644 ^^^' POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



perhaps only desideratum exist in the original centers of appre- 

 hension and action the gray tissue cells of the brain itself. 



As a commentary upon Miss Teisen's views, I may add the 

 very interesting statement of Dr. Fernald, that the reason why 

 sound and color give so much pleasure to the feeble-minded is 

 that the simplicity of their brain and nerve fiber requires a 

 greater blow of sense, so to speak, to affect it pleasurably. The 

 idiotic child has the peculiarity (shared with it by Alexander 

 III and the composer Bach) that he is most affected by loud 

 music. In the same way fullness and force of color give the 

 greatest pleasure to his eyes, such as the gorgeous crimson rose, 

 or the serried stalks of fuU-petaled sunflowers, or huge beds of 

 brilliant feathery chrysanthemums. 



Instructors of the blind have always regarded the sense of 

 touch as increased by the loss of sight. The fuller opportunities 

 for close aural attention and thought concentration, due also to 

 their blindness have been noted. There is no question but that 

 the blind derive unusual enjoyment from music, and that their 

 chief pleasure is found in listening to it. 



There is an absolutely infinite field open for the improvement 

 of the blind in clay modeling, which is already a main feature of 

 their education. But no school has as yet pushed pupils of great 

 promise in this respect with the intent of developing them into 

 Karl Bitters in this wide field. 



Given damp clay and a specific object to imitate, blind pupils 

 are enabled by constant digital comparison (and their subtle 

 sense of touch is no mean guide) to turn out in clay a very fair 

 reproduction of their stuffed models. Afterward they model 

 from memory, and without opportunities of comparison. 



Henry Tschudi, a boy of seventeen, blind from birth, and edu- 

 cated in the American College of Music, passed his examination 

 in June, 1891, in harmony, counterpoint, the history of music, 

 musical form, terminology, acoustics, and the theory and practice 

 of the organ. It was necessary for candidates to play at com- 

 mand compositions of Bach, Handel, Mendelssohn, and other 

 composers, in polyphonic sonata and free forms; also to trans- 

 pose, to harmonize a figured bass, improvise upon a given theme, 

 and determine pitch tones by ear. The demonstrative examina- 

 tion at the organ was conducted by three experts, and Mr. 

 Tschudi received 92"80 per cent, being the first blind person to 

 pass the examination. 



Another pupil, of whom the New York Institution for the 

 Blind is justly proud, is Mr. Lewis B. Carll, also born blind, who 

 was prepared for Columbia College within its walls. He was 

 graduated from Columbia College in 1870, being a classmate of 

 the now president/ Mr. Seth Low, and took second place in a class 



