114 VOCAL LANGUAGE OF LAURA BRIDGEMAN. 



one may be selected for present consideration, which has already- 

 attracted a large amount of attention in various points of view, and 

 is still calculated to furnish aid in prosecuting the inquiries here 

 referred to. 



A great and well-founded interest has been awakened by the success- 

 ful efforts of Dr. Howe of Boston, to communicate language, and the 

 power of interchanging thought with others, to Laura Bridgeraan, a 

 blind, deaf mute. The failure of the same skilful teacher in the case 

 of Oliver Caswell, another mute similarly destitute of the senses of 

 sight and hearing, adds to the interest of the former case, in which 

 the peculiar intelligence of the object of this experiment, and the 

 response of her own long dormant, yet vigorous reasoning powers, 

 constituted the most important elements in effecting the success 

 achieved. 



Laura Bridgeman is not only deprived of sight and hearing, but she 

 has no sense of smell, and is nearly destitute of taste ; and thus, with 

 one exception, her limited sense of touch is the sole means she pos- 

 sesses of communing with the outer world. She was in her seventh 

 year when, in 1837, she entered the Boston Institution for the Blind. 

 Dr. Howe, in his first observations regarding her, noticed that " there 

 were marks of fineness in her organization : and that the nervous 

 temperament predominated. This," he remarked, " gave sensibility, 

 activity, and, of course, capacity ;" and so encouraged him in the 

 hope of that intelligent response on the part of his pupil, without 

 which, all the efforts of the teacher must prove vain. 



Describing Laura's arrival at her future home, and the first steps 

 employed for the purpose of establishing some means of intelligent 

 intercourse with her : Dr. Howe remarks, " She seemed quite bewild- 

 ered at first, but soon grew contented, and began to explore her new 

 dwelling. Her little hands were continually stretched out, and her 

 tiny fingers in constant motion, like the feelers of an insect. She was 

 left for several days to form acquaintance with the little blind girls, 

 and to become familliar with her new home. Then the attempt was 

 made systematically, to give her a knowledge of language, by which, 

 and by which only, she could ever attain to any considerable develop- 

 ment of intellect, or of affection." But the difficulty was^ how to 

 begin. Laura could not, like her blind companions, hear the spoken' 

 word, or name, of the objects within reach of her only available sense : 

 that of touch ; nor could she, Uk« the deaf mute, see the visible pbo* 



