MARRIAGE AMONG DEAF-MUTES. 



125 



children produced by eveiy 100 marriages of persons belonging to 

 Classes 1, 2, 3, and 4. 



Table IV. 



Period of Life when Deafness 



Character of the Deafness. 



occurred. 



Sporadic Deafness. 



Family Deafness. 



After birth 

 Birth 



4-7 

 11-5 



9-4 

 17-8 



My statistics are confessedly very imperfect, and many persons 

 have hastily concluded that the results are therefore of no value or 

 significance. This, however, is not the case ; for the imperfection of 

 the statistics assures us that the figures given are all underestimates, 

 the true number of deaf children in every case being greater than 

 that mentioned. As a matter of fact, all the statistics since collected 

 by others have shown larger percentages. 



While it is believed that the true percentages are larger than 

 those given, it is probable that they are proportionately larger ; so 

 that we may conclude with probable accuracy that persons belonging 

 to Class-4 are more liable to have deaf children than those belonging 

 to Class 3, those of Class 3 more liable than those belonging to Class 

 2, and those belonging to Class 1 are the least liable of any, to have 

 deaf offspring. The relative liabilities are probably represented by 

 the percentage figures. 



The results are imperfect from another cause. The institution 

 reports from which the statistics were compiled did not give details 

 concerning both the parties to a marriage. 



It would be stated that Mr. So-and-so " married a deaf-mute ; " 

 but no information would be given as to whether his wife was born 

 deaf or not, or whether she had or had not deaf relatives. I have 

 only been able, therefore, to classify the marriages by one side. For 

 example: the results noted for Class 1 give the summation of all 

 marriages of persons not born deaf who have no deaf relatives, quite 

 regardless of the fact that some of them may have married congenital 

 deaf-mutes, others semi mutes, and still others hearing persons. We 

 may deduce, however, from the figures, that, if the husband belongs 

 to Class 1, his liability to have deaf offspring will be greatest if his 

 wife belong to Class 4, and least if she belongs to Class 1, etc. 



Now that Professor Fay has taken up the subject, I hope that 

 we may obtain statistics of greater accuracy and importance than any 

 yet compiled. 



When Ave obtain statistics classified by both parties to the 

 marriage, I think it will be found, that, where persons belonging to 

 Class 1 marry persons also belonging to Class 1, there will be no deaf 

 offspring, or, at least, that the percentage of deaf offspring will be 

 insignificant ; for surely accidental deafness is no more liable to be 

 inherited than the accidental loss of an arm in battle, for instance. 

 If, however, a person born without an arm should marry a person 

 also born without an arm, some of the children would probably 

 exhibit the same defect. In a similar manner, persons belonging to 



