— 
90 SEVENTH REPORT—1837. 
The paper used in printing in relief should be very good and 
strong, not liable to tear, tolerably thick and well-sized. If it 
be too thick the letter will not be sharp nor well-defined ; neither 
should the impression be too much elevated, or it will increasethe 
bulk of the book and be more liable to injury. About jy or 35 
of an inchis generally found sufficiently high for small type im- 
pressions. Alphabets and first books for beginners should be a 
little higher. ‘‘ This kind of printing,” says Dr. Guillie, “cannot 
be done on both sides the paper, as in taking off the second 
page the first would be destroyed*”. In this state printing for 
the blind remained till Mr. Gall of Edinburgh, about the year 
1831 or 1832, introduced what he calls a triangular, or rather 
angular, alphabet. ‘This is chiefly a modification of the com- 
mon alphabet, though some of the letters are entirely arbi- 
trary. For instance, the A is a triangle standing upon one 
of its angles; the B and D are triangles with two small ears 
or projections at the upper angle ; and the P and Qare also tri- 
angles, similar to the above, only they have the projections at the 
lower angle. The Ois a square standing upon one of its corners ; 
and the G is the same, only a little smaller, with a perpendicular 
tail to it about as long as one of the sides of the square. The 
C is an obtuse angle concave to the right hand. The E the 
same with an additional line bisecting the angle. The T is a 
perpendicular line with a very short one crossing it in the 
middle. The other letters partake in a great degree of the com- 
mon form, except that the R, S, and W are angular instead of 
curvedj. Mr. Gall conceives that curves are not so easily di- 
stinguishable by the touch as angles. 
“besitst die Anstalt einen Apparat, mit welchem eben so schnell, 
wie in gewéhnlichen Druckereien, Biicher in erhabener Schrift, fiir Blinde, 
lesbar gedruct werden. So besitzen wir z. B. ein Sprachbuch fiir Blinde, 60 
Seiten stark; ferner eine systematische Sammlung von Bibelspriichen, unter 
dem Titel, Biblisches Sprachbuch fiir Blinde * * * * * solcher Biicher werden 
den austretenden Blinden jedesmal unengeltlich mitgegeben.”—Orell on the 
Ziirich Institution for the Blind, &c., 1835, page 438. 
* An attempt however has since been made (I have been told) at Philadelphia, 
to print upon both sides by engraving or punching the lettersupon pewter plates, 
and passing two of these plates, through a rolling press, with a very thick paper, 
almost reduced to astate of pulp, between them, but I believe the plan was 
too expensive to be employed generally. Mr. Gall of Edinburgh has also 
printed on both sides the paper by arranging the types so that the lines on one 
side the leaf just occupy the spaces between the lines on the other. A little 
room is gained by this method, but as it requires much nicety in laying the pa- 
per upon the type to print the second page, lest the first should be injured, 
some timne must be lost in taking off the impressions ; which, to me, renders the 
advantage of such a plan very doubtful. 
; Mr. Gall has recently altered the form of some of his letters, and thereby 
greatly improved them. 
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