62§ D E A 
mouth and lips of others, (he acquired fo many words, that 
ihe can hold converfation with thofe that fpeak to her.” 
But Mr. Thomas Braidwood, late of Edinburgh, fince 
of London, feems to have made the greateft progrefs in 
tiiis furprifing art. He began with a fingle pupil, in 1764; 
and fince that period has taught numbers of people born 
deaf, to fpeak diftinftly ; to read, to write, to underftand 
figures, the principles of religion and morality, &c. 
That his pupils were taught not only the mere pronuncia¬ 
tion, but alfo to underhand the meaning of what they 
read, has been afcertained by a converfation with them. 
Of this Mr. Pennant gives a remarkable inftance in a 
young lady of about thirteen years of age, who had been 
fome time under the care of Mr. Braidwood. “ She rea¬ 
dily apprehended (fays he) all I laid, and returned me 
anfwers with the utmoft facility. She read ; 111e wrote 
well. Her reading was not by rote. She could clothe 
the fame thoughts in a new let of words, and never vary 
from the original fenfe.” A different method, but per¬ 
haps equally laborious and fuccefsful, has been praCtifed 
by the abbe de l’Epee of Berlin. He begins his inftruc- 
tions, not by endeavouring to form the organs of fpeech 
to articulate founds, but by communicating ideas to the 
mind by means of fignS and characters : to effect this, he 
writes the names of things ; and, by a regular fyftem of 
figns, eftablillies a connection between thefe words and 
the ideas to be excited by them. After he has thus ftir- 
niflied his pupils with ideas, and a medium of communi¬ 
cation, he teaches them to articulate and pronounce, and 
renders them not only grammarians but logicians. In 
this manner he has enabled one pupil to deliver a Latin 
oration in public, and another to defend a thefis againft 
the objections of his fellow-pupils, in a fcholaftic depu¬ 
tation. 
We have the pleafure to obferve, that thefe benevolent 
attempts to reftore a degraded clafs of human beings to 
a tolerable place in fociety, are at this time enforced with 
merit, eloquence, and effeCt, by the national infinite in 
France. The mode of inftruCtion is under the care of 
M. Sicard. The principle confifts in placing before the 
pupil an objeCt, a key, a knife, a pencil, &c. and (hewing 
him the application of it. The motions made in apply¬ 
ing it, foon become to him the fign of the objeCt when it 
is not prefent. The fornts of objeCts are afterward 
drawn on paper, and the pupil is taught their intent, by 
the teacher pointing firft to the objeCt, and then to the 
drawing. The objeCt is afterward removed, and he is 
inftruCted to demand it by touching the drawing. The 
pupil is then progreflively led, by the formation of gene¬ 
ral characters, correfponding to the particular figures, to 
a knowledge of the alphabet. The acquaintance with 
numbers is commenced by repeating the name or fign of 
an objeCt, as often aS there are objeCts of the fame kind 
before the pupil: chair, for inftance, is written as many 
times as there are chairs in the room. Above all things, 
patience is recommended to the inftruCtor in this very 
difficult bufinefs ; and he is enjoined that very neceffary 
lefion, which would do great fervice in every kind of 
ftudy, to “ begin at the beginning ;” and to take nothing 
for granted, as already known, but to confider his pupil 
as an unorganized machine, to which he is to give mo¬ 
tion and direction. On thefe principles the New Afylum, 
in the Grange-road, Bermondfey, London, has been lately 
opened, and where perfons are employed abfolutely to 
teach the dumb to fpeak ; for the modes and particulars of 
which, fee the article Dumbness. For modes and ope¬ 
rations in curing accidental deafnefs, fee the article Me¬ 
dicine. 
Our prefent exifting laws for regulating the affairs of 
the deaf, dumb, and blind, are as follow : A man who is 
born deaf, dumb, and blind, is looked upon by the law 
in the fame (late as an idiot ; he being fuppofed incapa¬ 
ble of any underftanding ; as wanting all thofe fenfes 
which furnifti the human mind with ideas. 1 Comm, 304. 
D E A 
A man who could neither fpeak nor hear, committed fe¬ 
lony, and v/as arraigned, and therefore w r as commanded 
to prifon. Thel. Dig. 6. lib. 1. c. 7. One who had made 
his will, and became ill, and, as it feems, had loft his 
fpeech ; the fame will was delivered into his hands, and 
it was faid to him, that he (ltould deliver it to thei vicar, 
if it ftiould be his laft will, otherwife he (ltould retain it; 
and he delivered it to the vicar, and this was held a good 
will. Thel. Dig. 6. lib. x. c. 7. It appearing by oath, 
that the defendant was both fenfelefs and dumb, and 
therefore could not inftruCt his counfel to draw his an- 
fwer ; it was ordered that no attachment, or other pro- 
cefs of contempt, (hould be awarded againft the defend¬ 
ant for not anfwering, without fpecial order of the court. 
Cary's Rep. 132. One that is deaf and wholly deprived 
of his hearing cannot give, and fo one that is dumb and 
cannot fpeak. Yet, according to the opinion of fome, 
they may confent by figns ; but it is generally held, that 
he that is dumb cannot make d gift, becaufe he cannot 
confent to it. 1 Inf. 107. If however, a blind man has 
underftanding, he may deliver a deed fealed by him. 
Jenk. 222. The lord (hall have the cuftody of a copy- 
holder that is deaf and dumb ; for elfe he (hall be pre¬ 
judiced in his rents and fervices; and adjudged for the 
grantee of the lord againft the prochein amy of the co¬ 
pyholder. Cro.Jac. 105. One born deaf and dumb, who 
fignified by figns that (he underftood what (lie was about 
to do, was allowed to levy a fine of lands ; by Bridgman, 
chief juftice. Cart. 53. 
To DEAF'EN, v. a. To deprive of the power of hear¬ 
ing : 
From (homing men, and horns, and dogs, he flies. 
Deafen'd and ftunn’d with their promifcuous cries. Addifon, 
DEAF'LY, adv. Without fenfe of founds. Obfcurely 
to the ear. 
DE AF'NESS,yi Want of the power of hearing; want 
of fenfe of founds.—Thofe who are deaf and dumb, are 
dumb by confequence from their deafnefs. Holder. —Un- 
willingnefs to hear.—I found fuch a deafnefs, that no de¬ 
claration from the biftiops could take place. King Charles . 
DEAL, f. [deel, Dut.] Part.—A great deal of that 
which had been, was now to be removed out of the 
church. Hooker. —Quantity; degree of more or lefs. It 
was formerly joined with different words, to limit its 
meaning ; as, fome deal, in fome degree, to fome amount; 
we now either fay, a great deal, or a deal, without an ad¬ 
jective ; but this is commonly, if not always, ludicrous, 
or contemptuous.—What a deal of cold bufinefs doth a 
man mifpend the better part of life in! In fcattering 
compliments, and tendering vifits. Ben Jonfon. 
To weep with them that weep, doth eafe fome deal; 
But forrow flouted at is double death. Shakefpeare. 
[From the verb to deal .] The art or practice of dealing 
cards: 
How can the mufe her aid impart, 
Unlkill’d in all the terms of art ? 
Or in harmonious numbers put 
The deal, the (huftle, and the cut ? Szvifl. 
\_Dcyl, Dut.] Fir-wood, or the wood of pines.—I have 
alfo found, that a piece of deal, far thicker than one would 
eafily imagine, being purpofely interpofed betwixt my 
eye, placed in a room, and the clearer daylight, was not 
only fomewhat tranfparent, but appeared quite through 
a lovely red. Boyle. 
To DEAL, v. a. [ deelen, Dut.] To diftribute ; to dif. 
pofe to different perfons.— Deal thy bread to the hungry, 
and bring the poor that are caft out to thy houfe,' Ifaiah , 
lviii. 7. 
His lifted arms around his head he throws. 
And deals in whittling air his empty blows. Dryden. 
To fcatter ; to throw about; 
Keep 
