History of James Mitchell : a boy born blind and deaf, with an account of the operation performed for the recovery of his sight / by James Wardrop.

  • Wardrop, James, 1782-1869
Date:
1813 [i.e. 1815]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: History of James Mitchell : a boy born blind and deaf, with an account of the operation performed for the recovery of his sight / by James Wardrop. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    served the state of his vision. I found that the crystalline lens had altered its situation since the operation, and could be again distinguished, covering about one fourth of the up- per edge of the pupil. The other part of the pupil was quite transparent, and all the blood which had been effused into the anterior chamber, during the operation, was now ab- sorbed. On making trial if he could distinguish any object, he readily discerned a book placed on the coverlet of the bed, and in many of his attempts totouch it seemed to judge pretty accurately of its distance. On the fijth day he got out of bed, and was brought in- to a room having an equal and moderate light. Before ei- — ther touching or seeming to smell me he recognised me, which he expressed by the fear of something te be done to his eyes. He went about the room readily, and the appear- ance of his countenance was much altered, ha aving acquired that look which indicated the enjoyment of vision, Indeed, before the operation he always walked with much freedom, and I had observed, that even on a very rugged and unequal road he did not stumble, or suffer in the least from jolting. He appeared well acquainted with the furniture of the room, having lived in it several days previous to the opera- tion; and though, from placing things before him, he evi- dently distinguished and attempted to touch them, judging of their distances with tolerable accuracy, yet he seemed to trust little to the information given by the eye, and always turned away his head, while he carefully examined by his sense of Touch, the whole surfaces of the bodies presented to him. On the sixth day he appeared stronger, amused himself a good deal withlooking out at the window, and seemed to ob- Serve the carts and carriages which were passing in the »street. On puiting a shilling on the middle of a table he instantly fouched it.