VII. On the Education of James Mrrcnext, the young Man 
born Blind and Deaf. By Henry Dewar, M. D. F. B.S. 
Epi. 
(Read 4th December 1815. ) 
HE practicability of instructing in any kind of language a 
person blind and deaf from infancy seems not to have 
occurred to the friends of James Mrrcuetz till suggested by Dr 
Gorvon, whose ideas on the subject are contained in Professor 
Srewart’s account published in the Transactions of this So- 
ciety *. An attempt has been since made to put in prac- 
tice a plan for the same purpose, proposed by Mr Par- 
xer, an English gentleman who resided for a short time in 
Scotland. This consisted in accustoming him to handle the 
letters of the alphabet, formed of pieces of wood or paste- 
board, when placed together so as to compose different words 
significant of tangible objects, and making him handle the 
objects in order to learn their meaning. This, however, failed, 
in consequence of the unwillingness of the pupil to submit 
to the necessary application. For the details, I refer to the 
account lately laid before the Society by Dr Gorpvon +, and 
particularly to Miss Mrrcwext’s letter to Mr Parker, dated 
the 31st of October 1814, sit aa the result of her endea- 
— Vor. VIII. P. I. Ss vours, 
* See Vol. vii. p. 70. + See the preceding Paper in this Volume. 
