Chapter I. 



UPON THE MATERIALS FOE THE FORMATION OF A DEAF VAEIEIY OF THE HUMAN RACE AT 



PRESENT EXISTING IN AMERICA. 



Tlie first difHculty eucountered in the inquiry is that the published reports of our institutions 

 for the deaf and dumb contain very little information bearing upon tlie subject, but, judging from 

 the questions that arc asked of the parents or guardians of the pupils, there must be among the 

 unpublished records of our institutions an immense collection of valuable facts relating to heredity 

 at present inaccessible to the public. Many of the reports of the institutions contain little more 

 of interest in this connection than a catalogue of the pupils. The mere lists of names, however, 

 become of value by directing attention to the fact that among the pupils who have been admitted 

 to many of our institutions, numerous groujjs of deaf-mutes are to be found who have the same 

 surname. 



No one would be surprised by the moderate recurrence of such common names as " Smith" or 

 "Brown" or "Johnson" — as the recurrences might be accidental, and have no other significance 

 than to indicate the prevalence of these names in the community at large. But can it be acci- 

 dental that there should have been admitted into one institution eleven deaf-mutes of the name of 

 "Lovejoy," seven of the name of "Derby," and six of the name of "Mayhew." What interpreta- 

 tion shall we place upon the fact that groups of deaf mutes are to be found having such names as 

 " Blizzard," " Fahy," " Hulett," " Olosson," " Brasher," " Gopher," " Gortschalg," &c. ? Such names 

 are by no means common in the community at large, and the inference is irresistible that in many 

 cases the recurrences indicate blood-relationship amoug the pupils. 



An examination of a number of institution reports shows that these recurrences are altogether 

 too numerous to be entirely accidental, and we are forced to conclude, (1) that deafness runs in 

 certain families, (2) that these families are very numerous, and (3) that they are to be found in all 

 parts of the United States. 



The following list of recurring surnames, taken from the 1877 report of the American Asylum 

 for the Education of the Deaf and Dumb (Hartford, Conn.), will show how numerous these recur- 

 rences are tftuong the pupils of our older institutions : 



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