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It is interesting in a physiological point of view to know the effect of the deprivation of three senses upon the remaining two.

The sense of smell being destroyed, it seems a curious question whether the effect upon the organ of taste is general or particular. That is, whether the taste is blunted generally, and for all things alike, or whether one kind of sapidity is more effected than another: to ascertain this some experiments have been tried but as yet not enough to enable one to state confidently the results in minute distinction. The general conclusions are these.

Acids seem to make vivid and distinct impression upon the taste, and she apparently distinguishes the different degrees of acidity, better than of sweetness or bitterness. She can distinguish between wine, cider and vinegar, better than substances like manna, liquorice and sugar. Of bitters she seems to have less perception or indeed hardly any, for on putting powdered rhubarb into her mouth she called it tea, and on one saying no, and telling her to taste close, she evidently did try to taste it but still called it tea, and spit it out -- but without any contortion or any indication of its being particularly disagreeable.

Of course she has a repugnance to these kind of experiments, and it seems almost imposing upon her good-nature to push them very far; we shall however be soon able to ascertain certainly how far she can distinguish different sapid bodies. Those who are curious in the physiology of the taste know that the highest degree of gusto, or the achme of pleasure, is not obtained until just as the morsel has slipped over the glottis, and is on its way beyond power of recall down the oesophagus. This seems to be a wise precaution of nature to prevent the stomach being cheated of its due, for if the highest degree in pleasure of eating could be obtained without absolutely swallowing the morsel -- the epicure could have an exhaustless source of pleasure and need never degenerate into the gourmand.

Some physiologists who have speculated upon this subject, consider that this final climax of the pleasure of taste is produced by a fine aroma which rising from the morcel -sic-, and mounting up the fauces pleasantly titilates the ramifications of the olfactory nerve. The fact that when we have a cold in the head, and the fauces are obstructed, the taste blunted seems to bear out this supposition; but from some observations on Laura, one would be inclined to think that some other cause must contribute to the effect.

She appears to care less for the process of mastication than deglutition; and probably it is only the necessity of mechanical trituration of food, which induces her to go through with it, before hastening to the pleasant part of swallowing. Now as the imperfection of smell impairs the taste in the tongue and palate during mastication, it should have the same effect in deglutition, supposing this theory to be correct: but it seems not to be so -- else Laura would have little inducement to swallow -- save to fill a vacuity of stomach. Now it seems doubtful whether the feeling of vacuity of stomach, strictly speaking, would show a child the road for the food, or whether it would not be as likely to stuff bread into its ear, as into its mouth -- if it had no pleasurable sensation in tasting; and further, if the pleasurable sensation did not increase and tempt to deglutition, it is doubtful whether hunger or vacuity of stomach alone would teach a child to swallow the chewed morsel.

On the whole she seems to care less for eating than most children of her age.

With regard to the sense of touch it is very acute -- even for a blind person. It is shown remarkably in the readiness with which she distinguishes persons: there are forty inmates in the female wing, with all of whom of course Laura is acquainted; whenever she is walking through the passage ways, she perceives by the jar of the floor, or the agitation of the air, that some one is near her, and it is exceedingly difficult to pass her without being recognised. Her little arms are stretched out, and the instant she grasps a hand, a sleeve, or even part of the dress, she knows the person and lets them pass on with some sign of recognition.

The innate desire for knowledge, and the instinctive efforts which the human faculties make to exercise their functions is shown most remarkably in Laura. Her tiny fingers are to her as eyes, and ears, and nose, and most deftly and incessantly does she keep them in motion: like the feelers of some insects which are continually agitated, and which touch every grain of sand in the path, so Laura's arms and hands are continually in play; and when she is walking with a person she not only recognises every thing she passes within touching distance, but by continually touching her companion's hands she ascertains what he is doing. A person walking across a room while she had hold on his left arm, would find it hard to take a pencil out of his waistcoat pocket with his right hand, without her perceiving it.