The wonders of the little world, or, A general history of man in six books : wherein by many thousands of examples is shewed what man hath been from the first ages of the world to these times, in respect of his body, senses, passions, affections, his virtues and perfections, his vices and defects, his quality, vocation and profession, and many other particulars not reducible to any of the former heads : collected from the writings of the most approved historians, philosophers, physicians, philologists and others / by Nath. Wanley ...

CHAP. V. Of the Sense of Feeling, the deli∣cacy of it in some, and its aboli∣tion in others, also what Vertue hath been found in the touch of some Persons.

WHereas, in the other senses, men are very much excelled, and discernibly surpass'd by the bruit Beasts; yet the judgement of touch, is noted to be more accurate in us, than in most other Creatures. It is true, that this sense is the most abject and inferiour of all other, as perceiving nothing, but what is con∣joyned to it, nor that neither, but by a medium, that is intrinsick; and therefore some will not think it matter of much commendation, that we are so perfect in this, when so comparatively dull in all other senses: Howsoever that be, methinks I cannot but extremely admire the Histories of those persons, wherein this sense hath discover'd it self in its uttermost excellency.

1. Meeting casually with the deserved famous Dr. I. Finch, extraordinary Anatomist to the now Great Duke of Tuscany; and inquiring what might be the chief rarity he had seen in his late return out of Italy into England: He told me it was a man of Maestricht in the Low Countries, who at cer∣tain times, can discern and distinguish colours, by the touch with his finger. I propos'd divers scruples particularly, whether the Doctor had taken care to bind a Napkin or Handkerchief over his Eyes so carefully, as to be sure he could make no use of his sight, though he had but coun∣terfeited the want of it. To which I added divers other questions to satisfie my self, whether there were any likelihood of collusion or other tricks. But I ••ound that the judicious Doctor having gone far out of his way, purposely to satisfie himself, and his learned Prince about this wonder; had been very watchful and circumspect to keep him∣self from being impos'd upon; and that he might not, through any mistake, in point of memory, misinform me: he did me the favour at my re∣quest, to look the notes he had written, for his own, and his Princes information: The sum of which Memorial was this:

That having been in••orm'd at Utrecht, that there liv'd one some miles distant from Maestricht, who could distinguish colours by the touch: When he came to the last named Town, he sent a messenger for him, and having examin'd him, he was told upon enquiry these particulars: That the mans name was John Vermaesen, at that time about thirty three years of age, that when he was but two years old, he had the Small Pox, which rendred him absolutely blind; that at this present he is an Organist, and serves that office in a publick Quire. That the Doctor discoursing with him over night, he affirm'd, he could distinguish colours by the touch, but that he could not do it, unless he were fast∣ing; any quantity of drink taking from him that exquisiteness of Touch, which is requisite to so nice a sensation; that hereupon the Doctor provided against the next Morning seven pieces of Ribbon, of these se∣ven colours; Black, White, Red, Blew, Green, Yellow, and Grey: but as for mingled colours, this Vermaesen would not undertake to discern them, though if offer'd, he would tell that they were mix'd. That to discern the colour of the Ribbon, he places it betwixt the thumb and forefinger; but his most exquisite perception was in his thumb, and much better in his right thumb, than in the left. That after the blind man had four or five times told the Doctor the several colours (though blind∣ed with a Napkin) the Doctor found he was twice mi∣staken, for he call'd the White Black, and the Red Blew; but still he (before his errour) would lay them by in pairs; saying, That though he could easily di∣stinguish them from all others, yet those two pairs were not easily distinguished amongst themselves: Where∣upon the Doctor desir'd to be told by him, what kind of discrimination, he had of colours by his touch: To which he gave a reply: That all the difference was, more or less, asperity: For, says he, Black feels as if you were feeling needles points, or some harsh sand; and Red feels very smooth: That the Doctor having desir'd him to tell him in order the difference of colours to his touch: he did as follows:

Black and White are most asperous, or unequal of all colours, and so like that 'tis hard to distinguish them; but Black is the most rough of the two: Green is the next in asperity; Grey next to Green in aspe∣rity; Yellow is the fifth in degree of asperity: Red and Blew are so like, that they are as hard to distin∣guish as Black and White but Red is somewhat more asperous than Blew: So that Red hath the sixth plaec, and Blew the seventh in asperity.

2. I know there are many will esteem it a fa∣bulous and feigned thing, and I my self should blush to set down the following History in writ∣ing to the World, were it not now well known to all that are in Rome. Iohannes Gambassius Vo∣laterranus from his first youth for twenty years together wrought as a Statuary, and made Statues with great fame and reputation to himself. Soon after he fell stark blind, and for ten years intire lay idle, and never work'd, yet daily revolving in his mind to find out a way, whereby he might recal, and retain that glory he had gain'd in the framing of Statues. He therefore so supply'd the want of his Eyes, with the vigor of his mind, that he attempted a deed unheard of in the Memory of all ages: He undertook to frame of Clay, the Effigies of Cosmo the Great Duke of Hetruria and Tuscany, taking for his Pattern a Marble Statue of the same Cosmo, which he diligently felt and handled. He made it so lively and like, that all men were amaz'd at this new Miracle of Art. Excited therefore with the excellency of the Work, and the acclamations and applause of such as had beheld it, he came to Rome in that ample Theatre, to present a specimen of his Art. It was anno 1636. where first he fram'd the Statue of Pope Vrban the Eight, to such an exact resemblance of him, as was to the admirati∣on of all men, and presented it to Vrban himself. He afterwards made the Statues of Duke Braccia∣nus, of Gualdus and divers others. When he lay sick near St. Onuphrius, and I then his Physician, he often promised me his workmanship in my own, which I utterly refused, that my s••ight service should not be rewarded with so over great a re∣compence: When most men were amaz'd at this

Miracle, and suspected that he was not blind; he was commanded to work in a dark Chamber, wherein he was lock'd up, where he finish'd di∣vers pieces unto a perfect likeness, lively and strangely expressing the proper beauty of every face, the particular kind, the grave, affable, chearful or sad, as indeed they were; and to speak it in a word, he express'd them almost speaking, and the hidden manners in their lineaments, and thereby convinced all men of the excellency of his Art. This was asserted-by many Noble Per∣sons, who were eye witnesses: and that before Philippus Saracenus, the publick Notary; and so consigned over to publick Record, that future ages thence might not want occasion to give cre∣dit to this Miracle.

3. It is credibly reported of Count Mansfeld, that although he was blind, yet he could by his touch alone, discern the difference betwixt the co∣lours of white and black, and say which was the one, and which the other.

4. We read of a Preacher in Germany, who was blind from his Nativity; yet it seems he carried a pair of eyes in his hands: for he was able to chuse the fairest of three Sisters by his touch only, having successively taken them by the hand.

5. Dr. Harvy affirms the heart (though the Fountain of life life) to be without feeling, which he proves by a Gentleman he had seen; who by an impostumation, had a hole in his side, through which not only the Systole and Diastole of the Heart might be discerned, but the Heart it self touch'd with the finger, which yet the Gentleman affirmed that he felt not.

6. Dionysius, the Son of Clearchus the Tyrant of Heraclea, through idleness and high feeding, had attained to an immeasurable fatness and cor∣pulency; by reason of which he also slept so sound∣ly, that it was difficult to wake him. His Phy∣sicians therefore took this course with him, they had certain sharp Needles and Bodkins, and these they thrust into divers parts of his Body; but till the point of them had pass'd the fat, he remain'd without any feeling at all; but touching the flesh next under the fat, he would thereupon awake.

7. There was a Servant in the Colledge of Phy∣siciany in London, whom the Learned Harvey (one of his Masters) had told me, was exceeding strong to labour, and very able to carry any necessary burden, and to remove things dexterously accord∣ing to the occasion; and yet he was so void of feeling, that he used to grind his hands against the walls, and against course lumber, when he was emply'd to rummage any, insomuch that they would run with blood, through grating of the skin, without his feeling of what occasioned it; by which it appears, that some have the motion of the Limbs intire, and no ways prejudiced, but have had no feeling at all, quite over their whole case of skin and flesh.

8. A young man had utterly lost his senses of taste and touch; nor was he any time troubled with hunger, yet eat to preserve his life, and walk'd with Crutches, because he could not tell where his feet were.

9. Dr. London, my ancient friend, knew a Maid in England, otherwise of good health, that had no sense of burnings in her Neck; she would suffer a Needle to be run into her Forehead, or into the ••lesh of her Fingers near the Nails, and yet without any kind of sense of pain.

10. An Observation was imparted a while since, by that excellent and experienced Lithoto∣mist, Mr. Hollier, who told me that amongst the many Patients, sent to be cured in a great Hospi∣tal (whereof he is one of the Chirurgeons) there was a Maid of about eighteen years of age, who without the loss of motion, had so lost the sense of feeling in the external parts of the Body, that when he had for trials sake pinn'd her Handker∣chief to her bare Neck, she went up and down with it so pinn'd, without having sense of what he had done to her. He added, that this Maid having remain'd a great while in the Hospital without being cur'd, Dr. Harvey out of curio∣sity, visited her sometimes, and suspecting her strange distemper, to be chiefly Uterine, and cu∣rable only by Hymeneal exercises; he advised her Parents (who sent her not thither out of poverty) to take her home, and provide her a Husband, by whom in effect she was according to his Prognostick, and to many mens wonder cur'd of that strange disease.

11. Anno 1563. Upon St. Andrews day, in the presence of Monsieur (brother to King Charles) afterwards Henry the Third King of France; Mon∣sieur de Humiere, made report of the following History; the sum of his relation I have thus con∣tracted. In Piccardy, in the Forest of Arden, certain Gentlemen undertook a hunting of Wolves; amongst others they slew a She-wolf; that was follow'd by a young infant; aged about seven years, stark naked, of a strange complexion, with fair curl'd Hair, who seeing the Wolf dead; ran fiercely at them; he was beset and taken; the Nails of his Hands and Feet bowed inward; he spake nothing, but sent out an inarticulate sound. They brought him thence to a Gentlemans House, not far off, where they put iron Manacles upon his Hands and Feet; in the end, by being long kept fasting, they had brought him to a tameness, and in seven months, had taught him to speak. He was afterwards by circumstance of time, and six Fingers he had on one hand, known to be the Child of a Woman; who stealing wood, was pursu'd by Officers; and in her fright left her Child, then about nine Months age, which, as is suppos'd, was carryed away by the She-wolf, afore∣said, and by her nourish'd to the time of his taking: when his Guardians had got much Money by shewing him from place to place, he afterwards was a Herdsman of Sheep and other Beasts for seven years: In all which time Wolves never made any attempt on the Herds and Flocks committed to his chage, though he kept great store of Oxen, Kine, Calves, Horses, Mares, Sheep and Poultry. This was well observ'd by neighbouring Villages; and that they might participate of this benefit, they drave their Herds and Flocks where he kept his, and desired him but to stroke his hands upon them, which he would do, with some of his phlegm or spittle upon them: after which done (let o∣thers conjecture as they please) for the space of fifteen days, Dogs of the greatest fierceness, nor any Wolves would by any urgency touch them. By this means he got great store of Money; for he would have a double Trunois (the value of two pence in that Country) for every Beast he so laid his Hands on, or stroked their Ea••s. But as all things have a certain period; so when he had at∣tain'd to past fourteen years of age, this vertue which he had, left him; himself observ'd that the Wolves would not come so near him as before, but keep aloof off, as being fearful of him: It was possibly from the change of his complexion and

temperature through so long alteration from his woolvish diet, which was raw flesh, &c. his gain by this means ••aild; and he went to the Wars, where he prov'd brave, bold and valiant; at length fell to be a Thief, excelling all others in craft and subtilty: he was slain, Anno 1572. by the followers to the Duke of Alva, though he sold his life at a dear rate.

Notes

• Mr. Boyl. Hist. co∣lours, p. 42, 43, &c.
• Pet. Servi∣us de un∣guent. Ar∣mario, p. 59, 60, &c.
• Barthol. Hist. Anat. Cent. 3. Hist. 44. p. 87. K••ck••rm. in Physic.
• Iohnst. Nat. Hist. Clas. 10. c. 5. p. 334.
• Trenchfeld. History im∣prov'd, p. 96.
• Zuin. Theat. vol. 2. l. 2. p. 278.
• Sir Kentlme Digby his Treatise of Bodies, c. 32 p. 282.
• Barthol. Hist. Anat. Cent. 4. Hist. 82. p. 401.
• Barthol. ibid. p. 401.
• Mr. Boyl's Experiment. Philosoph. part 2. Essay 3. p 72, 73.
• Treasury of Antient and Modern times, l. 7. c. 37. p. 705, 706, &c.