DEAF, BUT KOT DUMB. 



1SJ 



Great Britain, Holland, Belgium, Germany, Sax- 

 ony, Bohemia, Austria, Bavaria, Switzerland, Sa- 

 voy, and France. 



The subject before you naturally divides it- 

 self into three heads — Medical, Historical, and 

 Educational. 



Time will not allow me to-night to enter upon 

 the medical and historical aspects of the case, in- 

 teresting as they are, even more so, probably, to 

 the general public, than the educational view of 

 the subject. This paper, however, must be con- 

 fined to this latter portion of the question, viz., 

 education. 



Education. — Chiefly as bearing on the results 

 of the different methods of education on the pu- 

 pils in after-life. 



Let it be clearly understood that the term 

 " deaf and dumb," as used in this and all coun- 

 tries where the " French " system is adopted, in- 

 cludes the toto-congenital — those born wholly 

 deaf; the semi-deaf — those with partial hearing; 

 and the semi-mute — those who have spoken be- 

 fore loss of hearing. This term " deaf and 

 dumb," used for such degrees and classes of af- 

 fliction, is very confusing ; the different conditions 

 are often misunderstood, and much evil arises 

 therefrom. 



There are three systems of teaching the deaf 

 — " German," " French," " Combined." 



The " German" system teaches by articula- 

 tion and lip-reading; the "French" by signs, 

 dactylology (i. e., the manual alphabet), and pan- 

 tomime. 



Writing and pictures are, of course, common 

 to each system. It is true that in " German " 

 system schools natural signs are used at first, but 

 they are dropped as soon as the pupils have 

 learned to express their meaning in words ; and, 

 on the other hand, in "French" system schools 

 some few pupils are taught articulation. The 

 "German" system teaches the pupils from the 

 first to think in the order of the language of 

 their country, whereas the " French " system 

 teaches the pupils to think in the order of the 

 language of signs, which is an inverted order, as 

 far as English and all other European languages 

 go — e. g., "cart draw horse." It also ignores 

 particles, and other things necessary to ordinary 

 English. 



The " Combined " method is so called because 

 it tries to combine parts of each of the two great 

 opposing systems. The teaching, however, being 

 based on signs, is far nearer the "French" than 

 the " German " system, though some articulation 

 is attempted at first with each pupil — a system 



which has brought, and always will bring, articu- 

 lation into disrepute ; for it is useless to think of 

 teaching articulation successfully unless it be, as 

 in the " German " system, the basis of instruc- 

 tion ; so that the pupil may always think and ex- 

 press ideas in the order of the language of his 

 country. This is next to impossible for him to 

 do, when taught upon any system which is based 

 on signs. Signs are also much easier than articu- 

 latiou to the deaf. The two have nothing in 

 common. The easier will always supersede the 

 harder in the affection and practice of the pupil. 



Now, it would be well, before going any 

 further, to get rid of the idea so common among 

 hearing people, that children "deaf and dumb" 

 are quite different from others. For instance, it 

 is often imagined that they must be of weak in 

 tellect. This is a great mistake. True, some 

 have not full mental development, which is not 

 to be wondered at, when the causes of congenital 

 and accidental deafness are remembered ; often 

 it is a fever that takes away hearing, and leaves 

 mind and body in an enfeebled condition. Such, 

 however, is just as often the case with hearing 

 children after suffering like maladies. The brain 

 is uninjured in the vast majority of the deaf, and 

 is exactly the same as that of hearing children. 



Another very common fallacy is, that the child 

 does not speak — is dumb — on account of some 

 malformation of the vocal organs. Now, this is 

 so rare a case if indeed, it exist at all, that it 

 cannot be classed as one of the causes of dumb- 

 ness. Indeed, there are but two causes, so far 

 as I know, of absolute dumbness, viz., want of 

 brain-power, and deafness. As the latter causes 

 dumbness only on account of want of proper ed- 

 ucation, the former is the only true cause. The 

 term "deaf and dumb" is really an unnatural 

 and artificial one, expressing not the action of 

 Nature under favorable circumstances, but the 

 result of neglect. 



It is not uncommon to meet with dumb per- 

 sons who have their hearing perfect; their dumb- 

 ness arises from defect of brain. But what I 

 have never met with is dumbness from deafness, 

 except through disuse of voice. There is no such 

 thing as a child born dumb because deaf. The 

 born deaf are at first exactly the same as hearing 

 children ; they cry, sneeze, cough, crow, laugh, 

 ay, and talk too, like hearing children. This 

 may seem very startling; but, startling though it 

 be, it is true. The born deaf do talk, in their 

 own baby-language, just like hearing children of 

 the same age, only we do not understand them. 

 What mother understands all her hearing baby 



