BORN BLIND AND DEAF. 35 



a blind and deaf pupil, avail ourselves of the assistance of the 

 latter, which, if not visible to his eye, would be, at least, tan- 

 gible to his hand. It is only extending farther the use of a 

 species of signs already practised between Massieu and me, 

 when, during the darkness of night, he sees by his own hands 

 whatever mine would express to him. Why should not the 

 blind and deaf pupil be taught to converse in the same man- 

 ner, during the light of day ? 



" Ah ! if the experiment I should wish to make were to 

 prove not altogether useless ; if, as I have already done for the 

 deaf and dumb, I should be the instrument of bestowing a 

 mind on this still more unfortunate object, I should myself en- 

 joy a degree of happiness greater than any which he could pos- 

 sibly derive from the success of my labours ! 



" My illustrious predecessor had the boldness to think, that 

 even this case, if it should be realised, would not present un- 

 surmountable obstacles to an instructor. The following is an 

 outline of the plan upon which, he told me, it was his inten- 

 tion to proceed. 



" An alphabet of polished steel was to be employed as the 

 materials of his nomenclature for sensible objects, and for those 

 actions which might be brought under the cognizance of the 

 sense of Touch. He hoped to be able to familiarise his pupil 

 with these characters, so as to devolve upon his hands the of- 

 fice of his eyes ; and, for this purpose, he proposed to make 

 him feel the object with one hand, while he was learning to 

 distinguish its name with the other. His inventive genius 

 would doubtless have led him, in the course of his experi- 

 ments, to whatever other means were necessary for the attain- 

 ment of his end. 



" I am perfectly aware, that difficulties would immediately 

 present themselves at every step ; for, how would it be possi- 



E2 ble, 



