Letters on Natural Magic; Addressed to Sir Walter Scott, Bart.Brewster, David
History
Letters on Natural Magic; Addressed to Sir Walter Scott, Bart.
Brewster, David
Scientific recreations
Among the affections of the eye which not only deceive the person who
is subject to them, but those also who witness their operation, may be
enumerated the insensibility of the eye to particular colours. This
defect is not accompanied with any imperfection of vision, or connected
with any disease either of a local or a general nature, and it has
hitherto been observed in persons who possess a strong and a sharp
sight. Mr. Huddart has described the case of one Harris, a shoemaker
at Maryport in Cumberland, who was subject to this defect in a very
remarkable degree. He seems to have been insensible to every colour,
and to have been capable of recognizing only the two opposite tints
of _black_ and _white_. “His first suspicion of this defect arose
when he was about four years old. Having by accident found in the
street a child’s stocking, he carried it to a neighbouring house to
inquire for the owner. He observed the people call it a _red stocking_,
though he did not understand why they gave it that denomination, as he
himself thought it completely described by being called a stocking.
The circumstance, however, remained in his memory, and, with other
subsequent observations, led him to the knowledge of his defect. He
observed also, that when young, other children could discern cherries
on a tree by some pretended difference of colour, though he could only
distinguish them from the leaves by their difference of size and shape.
He observed also, that by means of this difference of colour, they
could see the cherries at a greater distance than he could, though he
could see other objects at as great a distance as they, that is, where
the sight was not assisted by the colour.” Harris had two brothers,
whose perception of colours was nearly as defective as his own. One of
these, whom Mr. Huddart examined, constantly mistook _light green_ for
_yellow_, and _orange_ for _grass green_.
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