REPORT ON THE MODES OF PRINTING FOR THE BLIND. 89 
the type falling through the bars of the frame in which it is 
placed, while the shank or tail goes between them. But this 
kind of type is very heavy and clumsy, and the lines of printing 
cannot be brought very near to each other, which tends greatly 
to increase the bulk as well as the expense of the books. 
In 1784 the first European institution for the instruction of 
the blind was established at Paris by Valentine Haiiy; and 
although many attempts to produce raised characters or letters 
for their use had previously been made, yet printing for the 
blind may be said to have been unknown till 1785, when 
M. Haiiy submitted to the Royal Academy of Sciences a me- 
morial, in which he explained the “‘ means he proposed to em- 
ploy for the instruction of the blind.’’ A committee was ap- 
pointed to examine this plan, who allowed that M. Haty was 
_the inventor of printing books in relief for the blind, and 
strongly recommended his invention to the approbation of the 
Academy. Since that time some change and improvement have 
been made in a few of the letters; for instance, the e is a little 
less liable to be mistaken for the c oro; the u not so narrow 
and therefore not so like to the a; the k also is opened to be 
less like the h, &c. I would here state that the French use 
both capitals and ‘‘ lower case,’’ and the form of the letter ap- 
proaches that of the Latin or Italian. 
“In the Paris Institution,” says Dr. Guillie, “‘ the blind pupils 
set and distribute the types and print the books themselves, and 
some who are expert will arrange about a dozen lines of an 8vo 
page in a quarter of an hour.”” Whether or not they have now 
adopted the common or screw press for printing, I am not able 
to say, but formerly the types were set in a frame (as before 
_ mentioned), the paper well wetted, laid upon them, and over all 
_ three or four folds of thick flannel ; it was then passed through a 
large wooden rolling press* and the impression taken out on the 
other side. In this manner a variety of books have been printed, 
amongst which are spelling books, grammars, geography, por- 
tions of the Scripture, short pieces of poetry, with miscellaneous 
extracts, &c.t 
_* The rolling press was used because it was thought that a sufficient pressure 
could not be given with the common screw press. In the former case only one 
line at a time is pressed by the roller, and consequently the whole force is sus- 
tained by that line, but in the latter the pressure is distributed over the whole 
page at once, and therefore must be very great to work a 4to or folio. But I 
believe the perpendicular pressure is now used in France, and was introduced 
_ some years ago by M. Clousier, printer to the King. 
ft In Ziirich there is an excellent establishment for the education of 
_ the blind, in which they print books in raised letters, &c., and have already 
__ Several books, such as a grammar, Scripture phrases, &c., which are given to 
the pupils gratis on leaving the Institution. 
