1853.] OF THE ROYAL INSTITUTION. 297 
Littledale, Esq. for the loan of various books, maps, and apparatus 
for teaching the blind, and for specimens of their work. 
The Lecturer recommended the following General Rules for the 
management or treatment of the Blind, derived from his own 
experience and the works of Klein, Zeune, Knie, Baczko, Orell, 
Jager, Struve, and others. 
1. It is of the greatest importance that blind children be religiously 
brought up, for as they are deprived of many pleasures and 
advantages which the seeing enjoy, they have the greater need of 
the promises and consolations of Religion. But it must be 
remembered that Religion, like powerful medicine, should be 
administered with the greatest judgement. 
2. They should be treated as much like the seeing as possible, so as 
to render social intercourse with them agreeable and beneficial, 
and conducive to the strengthening of their four remaining senses. 
3. Amongst the various contrivances for facilitating the education 
of the blind, choose the simplest, and such as are in use with the 
seeing, when they are sufficient for your purpose. 
4. Never assist them further than is necessary, in order to teach 
them to help themselves. Encourage them to examine every 
thing that comes in their way, and to ask questions. 
5. From their earliest years accustom them to activity, even if it be 
only for amusement — it will prevent their brooding over their 
misfortune, which not only injures their health, but renders them 
unfit for mental or bodily exertion. 
6. Avoid, in their presence, giving utterance to feelings of pity or 
commiseration for their misfortune, as it only serves to remind 
them of their situation and gives them pain. 
7. In conversing with the blind you need not avoid such subjects as 
relate to vision, &c. for from frequently hearing those things 
described, they will form very good notions concerning them, 
and their lively imaginations will supply their minds with useful 
representations of them. 5 
8. You need not be much troubled about any little hurt they may 
receive from running against chairs, tables, &c. or in using certain 
tools, as such trifling accidents teach them caution and prevent 
greater. 
9. In moving about a room, &c. should they take a wrong 
direction, it is well to set them right privately and avoid as much 
as possible doing or saying anything to make them feel their de- 
pendence upon those who have their sight. 
10. Be ever careful not to deceive the blind —even though you 
should think it for their good, for you will never regain their 
confidence, ax4 it will tend to make them suspect others. Besides 
itis not so easy to deceive them as may be imagined, for having 
to depend upon four senses to do the duty of five, their discern- 
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