152 ON THE EDUCATION OF 
APPENDIX. 
17th June 1816. 
It is only within this fortnight that any preparations have 
been made for the prosecution of the plan described in the 
preceding paper, and they would not have been mentioned in 
their present imperfect state, were it not that this is the last 
meeting of the Society for the season. All the experiments made 
have consisted in attempts to find out the most eligible method 
of providing tangible words, a point which must be fixed upon 
before the plan is communicated to those on whose care the 
execution of it is ultimately to devolve. 
Moulds of wood and of lead have been tried, and a specimen 
of a word formed in plaster of Paris from a set of leaden 
moulds is here shown to the Society. After various trials, the 
size of letter fixed upon is nearly that exhibited in the wooden 
cut accompanying these observations. It is found that a 
greater degree of distinctness to the sense of touch is gained by 
placing the strokes at a considerable distance from one another, 
than by increasing the perpendicular depth of the letters. A 
eharacter similar to what is called a round hand in writing, 
though not easily made elegant on a large scale, is therefore 
the best adapted to the present purpose. It is evident from 
the specimen now produced, that plaster of Paris is objection- 
able for its brittleness and weight, as well as the expence and 
trouble connected with it. Some of these objections lie also 
against wax, clay, and paste. Letters formed of paper or 
thin pasteboard, on a plan similar to that of Hauy already 
mentioned *, will be far more suitable, and, from two specimens 
now laid thats the Society, it will be seen that they are 
sufficiently palpable, sufficiently strong, and also very eco- 
nomical. 
* Page 145, 
