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to which they should look forward was that in which not only 
utility but beauty was considered. He suggested that collections 
of local examples might be made as a means of initiating a series 
of exhibitions, which might subsequently result in some per- 
manent work. 
THE METHOD OF TEACHING THE DEAF AND 
DUMB TO SPEAK. 
By S. LAWSON, L.F.P.G. October 28th, 1884. 
Dr. Lawson said : 
There are only about two cases of dumb people except from 
deafness. Children are dumb because they are deaf and have 
never heard any one speak. They have no idea that they can 
create sound, or that hearing people communicate with one 
another by certain sounds called words, to which is attached a 
definite meaning that is commonly understood, and by which they 
convey thoughts, actions, intentions and so on. If deaf mutes can 
be informed that they can speak and are instructed how to speak, 
they will speak as well as hearing people, except that from not 
being able to hear their own voices they do not know how to 
modulate and inflex it, and they speak somewhat in a monotone. 
They can, however, be made to communicate by speech and read 
the face and lips by sight when spoken to, and hence become 
social members of society instead of little more than animals. — 
Deaf mutes have been taught whatis called the “Sign” system, 
dactylology, or the French system of ‘talking ”’ on their fingers. 
Tt has been called the French system because it was systematised 
‘by a Frenchman named Abbé de la Spée, but I think the sign 
or silent system is enough to prevent its adoption when we know 
that deaf mutes can be taught to speak. 
There is another system which consists of the silent and 
speech system combined, but it is found practically impossible to 
combine the two, as children that are to be taught to speak must 
not be allowed to use signs. 
The first instance on record of a deaf mute being made to 
speak was when John Bishop, of Beverley, trained a dumb boy, 
who used to come for alms, to speak. It was then looked upon 
as a miracle, but it was only a scientific fact, or rather discovery. 
Since then various countries have energetically undertaken the 
oral system of educating deaf mutes. 
, Probably the first to practically undertake the task were the 
‘Spaniards, and next the Germans, where the oral system was 
