152 ON THE EDUCATION OF 



APPENDIX. 



11 th 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 

 character 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 before the Society, it will be seen that they are 

 sufficiently palpable, sufficiently strong, and also very eco- 

 nomical. 



* Page 145. 



