36 ACCOUNT OF A BOY 



ble, without any intercourse either by the eye or by the ear, 

 to establish, in the pupil's mind, the connection between the 

 object and its sign ? I apprehend, it would be necessary here 

 to avail ourselves of some of his animal instincts ; to withhold, 

 for example, the objects of his desires and wants, till he should 

 recollect their names, and exhibit their characters *. This 

 first step would perhaps be followed by a second ; that of 

 teaching him to distinguish the qualities and modes of ob- 

 jects. Colours and sounds would, of course, be excluded 

 from our lessons ; but the forms of bodies, which fall under the 

 province of Touch, might be easily impressed on his memo- 

 ry ; and upon this basis, what should prevent us from proceed- 

 ing to rear a metaphysical structure ? If those qualities which 

 strike the sense of Sight have gradually led the deaf and dumb 

 to the knowledge of things intellectual and moral, why should 

 not the qualities about which the sense of Touch is conversant, 

 be made the channel to the same sort -of information ? In- 

 stead of speaking to the eye, we have only to speak to the 

 hand. In truth, the whole system of instruction explained in 

 the following work, might be adapted to our new pupil, by 

 presenting to him, in relievo, the various delineations and dia- 

 grams by which it is illustrated ; those slight changes being 



made 



* In the case of Mitchell, the difficulties here alluded to would probably be. 

 experienced in a comparatively 6inall degree, in consequence of the previous use 

 of those significant pressures on his forehead, of which his sister has taught him 

 to comprehend the meaning. If this should turn out to be the fact, she has al- 

 ready got over, by her own ingenuity, the first and most arduous step in the 

 whole process of his education. 



Mr Wardrop takes notice, in one of his communications, of his extreme do- 

 cility, and of his obedience to the commands of his sister, who, during his stay 

 in London, " was his constant companion and guide." " It was astonishing 

 (he adds) how readily she could communicate to him, by signs, her wishes." 



