who were born blind, whose observations were of the same kind; but they being younger, none of them gave so full an account as this gentleman. Section 3: Grant's case'' The operator, Mr. Grant, having observed the eyes of his patient, and convinced his friends and relations, among others the Reverend Mr. Caswell, minister of the place, that it was highly probable he should remove the obstacle which prevented the use of his sight; all his acquaintance, who had any regard for the young man, or curiosity to be present when one of full age and understanding received a new sense, assembled themselves on this occasion. Mr. Caswell being a gentleman particularly curious, desired the whole company, in case the blindness should be cured, to keep silence, and let the patient make his own observations, without the direction of any thing he had received by his other senses, or the advantage of discovering his friends by their voices. Among several others, the mother, brethren, sisters, and a young gentlewoman for whom he had a passion, were present. The work was performed with great skill and dexterity. When the patient first received the dawn of light, there appeared such an ecstacy in his action, that he seemed ready to swoon away in the surprize of joy and wonder. The surgeon stood before him with his instruments in his hand. The young man observed him from head to foot; after which he survey'd himself as carefully, and seem'd to compare him to himself; and observ¬ ing both their hands, seem'd to think they were exactly alike, except the instruments, which he took for parts of his hands. When he had con¬ tinued in this amazement some time, his mother could not longer bear the agitations of so many passions as throng'd upon her, but fell upon his neck, crying out. My Son! My Son! The youth knew her voice, and could speak no more than, Oh me! Are you my mother? and fainted. The whole room, you will easily conceive, were very affectionately em¬ ployed in recovering him; but above all, the young gentlewoman who loved him, and whom he loved, shriek'd in the loudest manner. That voice seem'd to have a sudden effect upon him as he recovered, and he shewed a double curiosity in observing her as she spoke and called to ^ Tatler, 55 (1709) 23-6, reprintedin The Lucubrations of Isaac В ickerstaff, Esq. [i.e. Sir R. Steele, assisted by J. Addison and others], П (4 vols., Dublin: S. Powell for G. Risk, 1728) [capitalization modified). 21