~ 
errr 
410 
CT oh AO ae Lh ee Cee a ee Ne 
whose attention is all bestowed to that 
oe point, may gradually learn to distin- 
“guish the motions exhibited on the coun- 
¢enance in pronouncing each word: and 
that he inay at length sueeced in making 
‘the very same motions; which, if they be 
exactly the same, and produced in the 
sume manner, caimot fail of being accom- 
panied with the very words uttered by 
other people. 
Our neighbours, the French, who are 
an geheral too little inclined to allow the 
credit due to the inventive spirit of this 
country, or too much disposed to clain it 
for themselves, dispute with us the palm 
of superior genius and humanity, i re- 
spect to the unfortunate dumb and deat. 
Vheir governments, since the foundation 
Jaid by their munticent Bourbons, have 
-certainly done much to attract the atten- 
tion of the univ erse,and claim the principal 
“merit among sovereigns anxious to ease 
-the unfortunate of the oppressive weight 
af evil. Europe looks with-admiration to 
‘the progress of the schools of De PEpée 
-and Sicard in which the mode of instruc- 
- ting is by a language: not intelligible to 
the generality of men; the glory of the 
English is,-that they first, in spite of 
sseeming impossibility, taught to operate 
in favour of the speechless, the last of mi- 
_Tacles, to impart to them the gitt. of 
“tongues; and that here the bounty of. in- 
dividuals keeps pace with. the mumfi- 
cence of princes, 
The celebrated Sir Kenelm Digby, an 
author of the beginning of the seven- 
teenth century (irom 1630 to 1660), gives 
an aecount of a deafdumb young man 
who was taught to know w hat was spo~ 
‘ken to him. 
. Dr. Wallis, ia the Philosophical Trans- 
actions, Nos, 61, and 245,* gives a very 
minute description of the method by 
which he taught one deaf and dumb pu- 
pil to write, ‘and general notions upon 
the manner in which he instructed ano- 
ther, a deaf-dumb person, to speak. The 
first, a Mr. Daniel Whalley, was taught 
by the doctor to understand the English 
-language mentally, and to become such a 
proficient in writing, that he could ex- 
press his own thoughts readily upon pa- 
per, and comprehend what was written 
_to him by other persons; the second was. 
_Mr. Alexander Popham, brother-in-law 
to the Ear] of Osford, 
It is remarkable, that, notwithstanding 
_instances so. conclusive as these, and all 
which had been done in Italy, in Spain, 
* Abridgments 
Account of the Establishments Je the I Wage [June 1, 
and in Holland, as wall as Phaiad, it 
did not begin to bé universally admitted 
that those who were born deaf were not 
likewise destitute of the powers of rea- 
son, until the contrary was demonstrated 
in Fran ice by the Abbé de VEpée.’ The 
progress which had been made in other 
countries, however satisfactory in most 
instances, was but partial, and seemed, 
aiter some time, to be lost in obscurity. 
The consequence was, that many minds, 
endved with the brightest natural quali- 
ties, remained neglected, and contounded 
with the hopeless ideot. “The success of 
De |’Epée fortunately drew the-attention 
of princes, and crowned heads have since 
deemed the topic not beneath their 
glory to notice. Several establishments 
are now formed in various parts of Kn- 
rope under the immediate patronage, and 
at the expence, of. the monarchis.. The 
example was set by Franee: Germany 
followed: Italy and Spain, which gave 
hirth to the first essays. upon this curious 
subject, have joined in the benevolent 
undertaking; in England the contribu- 
tions of private persons support a con- 
Siderable institution; aud Denmark and 
Russia either have, or are preparing to 
carry into effect, complete systems of na- 
-tional education for the deaf and dumb 
on the most extensive scale. - 
Upon a subject so intimately con- 
nected with philological ‘and. liberal 
knowledge, and peculiarly interesting to 
the mind either of curiosity or benevo- 
lence, it may be acceptable to many 
readers to know what has been done in 
the various .institutidns of this nature 
now in being, w pe: they are established, 
and-by whom. A sketch of. the various 
methods practised in those institutions, 
wil enable the enquiring mind to judge 
of their comparative advantages, and, if 
the heart or genius -prompt,. -to contri- 
bute to the extension of the blessing. 
The.method usually practised m the 
instruction of the deaf aud dumb, is to 
shew them the thing meant to be express- 
-ed, and at the same time repeat the 
sign or gesture which is to be thence- 
forward understood between the pupil 
‘and his: instructor as. representing It. 
Then, passing from things evident to 
the senses, to thingsintellectual, the mas- 
‘ter, by gestures, corresponding: motions 
of the countenance, and the approxima- 
tion of such ideas as the pupil may have 
already coneeived, proceeds to contra- 
distinguish and. give a separate gesture- 
name to each of the sensations, emotions, 
passions, and operations of the mini 
ang 
