Ex Libris 
 C. K. OGDEN 
 
 *t 


 
 Jis made Irr drawing the tip of 
 
 right lianA at-rofs the palm, of the
 
 INSTRUCTION 
 
 OF THE 
 
 DEAF AND DUMB; 
 
 A THEORETICAL JXD PRACTICAL 
 
 VIEW 
 
 F THE MEANS BY WHICH THEY ARE TAUGHT TO SPEAK. 
 AND UNDERSTAND A LANGUAGE; 
 
 CONTAINING HINTS FOR THE CORRECTION OF 
 IMPEDIMENTS IN SPEECH: 
 
 Together with 
 
 A VOCABULARY 
 
 Illustrated by numerous Copperplates, representing the most common 
 Objects necessary to be named by Beginners, 
 
 BY JOSEPH WATSON, L.L. D. 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 FEINTED AND SOLD BY DARTON AND HARVEY 
 
 Gracechurch-Street; 
 
 TO BE HAD ALSO OF THE AUTHOR, 
 At the Asylum, Kent Road; 
 
 1809.
 
 Printed by W. Darton and J. and J. Harvey, 
 Gracecbttrch-Street, London.
 
 A O be born deaf, or to lofe the hearing 
 at an early age, before the habit of fpeak- 
 ing is fo confirmed, or the flock of arti- 
 culate language fo copious, as very pow- 
 erfully to imprefs the memory, is invari- 
 ably followed by Dumbnefs. Not, cer- 
 tainly, as fome writers have affirmed, on 
 account of any fympathy between the 
 organ of hearing and the organs of fpeech, 
 by which the difeafe or defecl of the 
 former is transferred to the latter. Were 
 this the cafe, Dumb people could not be 
 taught to fpeak. Total dumbnefs feldom 
 A 2 proceeds
 
 IV INTRODUCTION. 
 
 proceeds from any other caufe than the 
 want of hearing, or the want of intellect : 
 at leaft, in no cafe have I ever met with 
 it, except proceeding from the one or the 
 other of thefe privations: fo rarely is 
 imperfection in the organs of fpeech the 
 caufe of it. 
 
 Want of hearing from birth, or from an 
 early age, is followed by dumbnefs, (if 
 the intellects are perfect,) merely becaufe 
 it precludes the opportunity of learning, 
 or being confirmed in the ufe of, fpeecb, 
 in the ordinary way. Dumbnefs, where 
 the hearing is perfect, and the intellect 
 defective, (no uncommon cafe,) proceeds 
 from want of ideas, and of judgment to 
 direct the organs of fpeech in the forma- 
 tion of articulations. 
 
 The
 
 INTRODUCTION. V 
 
 The caufes of what may be properly 
 termed original deafnefs, or the defect in 
 the organ of hearing, with which fo 
 many of our fpecies are unfortunately 
 born, are little, if at all, known. Here I 
 cannot refill the temptation of tranfcribing 
 a page or two from Dr. Paley *, in order 
 to give a general idea of the ftrudture and 
 ufes of the component parts of the ear. 
 The defcription is at once fo fatisfactory, 
 and yet fo popular, and free from technical 
 obfcurity, that I am perfuaded no reader 
 will be offended by its infertion; though 
 I hope the book from whence it is bor- 
 rowed, forms a part of almoft every one's 
 reading. 
 
 * Natural Theology, p.p. 46 51. 
 
 A 3 tf The
 
 VI 
 
 "The ear, it is probable, (fays he,) 
 is no lefs artificially and mechanically 
 adapted to its office, than the eye. But 
 we know lefs about it: we do not fo 
 well underftand the action, the ufe, or 
 the mutual dependency of its internal 
 parts. Its general form, however, both 
 external, and internal, is fufficient to 
 fhow that it is. an inftrument adapted 
 to the reception of found; that is to fay, 
 already knowing that found confifts of 
 pulfes of the air, we perceive, in the 
 ftru&ure of the ear, a fuitablenefs to 
 receive impreffions from this fpecies of 
 action, and to propagate thefe impreffions 
 to the brain. For of what does this 
 ftructure conlift? An external ear, (the 
 concha,) calculated, like an ear-trumpet, 
 
 to
 
 INTRODUCTION. Vll 
 
 to catch and collecl: the pulfes of which 
 we have fpoken; in large quadrupeds, 
 turning to the found, and pofTeffing a 
 configuration, as well as motion, evi- 
 dently fitted for the office: of a tube 
 which leads into the head, lying at the 
 root of this outward ear, the folds and 
 finufes thereof tending and conducting 
 the air towards it: of a thin membrane, 
 like the pelt of a drum, ftretched acrofs 
 this paflage by a bony rim: of a chain 
 of moveable, and infinitely curious, bones, 
 forming a communication, and the only 
 communication that can be obferved, 
 between the membrane lail mentioned 
 and the interior channels and recefles 
 of the fkull: of cavities, fimilar in lhape 
 and form to wind inftruments of mulic, 
 A 4 being
 
 Vlll INTRODUCTION. 
 
 being fpiral or portions of circles: of the 
 euftachian tube, like the hole in a drum, 
 to let the air pafs freely into and out 
 of the barrel of the ear, as the covering 
 membrane vibrates, or as the temperature 
 may be altered: the whole labyrinth 
 hewn out of a rock: that is, wrought 
 into the fubftance of the hardeft bone 
 in the body. This aifemblage of con- 
 nected parts conftitutes together an ap- 
 paratus, plainly enough relative to the 
 transmiflion of found, or of the impulfes 
 received from found, and only to be 
 lamented in not being better understood. 
 
 "The communication within, formed 
 by the fmall bones of the ear, is, to look 
 upon, more like what we are accuftomed 
 to call machinery, than any thing I am 
 
 acquainted
 
 INTRODUCTION. ftC 
 
 acquainted with in animal bodies. It 
 feems evidently defigned to continue to- 
 wards the fenforium the tremulous mo- 
 tions which are excited in the membrane 
 of the tympanum, or what is better 
 known by the name of the ' drum of the 
 ear.' The compages of bones coniifts 
 of four, which are fo difpofed, and fo 
 hinge upon one another, as that, if the 
 membrane, the drum of the ear, vibrate, 
 all the four are put in motion together; 
 and, by the refult of their action, work 
 the bafe of that which is the laft in the 
 feries, upon an aperture which it clofes, 
 and upon which it plays, and which aper- 
 ture opens into the tortuous canals that 
 lead to the brain. This laft bone of the 
 four is called thejtapes. The office of the 
 
 drum
 
 X INTRODUCTION. 
 
 drum of the ear is to fpread out an 
 extended furface, capable of receiving 
 the impreflions of found, and of being 
 put by them into a ftate of vibration. 
 The office of thejlafies is to repeat thefe 
 vibrations. It is a repeating frigate, 
 Rationed more within the line. From 
 which account of its action may be un- 
 iderftood how the fenfation of found will 
 be excited, by any thing which com- 
 municates a vibratory motion to the 
 #apes, though not, as in all ordinary 
 .cafes, through the intervention of the 
 membrana tympani. This is done by 
 folid bodies applied to the bones of the 
 (kull, as by a metal bar holden at one 
 end between the teeth, and touching at 
 the other end a tremulous body. It 
 
 likewife
 
 INTRODUCTION. XI 
 
 likewife appears to be done, in a con- 
 fiderable degree, by the air itfelf, even 
 when this membrane, the drum of the 
 ear, is greatly damaged. Either in the 
 natural or preternatural Hate of the organ x 
 the ufe of the chain of bones is to pro- 
 pagate the impulfe in a direction towards 
 the brain, and to propagate it with the 
 advantage of a lever; which advantage 
 confifts in increaling the force and 
 ftrength of the vibration, and at the 
 fame time diminishing the ipace through 
 which it ofcillates : both of which changes 
 may augment or facilitate the Hill deeper 
 action of the auditory nerves. 
 
 " The benefit of the euftachian tube to 
 the organ may be made out upon known 
 pneumatic principles. Behind the drum 
 
 of
 
 ill INTRODUCTION. 
 
 of the ear is a fecond cavity, or barrel, 
 called the tympanum. The euftachian tube 
 is a ilender pipe, but fufficient for the 
 paiTage of air, leading from this cavity 
 into the back part of the mouth. Now 
 it would not have done to have had a 
 vacuum in this cavity; for, in that cafe, 
 the prefTure of the atmofphere from 
 without would have burft the membrane 
 which covered it. Nor would it have 
 done to have filled the cavity with 
 Jymph, or any other fecretion; which 
 would neceflarily have obftru&ed both 
 the vibration of the membrane, and the 
 play of the fmall bones. Nor, laftly, 
 would it have done to have occupied 
 the ipace with confined air, becaufe 
 jtlje expanlion of that air by heat, or 
 
 iU
 
 INTRODUCTION. Xlll 
 
 its contraction by cold, would have 
 diftended or relaxed the covering mem- 
 brane, in a degree inconfiftent with 
 the purpofe it was afligned to execute. 
 The only remaining expedient, and that 
 for which the euftachian tube ferves, is 
 to open to this cavity a communication 
 with the external ear. In one word; it 
 exactly anfwers the purpofe of the hole 
 in a drum. 
 
 " The membrana tympani itfelf likewife 
 deferves all the examination which can 
 be made of it. It is not found in the 
 ears of fifh; which furnimes an additional 
 proof of what indeed is indicated by 
 every thing about it, that it is appro- 
 priated to the action of air, or of an 
 elaftic medium. It bears an obvious 
 
 refemblance
 
 XIV INTRODUCTION. 
 
 refemblance to the pelt or head of a 
 drum, from which it takes its name. 
 It refembles alfo a drum -head in this 
 principal property, that its ufe de- 
 pends upon its tenfion. Tenfwn is the 
 Hate eflential to it. Now we know 
 that, in a drum, the pelt is carried over 
 a hoop, and braced as occasion requires, 
 by the means of firings attached to its 
 circumference. In the membrane of 
 the ear, the fame purpofe is provided for> 
 more limply, but not lefs mechanically, 
 nor lefs fuccefsfully, by a different ex- 
 pedient, viz. by the end of a bone (the 
 handle of the malleus) prefling upon its 
 centre. It is only in very large animals 
 that the texture of this membrane can 
 be difcerned." 
 
 The
 
 INTRODUCTION. XY 
 
 The foregoing account being duly 
 confidered (though given by its author 
 for the illuftration of a different principle 
 than that to which I mean to apply it), 
 it will ceafe to be a matter of wonder, 
 that an organ fo delicate and complex 
 as the internal ear, fhould occasionally be 
 deranged: and, who that reflects on its 
 Situation, can expect that its derange- 
 ment fhould be generally difcovered, or 
 remedied, even by the mofl expert ope- 
 rators. For, not only muft they operate 
 upon parts incomparably irritable, in the 
 immediate vicinity of the brain itfelf; 
 but they muft operate in the dark. In 
 no inftance of original deafness, that has 
 come under my notice, has there been 
 any vifible imperfection in the external 
 
 ear
 
 XVI INTRODUCTION. 
 
 ear. When a child is born deaf, there- 
 fore, or totally lofes its hearing, there 
 remains nothing for thofe to whom 
 nature or Providence has confided the 
 care of it, but patient acquiefcence in 
 the defect; or, which happily has been 
 found practicable, to fubflitute the per- 
 ceptions through other fenfes, to fupply 
 the lofs as far as refpe&s the acquisition 
 of fpeech and language. 
 
 The generous and humane attention 
 of the Britifh public, to that unfortunate 
 clafs of perfons, the indigent DEAF and 
 DUMB, (too long overlooked or ineffectu- 
 ally commiferated among us,) has, of 
 late years, been ftrongly manifefted. 
 And, it may be fairly prefumed, that 
 thofe unacquainted with the method of 
 
 education
 
 INTRODUCTION. XV11 
 
 education by which relief can be af- 
 forded, to perfons labouring under dumb- 
 nefs and ignorance, in confequence of 
 deafnefs, will gladly embrace any in- 
 formation on the fubje&. While this 
 may gratify the laudable curioiity of the 
 general inquirer, a hope may be enter- 
 tained of its being inftrumental in ac- 
 celerating the final removal of that pre- 
 judice which had fo long consigned the 
 DEAF and DUMB to the clafs of femi- 
 rationals, in the eflimation of the majority 
 of mankind. 
 
 Perfons born deaf are, in facl:, neither 
 deprefled below, nor raifed above, the 
 general fcale of human nature, as regards 
 their difpofitions and powers, either of 
 body or mind. They are human beings, 
 b individually
 
 XV111 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 individually differing from their kind, 
 only by an accidental defect: this defect 
 is not fuch as to difturb the courfe of 
 nature in the firft ftage of the growth 
 of the mental faculties, though, while 
 it operates as a bar to the acquisition of 
 language, it retards, and almoft precludes 
 their expanfion, after this itage. (See 
 page 33o.) Give them language, and 
 you, in a great meafure do away their 
 defect, and bring them on a level with 
 thofe of their age and ilation in life. 
 Thus the tendency of information on the 
 fubjed of their inftrucHon will be, gra- 
 dually, to leflen the number of blanks in 
 fociety, and to diminim the burthens of it, 
 by transforming them into efficient and 
 ufeful members. Let it be remembered 
 
 alfo,
 
 INTRODUCTION. XIX 
 
 alfo, that every member thus added is 
 individually benefited, by as much as 
 moral and intellectual exigence exceeds 
 the mere animal. The bare conjecture 
 of how many may have been loft to 
 fociety, and to themfelves, through the 
 prejudice juft mentioned, may well ex- 
 cite the molt lively emotions of com- 
 panion and regret. It may feem ftrange, 
 but it is neverthelefs very true, that 
 perfons of high clafiical and fcientific 
 attainments, do, often, exprefs aftonim- 
 ment, that any thing can poffibly be done 
 in the way of educating the Deaf and 
 Dumb. Men, in general, are too partial, 
 it mould feem, to the medium through 
 which they, themfelves, have come by 
 their mental acquirements, and too apt 
 b2 to
 
 XX INTRODUCTION. 
 
 to underrate the value of another medium. 
 Indeed, for want of due inveftigation into 
 the fources of our ideas, and the means by 
 which words have a value with us, in 
 exprefling thefe ideas, &c. we are ready 
 to think there is fomething fpiritual and 
 enlightening in the fenfe of hearing, 
 which, in truth, refides not in hearing, 
 as fuch, but in language, of which hear- 
 ing is only the inlet, with thofe who 
 poflefs it. That language may, to an 
 indefinite degree, be the objecl of another 
 fenfe, is daily proved by experience. 
 And why it is, and may be fo, I hope to 
 have made appear. For, if I have fucceed- 
 ed in my intention, the principles upon 
 which the inftru&ion of the Deaf and 
 Dumb depend, have been developed in 
 
 the
 
 INTRODUCTION. XXI 
 
 the following pages: and examples of the 
 application of thofe principles have been 
 furnifhed, iufficient to bring the fubject 
 within the comprehenfion of thofe who 
 may deem it worthy of their attention. 
 If there Ihould appear lefs of brilliancy 
 and profundity in them, than fome may 
 have been led to expect, I have no 
 other apology to offer than the nature of 
 the fubjecl:. My object was not to dazzle, 
 and to furprife, by an extraordinary dif- 
 play of inftantaneous and marvellous ef- 
 fects; but to lead the reader into a iitua- 
 tion where he might difcern how, by a 
 patient and perfevering imitation of na- 
 ture, important refults might be brought 
 about. 
 
 Brevity has been a leading point with 
 b 3 me,
 
 XX11 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 ' 
 
 me, from necelfity*; but yet I hope ob- 
 fcurity has been avoided, and nothing 
 material omitted. For this reafon, chiefly, 
 I have not thought it incumbent on me 
 to give any thing like a hiftory of the 
 difcovery and practice of the fcience of 
 teaching the Deaf and Dumb. Suffice it 
 to fay, that our learned countryman, Dr. 
 John Wallis, near a hundred and fifty 
 years ago, taught "a perfon dumb and 
 deaf to fpeak and to underftand a lan- 
 guage," (I ufe his own words, in a letter 
 to Robert Boyle, Efq.) upon principles 
 
 * Of how much importance time must be to oue 
 engaged in superintending the education of between 
 seventy and eighty deaf scholars, may safely be left to 
 the determination of the reader. 
 
 fuch
 
 INTRODUCTION. XX11J 
 
 fuch as I have endeavoured to unfold. 
 Various other perfons in this country, at 
 different periods, lince his time, have 
 made attempts of the fame fort, with 
 unequal fuccefs. But, as far as I know, 
 the late Mr. Thomas Braidwood, formerly 
 of Edinburgh, and latterly, till his death, 
 in 1 8oO, of Hackney, near London, was 
 the firfl who kept a regular academy in 
 this iiland, for the inftrudtion of the Deaf 
 and Dumb*. His method was founded 
 upon the fame principles; and his in- 
 defatigable induftry and great fuccefs, 
 would claim from me refpeftful notice, 
 
 * It was here, in the year 17&4, that my resolution 
 was finally taken, to embrace the instruction of the Deaf 
 and Dumb, as a profession. 
 
 b 4 even
 
 XXIV INTRODUCTION. 
 
 even if I could forget the ties of blood 
 and friendfhip. 
 
 When I fay that thefe, my venerable 
 predeceifors in the arduous, but yet 
 pleating, undertaking, of teaching the 
 Deaf and Dumb, taught upon the fame 
 principles which I have attempted to 
 explain, I do not, by any means, intend 
 to convey, that, in their practice, they 
 were guided by. the light of thefe princi- 
 ples embodied into a regular theory: my 
 meaning is, that their practice accorded 
 with, was explicable by, and referable 
 to, thefe principles. 
 
 The inflruction of the Deaf and Dumb 
 being no longer problematical, but re- 
 duced into regular and fuccefsful method, 
 the rich who could afford the expence, 
 
 were,
 
 INTRODUCTION. XXV 
 
 were, in general, ready to beftow an 
 education on their children. I fay, in. 
 general, for fuch was (and perhaps is, 
 though I hope it will not long continue 
 so) the force of an unreafonable appre- 
 henfion of their incapacity to learn, that 
 parents, with the belt intentions, have 
 been found ferioufly to balance, whether 
 they mould beft perform their duty to a 
 Deaf and Dumb child, by hoarding a fum 
 of money that might be applied to its 
 future maintenance, or by laying it out 
 in its education. But the exercife of this 
 art being confined to a few profeffors, 
 the poor were neceflarily, in a great 
 meafure, excluded from a participation of 
 its advantages. Their friends could not 
 defray the expence of removing them to 
 
 a great
 
 XXVI INTRODUCTION. 
 
 a great diftance from their homes, and 
 fupporting them there, even fuppoting 
 any individual could have been found, 
 (which could not be expected,) who 
 would have, gratuitoufly and exclufively, 
 devoted his time and his talents to their 
 inftruction. This ftrongly pointed out 
 the neceflity of a public inftitution for 
 the reception of fuch perfons, where the 
 expence attending their fupport and edu- 
 cation might be provided for. This was, 
 indeed, thought of, in this country, about 
 thirty years ago; and fome few inefficient 
 fteps were taken towards its accomplifli- 
 
 ment*. 
 
 It 
 
 * The late Mr. Braidwood informed me that the 
 undertaking had been mentioned to His Majesty, some- 
 thing about the period referred to, who had graciously 
 
 countenanced
 
 INTRODUCTION. XXV11 
 
 It continued to be a fubject of con- 
 verfation, and, the non-accomplihment 
 of it a matter of regret, to many who 
 had opportunities of obferving how be- 
 neficial fuch an inftitution might prove, 
 till the year 1792*, when the fociety 
 
 was 
 
 countenanced the proposition by paying into the hands 
 of a banker the sum of 1001. or guineas, as a royal 
 donation towards carrying it into effect. But here the 
 matter languished, and nothing further came of it. 
 
 * It is rather a singular and curious fact, that pre- 
 cisely about the same time several individuals, wholly 
 unknown to each other, should have been seriously 
 resolved upon attempting the formation of such a society. 
 That this was actually the case I can assert, from per. 
 sonal knowledge; and that some progress was made by 
 each, before he knew of the other's design. That they 
 all cordially united when that was known, need hardly 
 e added. 
 
 The
 
 XXV111 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 was formed, that opened the prefent 
 Afylum. Of the good that has been 
 done by it, /, perhaps, ought not to fpeak; 
 yet it would be finning againfl the moft 
 noble trait of human benevolence and 
 charity, to be lilent, when the condition 
 
 of 
 
 The Rev. John Townscnd has, however, the undis- 
 puted honour of first giving his name to the public, as 
 an active promoter of this Institution. Posterity will 
 do him justice: he still lives its active and energetic 
 pleader. He was joined, at the outset, by his friend, 
 the late Rev. Henry Cox Mason, who died rector of 
 Bermondsey, 1803. Mr. Mason's heart and soul were 
 in the undertaking from the first; but his attachment to 
 it seemed to increase, as he saw more and more of the 
 advantages it conferred, and the increasing numbers 
 that applied for admission to participate in these advan- 
 tages. The energies of his mind, and the exertions of 
 his body, were devoted to the augmentation of the list 
 of its supporters, till within a few weeks of his death ; 
 
 and,
 
 INTRODUCTION. XXIX 
 
 of fo many, otherwife hopelefs and help- 
 lefs, fellow beings, has been materially 
 ameliorated: might I not rather fay, 
 that they have been changed into a fort 
 of new beings, and elevated in the fcale 
 of exiilence ! 
 
 The hand of public charity has done in 
 
 and, to his memory much is due by every well-wisher to 
 the ASYLUM for the DEAF and DUMB. 
 
 In November, 1792, it was opened by the admission 
 of six children; the number has been gradually in- 
 creasing (some going out every year, after the first 
 four or five) to the present time, (1809,) it now 
 amounts to near seventy. But the admissions have been 
 so far from keeping pace with the applications, that 
 more than the number actually received are now on the 
 list as expectants: such is the known extent of this 
 calamity. It is difficult to form an exact calculation; 
 but there is every reason to think that it extends far 
 beyond what is known. 
 
 Britain,
 
 XXX INTRODUCTION. 
 
 Britain, what it required the munificence 
 of kings, and emperors, and the act of a 
 legislature, to do in foreign countries, 
 provided for the gratuitous education of 
 the indigent Deaf and Dumb. 
 
 On the continent of Europe we have 
 fome traces of this art being practifed 
 with fuccefs, as early as the year 1620, 
 particularly in Spain; and various pro- 
 feflbrs in different parts of the continent, 
 exercifed it at fubfequent periods. But 
 it was referved for the celebrated Abbe 
 de 1'Epee, at Paris, to fpread his fame, 
 and to draw the attention of mankind to 
 his method of teaching, in a degree far 
 furpaffing any of his predeceflbrs or co- 
 temporaries. To thofe who have read an 
 account of his method (and who has 
 
 not?
 
 INTRODUCTION. XXXI 
 
 not ? for it has been the faihion for many 
 years paft, for every traveller who has 
 vifited Paris, and favoured the world 
 with an account of that city, to fay 
 fomething on this fubjecl:) it will appear 
 that I have patted a heavy cenfure on it. 
 (Page 84.) Truth, however, is more to 
 be relpe&ed than the greateft name: I 
 muft have declared my conviction and 
 experience, even at the rifk of ftanding 
 fingly oppofed to the authority of the 
 good Abbe and his numerous admirers. 
 
 But, his fuccefibr, I 3 Abbe Sicard, in his 
 book, (Cours & Injlruttion (Tun Sourd- 
 muety a Paris, 1803,) has relieved me 
 from much of the anxiety I might other- 
 wife have felt upon this fcore. He, 
 there, among praifes almoft amounting 
 
 to
 
 XXX11 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 to wormip of his predeceffor, afks: "But, 
 why did he (De 1'Epee) not exercife his 
 fcholars in competing fentences, them- 
 felves? why did he always dictate to them 
 both the queftions and anfwers?" and 
 adds, " it was becaufe he (De TEpee) 
 thought nothing more could be required 
 of them," (than to copy what was dic- 
 tated.) "This," fays the Abbe Sicard, 
 after fome additional obfervations to the 
 fame effect, " is the anfwer to the com- 
 plaints of parents, who, feeing their 
 children, again, after their education, 
 flattered themfelves that they would be 
 able to communicate with them by writ- 
 ing; and who obtained from them, only, 
 a. yes or a. no, without thefe unfortunates 
 ever knowing how to put a fingle quef- 
 
 tion
 
 INTRODUCTION. XXX111 
 
 tion of their own accord, or anfwer by 
 more than one word to thofe put to 
 them*." In a letter, apparently confiden- 
 tially addrefled by the Abbe de 1'Epee 
 to the Abbe Sicard, his then intended 
 fucceflbr, and published by the latter, re- 
 fpecling the management of his pupils, 
 he fays, " Do not hope that they may 
 
 * Mais pourquoi n'exercoit-il passes eleves a composer 
 eux mcmcs des phrases? pourquoi leur dictoit-il toujours 
 et les questions et les reponses? C'est qu'il ne pensoit 
 pas qu'on put jamais exiger d'eux d'autre travail. (See 
 Discours Preliminaire^ page 40.) C'est ici la reponse 
 aux plaintes des parens qui revoyant leurs enfans apres 
 leur education, se fiattoient qu'ils pourroient communi- 
 quer avec eux, par ecrit, et qui n'en obtenoient qu'un 
 oui ou qu'un non, sans que jamais ces infortunes sussent 
 faire une suele question d'eux memes, ou repondre par 
 plus d'un mot a celles qu'on leur addressoit. (Ib. 41, 
 
 ever
 
 XXXIV INTRODUCTION. 
 
 ever be able to communicate their ideas 
 by writing*." If this be the true efti- 
 mate of the Abbe de 1'Epee's fyftem, it 
 can only be regarded as one of thofe un- 
 fubftantial meteors that blaze and are 
 extinct, by the glare of which man- 
 kind are often ilrangely dazzled. Of 
 his benevolence and good intention there 
 can be no queftion; but he was a man, 
 and therefore liable to error. He was, 
 moreover, a man of genius, and a meta- 
 phyfician ; and to this latter circumftance, 
 more, perhaps, than any other, if we couple 
 his enthufiafm with it, we may attribute 
 
 * N'esperez pas qu'ils puissent jamais, rendre par 
 ecrit, leurs idees. 
 
 the
 
 INTRODUCTION. XXXV 
 
 the errors of his fyftem, and the eclat it 
 obtained. 
 
 It may be expected that I mould fay 
 fomething of the Abbe Sicard's fyftem, as 
 contained in his book; but my object is 
 not criticifm, and I have not leifure for 
 analyzing a work of that extent. I mall 
 only fay, that I moil approve of it where 
 it moll differs from that of his predeceffor, 
 and leaft, of courfe, where it leaft refem- 
 bles that which all my experience, and 
 the moft mature reflection I am capable 
 of, has led me firmly to adopt. If the 
 method 1 have endeavoured to explain be 
 duly acted upon, there will be no room 
 to complain of want of fuccefs. Though it 
 will be obvious to every one who attends 
 to the fubjecl: with requiiite confideration, 
 c 2 that
 
 XXXVI INTRODUCTION. 
 
 that to fucceed, much patient and per- 
 fevering induftry, as well as judgment, 
 will be required. Let no one attempt 
 the imtruclion of the Deaf and Dumb, 
 who cannot cordially embrace the motto, 
 " Labor ipfe voluptas." The attention 
 of a teacher mould be ever on the watch 
 to feize, and as far as poffible to create, 
 fuitable occasions for the exemplification 
 of his leflbns : hence leflbns, too, muft 
 frequently be framed for the occafions 
 that prefent themfelves, ever keeping in 
 view the temper, difpofitions, and capa- 
 city of the learner. The fame examples 
 and illuftrations will by no means fuit all 
 learners; and the teacher who mould 
 depend upon fuch general inftrucftion, 
 would find himfelf miferably deceived. 
 
 I hope
 
 INTRODUCTION. XXXV11 
 
 I hope this will fufficiently explain why 
 the examples have not been carried to 
 any conliderable extent in this Ihort 
 treadle. 
 
 I have found, by experience, that one 
 deaf perfon may be employed to teach 
 another with the happieft effecT:. So 
 much fo, that when I happen to be, for 
 the moment, at a lofs to make one of 
 flow apprehenfion underfland a leflbn, I 
 turn him over to one of his fchoolfel- 
 lows, who has learnt it; and never with- 
 out advantage to both for it is really 
 true, it is true of all indeed as well as 
 of the deaf, that 
 
 u Teaching we learn, and giving we retain 
 The births of intellect 
 
 Under
 
 XIXT111 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 Under the heads, ARTICULATION, 
 WRITING, READING, and KNOWLEDGE 
 of LANGUAGE, will be found fuch a 
 view of the inftrucTion of the Deaf and 
 Dumb, as, I truft, may prove fatisfaftory 
 to thofe, who, from motives of humanity, 
 take an intereft in their condition: and 
 ufeful to thofe, who, by the ties of nature, 
 are bound to feek means for their relief. 
 r. ftfififttebeu* not};; >(' ititjj; v/oft 
 
 bnu lit|fl'ifi^l aolf o^w- 
 
 ot jXirJanvbe Stm 
 
 J 
 
 V\s> k> ^intei 1i 
 
 to 
 
 ARTICULATION.
 
 OF ARTICULATION. 
 
 .. 
 
 BEFORE I describe the means by which 
 articulation is taught to the naturally Deaf 
 and Dumb, it may be necessary to state and 
 to answer an objection that has been made 
 to the utility of it. It has been urged, that 
 their utterance is monotonous, harsh, and 
 unpleasing to the ear. This, however, is 
 far from being strictly true in every case; for, 
 where the organs of speech are perfect, and 
 the voice clear, and sufficiently strong, deaf 
 persons may be taught to speak, to read, and 
 to converse, vivd voce t in a manner not un- 
 pleasing, though, for want of the ear to re- 
 gulate the tones, there must be a peculiarity in 
 their utterance. Allowance being made for 
 this, it will be found that their speech is, in 
 
 B numerous
 
 2 INSTRUCTION OF THE 
 
 numerous instances, abundantly intelligible to 
 all who understand the tongue in which they 
 speak, even to strangers. To those who are in 
 habits of daily intercourse with them, it 
 becomes so familiar, that it fully answers the 
 leading purpose for which that gift was 
 bestowed on man the communication of his 
 thoughts. That this may not rest upon the 
 assertion of an individual, the incredulous 
 are invited to see and hear my scholars, and 
 then to judge for themselves. But, were the 
 objection valid, still I could not give up 
 articulation: for, independently of the ad- 
 vantages they derive from it, as members 
 of the community, in their intercourse with 
 their friends, or with their fellow-creatures 
 at large, they derive great and incalculable 
 benefit from it as individuals: so highly is 
 it useful, as a medium, in the attainment 
 
 of
 
 DEAF AND DUMB. 3 
 
 of an important end the acquisition of 
 language. 
 
 A profound writer* has well observed, that 
 "words may be considered in four lights: 
 
 " First, as impressions made upon the ear. 
 
 " Secondly, as the actions of the organs of 
 speech. 
 
 " Thirdly, as impressions made upon the 
 eye by characters. And, 
 
 " Fourthly, as the actions of the hand in 
 writing." 
 
 These observations are made in illustration 
 of this proposition: " Words and phrases 
 must excite ideas in us ty association; and they 
 excite ideas in us by no other means." I am 
 persuaded, that if every one who reads this, 
 
 * Hartley. 
 
 B 2 will
 
 4 INSTRUCTION OF THE 
 
 will carefully attend to the operations of his 
 own mind, it will stand in need of no further 
 illustration. 
 
 Instead, therefore, of transcribing the whole 
 of the author's elucidation, or vainly attempt- 
 ing to give a better, I shall assume it as 
 true, and draw this plain inference: the 
 more numerous the means of association, 
 the more perfect the recollection; or, in 
 other terms, the more frequent the recurrence 
 of words, and their corresponding ideas, to 
 the mind. Thus, persons who have all the 
 four means above enumerated, that is, who 
 can hear, speak, read, and write, retain a 
 discourse much better, and have far greater 
 facility in expressing themselves, than per- 
 sons possessing only two of them; that is, 
 illiterate persons who can hear and speak, 
 but who cannot read nor write. Now, as 
 
 deaf
 
 DEAF AND DUMB. 5 
 
 deaf and dumb persons, educated without 
 articulation, can only have two of the means, 
 viz. the third and fourth; that is, the im- 
 pressions made upon the eye by characters, 
 and the action of the hand in writing; can it 
 be questioned, that we render them an essen- 
 tial service by adding the actions of the 
 organs of speech; a very powerful auxiliary, 
 since by it, words become, as it were, a 
 part of ourselves, and more immediately 
 affect us? 
 
 But of this enough for the present: we 
 shall have occasion to glance at it again, when 
 speaking of communicating a knowledge of 
 language to the Deaf and Dumb. We pro- 
 ceed, therefore, to give an idea of the process 
 of teaching them articulation or speech. 
 
 The principal instruments in producing the 
 
 sounds called the powers of the letters, and 
 
 B 3 in
 
 O INSTRUCTION OF THE 
 
 in performing all speech, whatsoever, are the 
 lungs, windpipe, and larynx, the tongue, 
 the nostrils, the lips, and the various parts of 
 the mouth. 
 
 By the lungs, through the windpipe, the 
 air is drawn in, and the breath emitted, 
 which furnishes, as it were, the raw material 
 of voice or speech. Out of the various 
 collisions of this arise all the varieties of 
 sound, as well with respect to tone as to 
 articulation. But this diversity does not pro- 
 ceed from the lungs themselves; from them 
 no variation of sound proceeds, unless it be, 
 that, in proportion to the more or less forcible 
 emission of the breath, the voice is more or 
 less strong and sonorous. The lungs are, in 
 speech, what the bellows are in a musical 
 organ. The varieties of grave and sharp 
 tones have their rise, partly, in the trachea, 
 
 or
 
 DEAF AND DUMB. 7 
 
 or windpipe; for in proportion as this tube 
 is elongated or narrowed, or shortened and 
 more dilated, so are sounds more sharp or 
 grave; though the larynx (or knob that may 
 be externally felt at the upper part of the 
 throat, and is a cartilaginous and muscular 
 organ,) is the chief instrument in producing 
 all musical tones and modulations of voice. 
 In proportion as its aperture is greater or less, 
 so are the tones of the voice more or less 
 grave or acute. The articulation of words, 
 or the formation of the different letters, 
 begins after the breath has been emitted 
 through the larynx, and is performed by 
 means of the external organs of speech; that 
 is, the mouth, nostrils, tongue, teeth, and 
 lips. 
 
 B 4 OF
 
 INSTRUCTION OF THE 
 
 no! I'toqo'iq. ;: : : ol ; 
 OF THE VOWELS. 
 
 The first step is to obtain a clear and 
 distinct sound from the throat, (in a 
 voice tolerably well-pitched; for this is our 
 materia loquelce,) as, of a, in the word 
 wall, &c. To effect this, and to habituate 
 the pupil to associate the sound which he is 
 learning to form, with the figure of the 
 letter which is to be its representative, this 
 is distinctly traced upon paper, or any con- 
 Tenient tablet, and he is made to look at it 
 for a minute or two: he then, if of acute 
 intellect, will look up, with some anxiety 
 in his countenance, as if he would ask what 
 he is to do with it. The sound is then slowly 
 and fully pronounced, and the learner made 
 to observe, by his eyes, the position and 
 
 motion
 
 DEAF AND DUMB^y. j 
 
 motion of the external organs of speech, and 
 to feel the astriction of the muscles of the 
 larynx, by placing his finger upon the throat, 
 carefully making him perceive the difference 
 to be felt there, between sound and silence. 
 Having made these observations for a minute 
 or two, he will seldom hesitate to attempt 
 an imitation of what he has been observing; 
 and that, for the most part, successfully. 
 When the contrary is the case, nothing more 
 is necessary than patient and good-natured 
 perseverance; for if he perceive that his 
 failure has excited chagrin or disappointment 
 in his teacher, he will make another effort 
 with great reluctance. The sound once ac- 
 quired, must be practised sufficiently to avoid 
 any danger of losing it; for the greatest care 
 must be taken, all through his progress, 
 never to proceed to a new sound till the 
 
 /*.<- . c/ \iisii & ii. . ..-j' t *- 
 
 preceding
 
 10 INSTRUCTION OF THB 
 
 preceding has become familiar, and unat- 
 tended with doubt as to the manner of pro- 
 ducing it. A contrary practice would lead 
 to endless vexation. A principal requisite is 
 to keep the learner in good-humour, and 
 to make him think that he is doing well 
 beyond expectation: nothing is more dis- 
 couraging than to put him back. In the 
 same manner we proceed with the other 
 simple sounds, e, o, w*, one by one, till 
 they are acquired. This being accomplished, 
 we find little difficulty in the other vowels, 
 which are compounded of these: thus, f is 
 
 * W, I make to represent the yocal sound heard 
 in the word book. I am aware that it is not always 
 considered as a vowel by our grammarians; but ex. 
 perience has abundantly satisfied me of its value; and 
 the use of it will be seen more fully, when we come to 
 speak of teaching the Deaf to read. 
 
 composed
 
 DEAF AND DUMB. 11 
 
 composed of the open sound of a and the 
 long sound of e; u is composed of e and w; 
 y, when a vowel, is the same as t. 
 
 OF THE CONSONANTS. 
 
 The vowels being dispatched, we proceed 
 to the consonants, in their order, teaching 
 only the powers of them, and that, through 
 the means of sight and feeling, as in the 
 vowels; always applying the learner's finger 
 to the muscles concerned in the formation, 
 and inducing him to employ his eyes in 
 observing the form of the letter, and the 
 position and motion of the external organs 
 of speech, alternately. 
 
 By the powers of the consonants, I mean 
 the positions and actions of the several 
 organs employed in their formation, without 
 
 the
 
 12 INSTRUCTION OF THE 
 
 the addition of any distinct vocal sound: 
 for, though I shall frequently speak of sound 
 in the throat, in their formation, it is to 
 be understood as being so confined by the 
 position of the organs, as not to partake of 
 the nature of any of the sounds represented 
 by the vowels. 
 
 iirnrbe^l .fofno -jioVfl ni ,2tncno2ficn 9f!) ot 
 B. P. 
 
 By closing the lips, sounding gently in the 
 throat, forcing them asunder by the emission 
 of the breath, and carefully avoiding to let 
 any of it pass through the nose, we have 
 the power of b; after the same manner is 
 formed the power of p, but without sound 
 
 in the throat. 
 
 -. . 
 
 C. K. G. 
 
 The power of c, or what is called its hard 
 sound, is formed by raising the back part 
 
 of
 
 DEAF AND DUMB. 15 
 
 of the tongue to the roof of the mouth, 
 near the uvula, and forcing it away again 
 rather quickly, by an emission of the breath, 
 without sound in the throat. K is formed 
 in the same manner as c; so is g, with the 
 
 addition of sound in the throat. 
 
 /Ijiv/ jltf/rid orjj 1o noia?.irfi3 cmrn e ?\ t \i 
 
 D - T - shiif c (In/cm $ftt 
 The power of d is produced by placing 
 
 the tip of the tongue against the two rows 
 of teeth, which are to be quite, or nearly 
 shut, sounding in the throat, emitting the 
 breath in removing the tongue from the 
 teeth, and at the same time opening them a 
 little. T has the same formation, only with- 
 
 out sound in the throat. 
 
 oiii -11:911 jfluom silt lo 'ioo-r arlJ ot sugnot 
 
 F. V. nuoc 
 
 By placing the upper row of teeth upon the 
 under lip, and gently emitting the breath, 
 
 without
 
 14 INSTRUCTION OP THE 
 
 without sound in the throat, we have the 
 power of f. V has the same formation, with 
 the addition of sound in the throat. 
 ifonno'i ai ^ti jso'tHt. ,3ciJ ni bnyo* tuorhiw 
 
 TT 'sani 
 
 XI. 
 
 .ifioidi 3fll nt hfi.'jo?. "lo floiiitbc 
 Hy is a mere emission of the breath, with 
 
 the mouth a little open. 
 
 ilq yd ImmKvtq ai b 'lo tawoc^ aHT 
 
 :fi .JlJgmil < 
 
 I 
 
 10 -VJliup od ot OTD Hoidv/ ,fiiE c H lo 
 J, has the power of d and sA combined. 
 
 .9fli rnoil aijgftot ad) ^ui/Oifm ni du^id 
 L. 
 
 Z is formed by raising the point of the 
 tongue to the roof of the mouth, near the 
 upper teeth, sounding in the throat, and 
 suffering the breath to escape freely on each 
 side of the tongue. 
 
 M, requires
 
 DEAF AND DUMB. 15 
 
 M. 
 
 M, requires the lips to be closed, sound 
 made in the throat, and the breath suffered to 
 
 escape through the nose. 
 
 . .Jj&oidt 
 
 N. 
 
 The power of n is formed by raising and 
 pressing the tongue to the palate, with the 
 whole of its upper surface, so that no breath 
 may escape but through the nose, the lips 
 being kept open, and a gentle sound being 
 made in the throat. 
 
 Q. 
 
 For g, join k and w. 
 
 ** * I i ' i . . < / (<"ijilLlO 
 
 R. 
 
 jR is variously formed; but the surest and 
 easiest way of teaching its power, to a deaf 
 
 person,
 
 16 INSTRUCTION OF THE 
 
 person, is by elevating the fore-part of the 
 
 tongue to the palate, and, with the assistance 
 & r I orl. i nnj 
 
 of the breath, causing a vibratory motion of 
 it, accompanied with a gentle sound in the 
 throat. 
 
 S. Z. 
 
 In forming s, place the tip of the 
 tongue just below the under teeth, raise the 
 sides of it to the palate, leaving a small 
 aperture in the middle, through which the 
 breath is to be forced, without sound in 
 the throat, which will be intercepted by the 
 teeth being shut, and form the hissing sound 
 required: z requires the same position of 
 the organs, with the addition of sound in 
 the throat. 
 
 ><I* J. X. 
 X, is composed of k and *. 
 
 OF
 
 DEAF AND DUMB. 17 
 
 OF DOUBLE CONSONANTS. 
 
 Such double consonants as bl, br, cl, cr, 
 &c. require only to be run into each other, 
 without changing their proper formations. 
 
 But there are other double consonants which 
 have a power peculiar to their combined 
 state., and therefore require to be particularly 
 noticed; these are ch, sh, th, and ng. 
 
 CH. 
 Ch is composed of the powers of t and sh. 
 
 SH. 
 
 -, '-ai . 
 
 Sh has a power nearly resembling that of s, 
 and requires a position of the organs something 
 similar, except that the tip of the tongue 
 
 c must
 
 18 INSTRUCTION OF THE 
 
 must be drawn back, instead of touching the 
 gum and teeth; and the current of the breath 
 emitted, must be intercepted by the under 
 teeth, only in part, the rest must be suffered 
 to escape between the rows of teeth, which 
 must be a little opened for that purpose. 
 
 TH. 
 
 Th requires the tongue to be a little ad- 
 vanced between the two rows of teeth, and 
 the breath emitted between it and the upper 
 row, which must, nevertheless, be nearly in 
 contact with it; this will produce the sound 
 of th, as heard in the word think. It has 
 another power, requiring precisely the same 
 position of the organs, but with the addition 
 of sound in the throat, heard in the word 
 this, &c.
 
 DEAF AND DUMB. 19 
 
 NG. 
 
 Ng represents a strong nasal sound; to 
 form it the tongue is drawn back and raised 
 to the roof of the mouth, towards the uvula, 
 a sound made in the throat, and forced 
 through the nose. 
 
 It is evident that when the power of a con- 
 sonant is acquired, it needs only to be 
 combined with the vowels to form syllables; 
 as, ba, ab, &c. these the pupil pronounces 
 almost at sight, as he does also bob, and any 
 other combination of a vowel and consonant, 
 or consonants, if well grounded in the fore- 
 going formations of them. From the easiest 
 combinations, we proceed to the most com- 
 plex; and by practice acquire a readiness in 
 pronouncing the longest polysyllables. 
 
 My object has been to convey a general 
 
 idea of the process of teaching the Dumb to 
 
 ' . * c 2 speak,
 
 20 INSTRUCTION OP THE 
 
 speak, to obviate a mistaken notion, that this 
 process is attended with great pain to the 
 pupil, rather than to enable the parents or 
 friends of such persons to become their 
 instructors. This, I am doubtful, is a work 
 of too much labour and nicety to be gene- 
 rally practised. 
 
 But from what has been said it must be 
 obvious, on a little reflection, that speaking 
 is an operation depending, in a great measure, 
 upon mechanical principles: and it may not 
 be irrelevant here, nor wholly useless to 
 many who have not the misfortune to be DEAF 
 and DUMB, to make a few remarks on what 
 are usually termed 
 
 IMPEDIMENTS IN SPEECH. 
 These may, in general, without descending 
 to minutice, be divided into two classes: 
 
 STAMMERING,
 
 DEAF AND DUMB. 21 
 
 STAMMERING, and the DEFECTIVE PRONUNCIATION 
 
 OF SOME OF THE LETTERS. Th.C former pFO- 
 
 ceeds from a mental cause; the latter, fre- 
 quently, from some imperfect organization. 
 In each class there are, of course, varieties 
 and degrees. We shall, in the first place, make 
 a few observations on STAMMERING, by far the 
 most unmanageable species of impediment. 
 
 Sometimes stammering takes place only in 
 the utterance of such words as begin with 
 certain letters; in general some of the labial 
 or guttural consonants: as b, p, m, c, g, 
 &c. Some persons, on the contrary, stammer 
 in the utterance of all words, indiscriminately, 
 with whatever letter they begin, whether it 
 be vowel or consonant at certain times only: 
 as, for instance, when the speaker is placed in 
 any situation that occasions hurry, or em- 
 barrassment. 
 
 c 3 These
 
 22 INSTRUCTION OF THE 
 
 These hesitations proceed from a sudden 
 interruption, or break, in the connexion of 
 those sympathetic or linked (to use a plain 
 word) muscular motions, that perform arti- 
 culations in our ordinary discourse. This 
 disseveration is not occasioned by any defect 
 in the organs concerned in the formation of 
 the sounds, for then it would operate uni- 
 formly; but by the influence which external 
 objects, or circumstances, have on the mind. 
 Fear, shame, or any other strong internal 
 feeling, will, for the moment, produce faulter- 
 ing and hesitation in speech, even in those 
 who do not habitually stammer. Agreeably 
 to this, we find that persons of great nervous 
 irritability, and lively consciousness, are most 
 liable to stammering. This sort of impedi- 
 ment is, in fact, a bad habit, founded upon 
 this constitutional susceptibility. And in 
 
 attempting
 
 DEAF AND DUMB. 25 
 
 attempting to correct or remove stammering, 
 while every attention should be paid to such 
 means as physical and medical science will 
 point out, for the strengthening of the cor- 
 poreal system, it is of the utmost importance 
 to bring the persons afflicted with it to reason 
 -on the subject. Make them analyze and dis- 
 sect articulations, if the term may be per- 
 mitted. Let them practise the formation of 
 the component parts of words, (that is, simple 
 vocal sounds and the powers of the conso- 
 nants,) singly, and in combination, alternately, 
 till a facility, and habit, of subjecting the 
 muscles, concerned in speech, to the WILL, 
 be acquired, or regained. Impress strongly 
 on their understandings, and induce them 
 continually to keep in view, that though we 
 cannot explain how mind acts on animal fibre, 
 yet experience proves, that there exists in 
 c 4 our
 
 24 INSTRUCTION OF THE 
 
 our frame, somewhere, a power, which we 
 call WILL, whereby our muscular strength is 
 put in motion, or made quiescent: that by 
 this power we first learnt to do those things, 
 which repetition has converted into habit; 
 though we are now no longer conscious of 
 an act of the will in performing them, after 
 we have willed to set about them. This may 
 be exemplified by the acts of walking, 
 running, speaking, writing, fingering a musi- 
 cal instrument, &c. and a little consideration 
 will serve to make it understood. 
 
 It may be observed, that musical instru- 
 ments afford an apt illustration of the me- 
 chanism of speech. Instrumental music is 
 harmony of sounds produced by forces purely 
 mechanical; and speech is modulation of 
 sounds produced by similar forces; but more 
 perfect, by as much as nature exceeds art. 
 
 The
 
 DEAF AND DUMB. 25 
 
 The organs of speech are moved by 
 muscles, which, from the laws of animal 
 ceconomy, are the instruments of the will. 
 But the frequent repetition of these motions 
 so links or associates them, that they seem to 
 proceed by sympathy, or habit; and we are 
 conscious of an act of will, only at their 
 commencement. Hence, any thing that sud- 
 denly dissevers them, throws the whole into 
 disorder involuntary or convulsive muscular 
 motions take place and, instead of the habit 
 of regular and voluntary motions, succeeding 
 each other in a train, if these interruptions 
 are frequent, a habit of hesitation and stam- 
 mering is introduced. This may account for 
 the origin and progress of the first sort of 
 impediments in speech. 
 
 To counteract stammering, as. already hint- 
 ed, we must appeal to the understanding, 
 
 and
 
 26 INSTRUCTION OF THE 
 
 and endeavour to arouse the WILL into vigorous 
 and vigilant control of the muscles. When a 
 hesitation happens, let a volition or direct 
 act of this power take place: first to cease 
 muscular motion altogether, and then to 
 commence a new series. The greatest delibe- 
 ration and recollection should be used in 
 ordinary conversation; and the act of speak- 
 ing, as such, should be constantly present to the 
 mind, till the wrong habit be overcome, and 
 the right so confirmed as to leave no room to 
 apprehend a relapse. The voice should be 
 carefully pitched at that tone which nature, 
 in the individual, points out as easiest to the 
 organs, and most agreeable to the ear; and 
 by no means should a hurried pronunciation, 
 or fictitious voice, be resorted to. It should 
 be studiously, remembered, that we are ac- 
 countable to no one for the innocent and 
 
 decorous
 
 DEAF AND DUMB. 27 
 
 decorous exercise of our muscular powers 
 that over them we ourselves alone ought to 
 have control that speech, on proper occa- 
 sions, is not only an innocent and a decorous, 
 but, in the eyes of others, a necessary and an 
 agreeable exercise of our muscles. Why 
 then be thrown into perturbation and con- 
 fusion, when we are to perform an action, 
 confessedly in our power; and which others 
 have not only no right to prevent, but are 
 desirous that we should perform? If this 
 train of reasoning be fairly entered upon, 
 many other arguments will suggest themselves, 
 and must inevitably produce good. 
 
 The following directions, with variations 
 according to circumstances, will be found to 
 be attended with advantage, if duly and per- 
 severingly complied with. 
 
 In order to raise a voice, or that material of 
 
 which
 
 28 INSTRUCTION OP THE 
 
 which speech is formed, let the vowels be 
 practised in a natural key, but with firmness 
 and strength, for ten minutes or a quarter of 
 an hour, at least, every morning. Then let 
 the powers of the consonants be formed, in 
 their order, singly, and variously combined 
 with the vowels. 
 
 After a little rest, if imagination supply ^ 
 subject, by all means let an imaginary conversa- 
 tion take place for twenty minutes, half an 
 hour, or even an hour, in a firm and natural 
 tone of voice, using every effort of fancy, to 
 suppose it directed to persons indiscriminately; 
 that is, sometimes to servants, sometimes to 
 equals in age and rank, and sometimes to elders, 
 or those considered as superior in consequence 
 and rank in society, ' from whatever cause. 
 But if imagination do not furnish a topic, then 
 let the time be spent in reading, in a tone 
 
 as
 
 DEAF AND DUMB. 29 
 
 as nearly approaching to the ease of familiar 
 conversation as possible, taking care to manage 
 the fancy as above. This will furnish the les- 
 son; and after an interval of a few hours, 
 the same sort of conversation, or reading, 
 should be repeated, two or three times more 
 in the course of a day. And on mixing with 
 real auditors, every exertion should be made 
 to associate the ideas of their imaginary, with 
 their actual presence. 
 
 These directions, it will be perceived, are 
 founded upon the principle of the associa- 
 tion of ideas; than which, a more powerful 
 principle, in the formation of human habits, 
 cannot be conceived. It is a trite observa- 
 tion, that " we are the creatures of habit." 
 Nothing can be more true: and we become 
 so by the influence of this principle. To 
 overcome a bad habit is, therefore, no easy 
 
 task;
 
 SO INSTRUCTION OF THE 
 
 task; but the first step towards it is to break 
 the chain of associations by which it was 
 brought about, by introducing others of a 
 contrary tendency. What can effect this but 
 a rational system of action, carried on with 
 watchfulness and perseverance? 
 
 I think it may be laid down as an incon- 
 trovertible position, that persons possessing 
 an ordinary mental capacity, with an adequate 
 share of industry and strength, may certainly 
 overcome the habit of STAMMERING, by means 
 such as are here pointed out. 
 
 I have never known such a plan fail of 
 success, and I feel no difficulty in saying, that 
 I think it never can fail, with the possession 
 of these requisites. 
 
 THE FAULTY OR DEFECTIVE PRONUNCIATION OF 
 
 SOME OF THE LETTERS, without stammering, the 
 other class of impediments, may, in most 
 
 cases,
 
 DEAP AND DUMB. 31 
 
 cases, be corrected by due attention to the 
 requisite positions of the organs concerned in 
 the formation of articulations, unless where 
 these organs are totally defective, or very 
 imperfectly formed; and even then, much 
 may frequently be done towards removing 
 the defect in pronouncing words, by duly con- 
 sidering, what I beg leave to term, the me- 
 chanism of speech. For, by attention to this, 
 it will often be found that one part of the 
 machine (by being properly applied) will, 
 in a great measure, supply the defect of 
 another. Suppose, for the sake of example, 
 that a person had lost, or had been born with- 
 out, the uvula, such a person would turn all 
 the guttural sounds into dental or nasal; that 
 is, where c, A:, g, &c. were to be sounded, he 
 would sound t, d, or ng, for want of that stop 
 which the uvula and back part of the palate 
 
 form
 
 32 INSTRUCTION OF THE 
 
 form in guttural articulations. But teach 
 him to elevate the middle part of the tongue 
 to the roof of the mouth, instead of the tip of 
 it, or the back part of it, and he will thereby 
 be enabled to pronounce guttural articulations 
 nearly as perfectly as if he had had no such 
 defect. 
 
 It would carry me far beyond the limits I 
 have prescribed to myself in these hints, to be 
 very minute in directions here; and it is the 
 less necessary, as the formation of the powers 
 of the consonants has already been described. 
 To youth, those who mostly require such 
 directions, it will always be found, that a little 
 showing is worth a volume of written instruc- 
 tions. Yet I would recommend to persons 
 having any impediment of this sort, a close 
 attention to what has been pointed out con- 
 cerning the positions of the organs of speech, 
 
 in
 
 DEAF AND DUMB. 33 
 
 in the formation of the powers of the con- 
 sonants. 
 
 Directions concerning the tones and quan- 
 tity of the sounds represented by the vowels, 
 would belong more properly to a treatise 
 on prosody, than to a section on articula- 
 tion. Suffice it to say, that in cases where 
 the palate is defective, and these sounds con- 
 sequently apt to pass through the nose, it 
 will greatly assist in obviating this defect, 
 to keep the mouth more than usually open 
 while the person articulates. 
 
 It is always of the utmost importance to a 
 speaker to have a well toned and naturally 
 pitched voice: hence the lungs should have 
 full play the inspirations and expirations of 
 the breath should be easy and natural; and 
 that degree of muscular action exerted in the 
 vocal organs, which is requisite to give force 
 and consistency to the sounds uttered. 
 
 D OF
 
 OF WRITING. 
 
 THIS is an operation to which deafness 
 offers no impediment, and therefore nothing 
 particular is necessary to be said of the man- 
 ner of teaching it ; though it may be proper 
 to remark, that it cannot be too early taught, 
 as it does, according to the observation made 
 concerning speech, materially assist the me- 
 mory. And, therefore, the intervals of pro- 
 nouncing are employed in learning to write 
 the letters and syllables; so that speaking and 
 writing go hand in hand
 
 OF READING. 
 
 READING is either the act of pronouncing 
 at sight, or of intelligently tracing with the 
 eye, what is written or printed. Thus, a per- 
 son may rightly read, that is, accurately pro- 
 nounce a sentence or a paragraph, who has 
 not the proper ideas affixed to the combina- 
 tion of words he has uttered. Another person 
 may silently cast his eye over the same sen- 
 tence or paragraph, and perfectly compre- 
 hend the ideas it conveys. Both are said to 
 have read it; though, it is clear, under differ- 
 ent acceptations of the word. It is of reading, 
 under the former of these acceptations, that I 
 am now to speak: the other idea of it belongs 
 to another division of this subject. 
 
 Our language, from whatever cause, (and 
 D 2 the
 
 36 INSTRUCTION OF THE 
 
 the same may be observed of other modern 
 languages, ) abounds in words spelt differently 
 from the manner in which they are pro- 
 nounced. Both vowels and consonants are 
 sometimes introduced, in the orthography of 
 a word, where the proper sounds of neither 
 are heard in pronunciation: one vowel is 
 sounded like another; and the same vowel 
 has various sounds peculiar to itself. Hence it 
 should seem, that we have not a sufficient 
 number of written characters, to represent the 
 elementary sounds in our language. The 
 vowel a, for instance, may be considered as 
 representing three simple sounds: as, in the 
 words, hall, hat, hate, &c. In the rudiments 
 of articulation, the open sound of this vowel 
 was only attended to; as we advance, how- 
 ever, its other two sounds, as heard in the 
 words hat and hate, require our notice; and their 
 
 use
 
 DEAF AND DUMB. 37 
 
 use is very extensive, though it is often diffi- 
 cult to bring deaf persons to a nice distinction 
 of them. The chief nicety consists in quick 
 and slow, strong and soft, &c.; and in the 
 mouth being more or less open. To represent 
 these various sounds of this letter to the eye, 
 we mark them thus, d as in hall, d as in hat, 
 and a as in hate. 
 
 Hence we have, in a manner, two new vowels, 
 or elementary sounds, noted by distinct marks, 
 which with the others, and the powers of the 
 consonants, already described under the head 
 of ARTICULATION, give us a set of characters, 
 representing, pretty well, all the positions of 
 the organs of speech required in English 
 pronunciation; at least, with as much pre- 
 cision as deaf people can well attain. For 
 I speak not here of nicely modulated tones 
 and accents: these depend upon the ear, from 
 D 3 which,
 
 38 INSTRUCTION OF THE 
 
 which, unfortunately, they can derive no assist- 
 ance; and, consequently, such inflections of 
 the voice are out of the question. 
 
 It is foreign to my present purpose to en- 
 quire how far it might be practicable to fix a 
 mode of writing our language, that would do 
 away the difficulty arising from the difference 
 between the spelling and the pronunciation of 
 the words in it. That it would be very de- 
 sirable must be allowed; but, from the ill- 
 success of all the attempts hitherto made for 
 that purpose, it is certain many impediments 
 are in the way. 
 
 The following are examples of the use of 
 the powers of the letters, in accustoming deaf 
 people to pronounce words, where the vowels 
 or consonants do not retain their proper 
 sounds. 
 
 (Spelt
 
 DEAF AND DUMB. 
 
 (Spelt in his book, ) ( Write on a slate, or any con- 
 venient tablet, for his in- 
 spection, as pronounced.) 
 
 Ambition am 
 
 Engagement an gaj niant 
 
 Information en for ma shau 
 
 Book bvrk 
 
 Understanding an dar stan deng 
 
 Usefulness us fwl nas 
 
 The letters that lose and retain their proper 
 sounds in these examples, are evident from 
 inspection; and so of others. Deaf persons, 
 in general, require this tedious assistance 
 only in the early part of their instruction; 
 for by practice they soon acquire a readiness 
 in catching, from the mouth of their teacher, 
 the formation of words, according to the 
 elementary instructions they have received J 
 and they are almost as quickly set right in 
 their pronunciation, as those who have the 
 use of their ears. 
 
 D 4 OF
 
 40 
 
 OF COMMUNICATING 
 A KNOWLEDGE OF LANGUAGE 
 
 TO 
 
 THE NATURALLY DEAF AND DUMB. 
 
 IN order to obtain a correct notion, both 
 of the difficulties and facilities of teaching 
 language to the naturally deaf and dumb, 
 let us, for a moment, consider what language 
 is, and how it is acquired by those who hear. 
 
 We may define it, the expression of thought ; 
 that is, thought rendered cognoscible, by 
 means of impressions on the external organs 
 of sense: or, in other words, it is the medium 
 by which mental operations are transmitted 
 from mind to mind. 
 
 We shall the more readily understand this, 
 when we reflect, that all our knowledge con- 
 sists
 
 DEAF AND DUMB. 41 
 
 sists of, or is built upon, our sensations. It 
 is through the means of organic impressions, 
 that the mind obtains materials for its opera- 
 tions. It is through the power it has of re- 
 taining, associating, combining, and arranging 
 those impressions, even when the objects that 
 excited them are removed, that we are ena- 
 bled to use and comprehend language; which 
 is, in reality, nothing more than certain 
 organic impressions, (objects of the eye or 
 ear,) either naturally and universally under- 
 stood, as accompanying certain internal feel- 
 ings; or such as are agreed upon by common 
 consent, and are rendered significant by means 
 of mental associations. Hence language has, 
 not improperly, been divided into natural 
 and artificial, according as the signs of which 
 it consists are such: that is, signs which we 
 derive neither from imitation nor invention; 
 
 as
 
 42 INSTRUCTION OP THE 
 
 as, gesture, &c. and signs which we do derive 
 from these sources; as, words, articulate or 
 written. 
 
 Gesture, feature, and modulation of the 
 voice, are the natural signs of internal feel- 
 ings. These constitute a strong and uni- 
 versal language; but it is that of sentient, 
 rather than of reasoning, beings. Even brutes 
 possess it, in some measure. It expresses 
 passion, and the stronger emotions, more 
 forcibly than can be done by words, ( that is, 
 artificial language,) but it possesses not the 
 means of detail. It pourtrays the state of our 
 affections; but cannot enumerate or describe 
 the causes that produced them. It is, never- 
 theless, the foundation upon which the super- 
 structure of what is called artificial language 
 is raised: since it is, perhaps, impossible to 
 conceive, how beings destitute of natural 
 
 language
 
 DEAF AND DUMB. 43 
 
 language could invent, (if indeed it be of 
 human invention,) or even at first compre- 
 hend, artificial language, or the arbitrary signs 
 of ideas, &c. which require common consent. 
 It is clear that this consent could not be ob- 
 tained, but by a mutual understanding. There 
 must have been a medium of mental inter- 
 course; a sign to propose, on the one hand, 
 and assent, on the other, before currency could 
 be given to words, as the signs of thought, in 
 the ordinary course of human progressions. 
 
 Having thus shortly seen what language is, 
 let us, in the next place, endeavour to give 
 a brief sketch of the way in which it is 
 ordinarily learnt by those who hear: and 
 thence, by comparison, we may discover in 
 what consists the difficulty of communicating 
 it to the naturally deaf and dumb, and the 
 means of surmounting this difficulty. 
 
 Now,
 
 44 INSTRUCTION OF THE 
 
 Now, as soon as children begin to notice, as 
 it is termed; that is, as soon as the impressions 
 of external objects on their organs of sense 
 begin to be retained (that is, remembered) 
 and associated in their minds, they acquire 
 some degree of knowledge of natural lan- 
 guage. The smiles and blandishments, or 
 the frowns of the nurse, are early compre- 
 hended by them; and, by a necessary conse- 
 quence, the words that accompany those signs 
 of the countenance, are among the first in 
 the infant's vocabulary, that are distinctly un- 
 derstood. It is thus that children who hear, 
 learn the meaning of words, by the reiteration 
 of articulate sounds becoming gradually asso- 
 ciated in their memories, with the impressions 
 received from the objects to which they are 
 applied. Their faculty of imitation is next 
 voluntarily exerted in attempts to produce 
 
 those
 
 DEAF AND DUMB. 45 
 
 those sounds; that is, to speak. This effected, 
 in a partial degree, words become intimately 
 united to them, and enlarge the sphere of 
 their conceptions. By using them, at plea- 
 sure, they discover that they have not only 
 the ready means of raising images in their 
 own minds, but also in the minds of others. 
 One step of this sort leads to another, and 
 the confidence and exertion of the little 
 learners increase with their success, till they 
 can imitate almost every articulation as soon 
 as they hear it. And the pleasure of imitating 
 articulate sounds is such, from the pleasing 
 associations of its first effects, that it soon 
 gives rise to prattling loquacity, which far 
 outruns the occasions that arise in infant 
 minds for using it. Hence the order of their 
 learning a language is presently inverted: 
 instead of learning new words to express 
 
 objects
 
 46 INSTRUCTION OP THE 
 
 objects or ideas that had previously engaged 
 their notice, as was the case at first, they find 
 it necessary, now, to occupy much of their 
 attention in discovering what ideas are to be 
 annexed to the words they have acquired. A 
 few disappointments, and a little ridicule, 
 arising from the wrong application of these, af- 
 ford a salutary discipline, to keep the attention 
 awake, and to sharpen enquiry; which seldom 
 stops till a stock of significant words is obtain- 
 ed, sufficient to answer the common purposes 
 of colloquial intercourse. Thus far, by the help 
 of HEARING, a language is picked up, which 
 is called vernacular, or the mother tongue. 
 
 Then commences, in civilized communities, 
 what is more particularly termed learning, or 
 education; namely, the study of letters: 
 though, perhaps, what had already been going 
 on does not less deserve that distinction. 
 
 Here
 
 DEAF AND DUMB. 47 
 
 Here we have words presented to us as ob- 
 jects of the sense of SEEING. The first step in 
 the learner's progress, in becoming acquainted 
 with them, under this new form, is to connect, 
 in his mind, certain sounds with certain visible 
 characters. These characters, in combination, 
 constitute words; the sound of most, and the 
 meaning of many, of which are already known 
 and familiar; (I speak of the native tongue;) 
 so that the learner is embarrassed with little 
 more than remembering the combinations of 
 characters; that is, to read and spell. We 
 shall see a wide difference in the case of those 
 who have the heavy misfortune to be born, 
 deaf, or to lose their hearing in early infancy. 
 Though, happy it is for them that artificial 
 language (that is, words considered as the 
 arbitrary signs of the objects of our ideas, or 
 of our ideas themselves) is the object of 
 
 the
 
 48 INSTRUCTION OP THE 
 
 the sense of SEEING, as well as it is of that of 
 
 HEARING. 
 
 These two senses are distinguished above 
 the other three, by the approximation of 
 their functions to mental, rather than to 
 corporeal perceptions. It is true, that like 
 the senses of feeling, tasting, and smelling, 
 they are acted upon by corporeal, external 
 stimuli; but the former differ from the latter 
 thus remarkably, that we have no direct con- 
 sciousness of the impressions made upon 
 them, otherwise than by the information 
 which the mind receives. This leads me to 
 remark, that the five external senses, as they 
 are called, naturally arrange themselves into 
 two distinct classes, corresponding, and essen- 
 tial, to the two parts of which we conceive 
 our frame to consist: namely, BODY and SOUL. 
 The senses, without which the body would 
 
 be
 
 DEAF AND DUMB. 49 
 
 be lifeless, are feeling, tasting, and smelling: 
 the two last are, perhaps, only modifications 
 of the first. Without hearing, or seeing, the 
 mind must remain a blank; and hence the 
 superior importance of each of these two 
 senses to men, as rational beings. 
 
 It is not foreign to the present subject, to 
 
 
 
 glance at the comparative importance of these 
 two most important avenues to the mind. 
 Were the point to be determined by the 
 value of the direct sensations transmitted to 
 the sensorium, through each of them, merely 
 as direct sensations, there could not be 
 any ground for a moment's hesitation in 
 pronouncing the almost infinite superiority 
 of the eye to the ear. For, what is the sum of 
 the information we derive from the ear, as 
 direct sensation? It is sound. Sound, indeed, 
 admits of incalculable variety; but strip it of 
 
 E the
 
 50 INSTRUCTION OF THE 
 
 the value it derives from arbitrary associa- 
 tions, and it is still but a titillation of the 
 organ of sense, painful or pleasureable, ac- 
 cording as it is shrill, soft, rough, discordant, 
 or harmonious, &c. Should one, on the con- 
 trary, attempt to set forth the sum of the in- 
 formation we derive from the eye, even as direct 
 
 
 
 sensation, that is, visible impressions, it is so im- 
 mense, that volumes would not contain a full 
 description of it : so precious, that no words 
 short of those we apply to the mind itself, can 
 adequately express its value. Indeed, all 
 languages bear witness to this, by figurative 
 ly adopting visible imagery, to signify the 
 highest operations of intellect. Expunge 
 such imagery from any language, and what 
 will be left! What, in this case, must be- 
 come of the most admired productions of 
 human genius! Whence, then, it may be 
 
 asked,
 
 DEAF AND D<JMB. 51 
 
 asked, (as it often has been,) does it arise, that 
 those born blind have such superiority of in- 
 telligence, over those born deaf? 
 
 Take, it might be said, a boy nine or 
 ten years of age, who has never seen the 
 light, and you will find him conversable, and 
 ready to give long narratives of past oc- 
 currences, &c. Place by his side a boy of 
 the same age, who has had the misfortune to 
 be born deaf, and observe the contrast. The 
 latter is insensible to all you say : he smiles, 
 perhaps, and his countenance is brightened 
 by the beams of "holy light*;" he enjoys 
 the face of nature, nay, reads with attention 
 your features; and, by sympathy, reflects your 
 smile or your frown. But he remains mute: 
 
 * Milton. 
 
 E2 he
 
 5 INSTRUCTION OF THE 
 
 he gives no account of past experience or 
 future hopes. You attempt to draw some- 
 thing of this sort from him: he tries to un- 
 derstand, and to make himself understood; but 
 he cannot. He becomes embarrassed you 
 feel for him, and turn away from a scene so 
 trying, under an impression, that, of these 
 two children of misfortune, the comparison 
 is greatly in favour of the blind, who appears, 
 by his language, to enter into all your feel- 
 ings and conceptions, while the unfortunate 
 deaf mute can hardly be regarded as a rational 
 being, yet he possesses all the advantages of 
 visual information, as direct sensation. All 
 this is true. But the cause of this apparent 
 superiority of intelligence in the blind, is 
 seldom properly understood. It is not ' that 
 those who are blind possess a greater, or any 
 thing like an equal stock, of materials for 
 
 mental
 
 DEAF AND DUMB. 53 
 
 mental operations; that is, sensations, as -we 
 have already seen. No, but they possess 
 an invaluable engine for forwarding those 
 operations, however scanty the materials to 
 operate upon artificial language. Language 
 we have defined to be the expression of 
 thought; so it is, but it is, moreover, when 
 refined and methodized, the medium of think- 
 ing. Its value to man is nearly equivalent to 
 that of his reasoning faculties: without it he 
 would hardly be rational. 
 
 It is the want of language, and not the want 
 of hearing, (unless as being the cause of the 
 want of language,) that occasions that de- 
 ficiency of intelligence, or inexpansion of 
 the reasoning faculty, so observable in the 
 naturally deaf and dumb. Give them but 
 language, by which they may designate, 
 classify, compare, and consequently remem- 
 s 3 ber,
 
 54 INSTRUCTION OF THE 
 
 ber, excite, and express their sensations and 
 ideas, then they must surpass the originally 
 and permanently blind, in intellectual per- 
 spicuity, and correctness of comprehension, 
 (as far as having actual ideas affixed to words 
 and phrases, is concerned, ) by as much as the 
 sense of seeing furnishes matter for mental 
 operations, beyond the sense of hearing, con- 
 sidered as direct sensation. It is one thing 
 to have a fluency of words, and quite another 
 to have correct notions, or precise ideas, 
 annexed to them. 
 
 But though the ear furnishes us only with 
 the sensation of sound; and sound, merely 
 as such, can stand no comparison with the 
 multiform, delightful, and important inform- 
 ation derived from visual impressions; yet, 
 as sound admits of such astonishing variety, 
 (above all when articulated,) and is associable 
 
 at
 
 0EAP AND DUMB. 55 
 
 at pleasure^ in the mind, with our other sen- 
 sations, and with our ideas; it becomes the 
 independent and ready exponent, or nomen- 
 clature, of thought: and, in this view, is 
 important indeed. It is on this account, 
 chiefly, that the want of hearing is to be 
 deplored, as a melancholy chasm in the human 
 frame. 
 
 A question has been frequently agitated, 
 and very frequently dogmatically decided in 
 the negative, whether speech be natural to 
 man ? This is not the place to enter largely 
 into the consideration of it; but I cannot 
 avoid remarking, that, perhaps, much disputa- 
 tion and argument might be spared, by 
 coming to a precise agreement on what is 
 to be understood by the term natural. If by 
 speech being natural to man, it be meant that 
 he necessarily speaks, as he eats, sleeps, &c. 
 4 k
 
 56 
 
 it certainly is not so. Yet I should suppose this 
 to be the meaning annexed to the term, by 
 those who cite the Dumbness of persons born 
 deaf, or who lose their hearing in early 
 infancy, in proof of the negative they give 
 to the question, as has been done by a 
 voluminous writer* on the origin and pro- 
 gress of language. Otherwise, how could it 
 be expected that they should speak, that is, 
 produce articulations in imitation of those 
 #hich were never heard by them, nor any 
 other way made perceptible to them. 
 
 The words of Horace f, " mutum et turpe 
 pecus," when speaking of the first men, have 
 been quoted as an authority on the same side. 
 But they can hardly be considered as of any 
 
 * Lord Monboddo. t Hor. Sat. Lib. i. 
 
 weight
 
 DEAF AND DUMB. 57 
 
 weight in deciding the question. As a poet, 
 he was at liberty to sport his fancy: and, in- 
 deed, he seems to have troubled himself no 
 further about the matter, for he presently 
 after tells us, that they found out words, 
 names, &c. 
 
 " Donee verba, quibus voces sensusque notarent, 
 
 Nominaque invenere ." 
 
 
 
 3vni hi nii eilj 
 
 If, on the contrary, by speech being natural 
 
 to man, it be only meant, that he is fitted by 
 the constitution of his frame, and intended by 
 his All-wise Creator, to be an animal speaking 
 (sponte sud) voluntarily, I know not how the 
 question can be negatived. Let us consider 
 but for a moment the functions of the ear, 
 and attend to the construction of the organs 
 of speech^ so nicely adapted to the production 
 
 of
 
 58 INSTRUCTION OF THE 
 
 of a variety of sounds, and then say, if we can, 
 that the wisdom which so accurately adjusted 
 means to an end so important, had no end in 
 view. 
 
 Understanding the term natural in this 
 sense, does not, in my mind, imply any 
 thing like one universal articulate language. 
 To suppose this, would be assuming that man 
 is otherwise constituted than we find him. 
 
 
 
 His imitative and inventive faculties were be- 
 stowed in vain, if he had nothing to imitate 
 or to invent. It only implies the universality 
 of some sort of speech in human society ; that 
 is to say, when the powers bestowed upon us by 
 our Creator, are brought into the situations 
 and circumstances where, we may be per- 
 mitted to conjecture, they were intended to 
 act, and for which they were given, they 
 answer the end he intended. Which, indeed, 
 
 is
 
 DEAF AND DUMB, 59 
 
 is saying nothing more than that infinite 
 wisdom could not err. 
 
 Speech, by the definition of it, viz. articu- 
 late sounds, deriving significance from associa- 
 tion, with the impressions received from ex- 
 ternal objects, or with our ideas, must be 
 indefinitely various, as these are. This variety 
 applies, not only to the words in any one 
 language, but to the number of languages 
 that prevail among mankind; and may satisfy 
 us how any particular language changes with 
 the manners, taste, advancement, or deteriora- 
 tion in science, &c. of a nation, or race of 
 men. 
 
 With respect to the origin of language, 
 (speech) even if we had not the authority of 
 Moses for considering it as the immediate 
 
 fl ;;? ' ": : r j r .'< r f' ' : . J')'i;T/ f 
 
 gift of God to his creature, man, reason 
 would, I think, certainly lead us to conclude 
 
 that
 
 1 
 
 60 INSTRUCTION Of TfiE 
 
 that it was so. Indeed it must be allowed to 
 be His gift, whether we regard it as resulting 
 from the exercise of human faculties, which 
 He bestowed, called into action by the occa- 
 sions for which he framed them; or whether 
 we should conclude, (and surely the con- 
 clusion is not less consonant to reason than 
 to Scripture,) that he who formed human 
 machinery with such exquisite wisdom, would 
 give effect to his creation by putting the 
 machine in motion*. 
 
 Articulate sounds (by which I always mean 
 
 * Though Mr. Home Tooke says, u Non dignus 
 vindice nodus. God having furnished man with senses, 
 and with organs of articulation; as He has also with 
 water, lime and sand; it should seem no more necessary 
 to form the words for man, than to temper the mortar." 
 Diversions of Purley, Vol. I. p. 36, Note. 
 
 words
 
 DEAF AMD DUMB. 61 
 
 words or sounds produced by the organs of 
 speech) rendered significant by the association 
 of ideas, are of such importance and extensive 
 use, that is no wonder, if, at first view, it 
 should appear to us, that human beings who 
 are incapable of hearing, using, or compre- 
 hending them, must be irretrievably lost to 
 social intercourse. ' Such, indeed, must have 
 been the condition of the naturally deaf and 
 dumb, if the kindness of Providence had not 
 so ordered it, that the sense of seeing, in ad- 
 dition to the many advantages we derive from 
 it, should be susceptible of having some of 
 its impressions, insignificant in themselves, 
 arbitrarily associated in the mind, with other 
 impressions, ideas, &c., in the same manner 
 as articulate sounds are, by which these, also, 
 are capable of becoming the signs of thought. 
 Thus the eye, an important organ to us 
 
 all,
 
 62 INSTRUCTION OF THE 
 
 all, is rendered infinitely so to the DEAF. 
 I cannot resist the opportunity this remark 
 affords me, to express a wish that my ex- 
 perience had enabled me to confirm a remark, 
 as common as it is silly, " that where nature 
 takes away one sense, she supplies the next 
 to it, in importance, in greater perfection." 
 It may be readily allowed that the blind, who 
 are left to depend so much upon the ear, 
 and the deaf who depend upon the eye, for 
 information, have their attention more imme- 
 diately rivetted upon the perceptions through 
 these organs; and this may have given rise to 
 the above remark. But so far is it from 
 being true, that the eye, as an organ, is 
 stronger, or less liable to disease, in deaf per- 
 sons than in others, that I believe, at least, 
 an equal number of weak and imperfect 
 sights will be found among a hundred deaf 
 
 children.
 
 DEAF AND DUMB. 63 
 
 children, as among the same number of those 
 whose hearing is perfect, taken promiscuously 
 from the same classes of society. Indeed, 
 there is too much reason to fear, when deaf- 
 ness is the consequence of any known disease, 
 that the eye often partakes, partially, of the 
 injury. 
 
 Whether any instance has ever occurred, of 
 a case so melancholy, as that of one of our 
 species being born deaf and blind, I am unable 
 to say*. I would gladly hope that the case is 
 
 of 
 
 * Since the above was written, I have read in the 
 obituary of the Gentleman's Magazine for Nov. 1808, 
 page 1041, the following statement: "Hannah Lamb, 
 of Burleigh Street, Strand, aged nine years, bora deaf, 
 dumb, and blind. She had been put to bed about nine 
 o'clock at night; and her mother went up to the work, 
 shop, to speak to the father, who is an ivory and metal 
 
 turner;
 
 64 INSTRUCTION OP THE 
 
 of rare occurrence may it ever continue so! 
 For should it unhappily occur, what could be 
 done for the subject of it, but supply cor- 
 poreal 
 
 turner; and on her return she found the child burnt in 
 a dreadful manner, having left the bed to sit by the fire, 
 where, it is supposed, a lighted cinder fell upon her 
 garment, and set it on flames, of which her unhappy 
 situation prevented her alarming any one, and ob- 
 taining assistance. After languishing four hours, she 
 expired!!" 
 
 I am sorry to have to add another melancholy 
 instance. Mr. Astley Cooper lately mentioned to me 
 the case of a boy born deaf and blind, in which he was 
 professionally consulted: the anxious parent of this 
 little unfortunate had brought him to London, from the 
 northern parts of our island, to seek chirurgical aid; but 
 alas ! after obtaining the opinions of men at the very 
 summit of the profession, he returned without relief! I 
 requested the particulars, and Mr. Cooper obligingly 
 communicated the following, which will be read with 
 
 interest. 
 
 "My
 
 DEAF AND DUMB. 65 
 
 poreal sustenance ! ! I am aware that the 
 Abbe 7 De 1'Epee, always ingenious and humane, 
 had offered to undertake the instruction of 
 
 such 
 
 My Dear Sir, 
 
 The boy whom I mentioned to you, as 
 haying been born deaf, and blind from congenital 
 cataracts, was brought to my house by Mr. Saunders, 
 oculist. When he was led into my parlour, he put 
 his hands to the wall, and felt around the room until he 
 met with a chair, on which he placed himself. A key 
 was given to him, with which he immediately began 
 to strike his teeth, and from which beseemed to derive 
 great satisfaction. In lieu of the key a piece of wood 
 was put into his hand he struck his teeth two or 
 three times with it, and threw it from him with a 
 whining noise, and with frequent lateral motion of the 
 body, expressive of uneasiness and disappointment; but 
 upon a key being again presented to him, he beat his 
 teeth with great apparent pleasure, and seemed to wish 
 to continue the gratification for a length of time. 
 
 F I wf ot$
 
 66 INSTRUCTION OF THE 
 
 such children of deprivation, upon the suppo- 
 sition that the touch might be employed as a 
 
 medium 
 
 I wrote to Mr. Saunders for further particulars, 
 and he gave me the following account: 
 
 " The lad's name is Mitchell, son of the Rev. James 
 Mitchell, of Ardclach, Inverness. His age, I think r 
 about ten years, very strong, and apparently healthy. 
 He was tractable, and his father and friends managed 
 him very easily; for after being gently patted on the 
 head, he would readily submit to their direction and 
 guidance, for the accomplishment of any ordinary 
 purpose. 
 
 " As soon as he came into the room, he walked 
 around it and traversed it, feeling every article of 
 furniture. He had the custom of feeling every one, 
 and of running his hands up and down their limbs, as 
 if to judge of their stature. If any thing pleased him, 
 he patted his stomach, as if that organ had, in the course 
 of his existence, given him most pleasure, and he in- 
 stinctively referred to it for the expression of delight. 
 His principal amusement consisted in hammering his 
 
 teeth
 
 DEAF AND DUMB. 67 
 
 medium of mental communication and im- 
 provement. But, I must acknowledge, I can 
 
 teeth with some elastic substance, as a key, and was 
 yery angry when checked by the substitution of some 
 other substance incapable of vibration. When I at- 
 tempted the operation for the cataract, his friends lost 
 their power of managing him ; but when liberated from 
 the restraint necessary on that occasion, he was equally 
 tractable as before, and seemed perfectly free from 
 sulkiness. He would not, however, suffer me to ap. 
 proach him afterwards, without great difficulty, possibly 
 distinguishing me by the nose." 
 I am, 
 
 Yours, very truly, 
 
 ASTLEY COOPER. 
 DR. WATSON, 
 Asylum for the Deaf and Dumb. 
 
 This valuable communication but confirms my pre. 
 viously conceived opinion, of the blank ftate of the 
 mind, where both these essential avenues to it, the EYE 
 and EAK, are closed. 
 
 F 2
 
 08 INSTRUCTION OF THE 
 
 form no notion of the practicability of this, 
 to any extent that might be termed rational, 
 without admitting the exploded hypothesis of 
 innate ideas. Every friend of humanity will 
 rejoice that, though we are informed the 
 good Abbe* made his offer known through the 
 public journals of his time, it does not appear 
 he ever had an opportunity of attempting 
 to reduce his theory to practice. 
 
 These considerations ought strongly to 
 influence all who have the management of 
 the deaf and dumb: they decisively prove, 
 how necessary it is to use every human pre- 
 caution to strengthen and preserve their sight. 
 They prove, also, how imperiously parents 
 who have the misfortune to have a child in 
 
 this situation, are called upon to procure for 
 
 
 
 it, as early as possible, that education of the 
 EYE, if I may use the expression, which will 
 
 enable
 
 69 
 
 nable it to derive all the advantages that may 
 be obtained through this extensive source of 
 intelligence. LANGUAGE being once acquired, 
 should disease or age impair the sight, mental 
 intercourse might still be kept up with a deaf 
 person, through the sense of feeling, by 
 means of the manual alphabet and other con- 
 trivances. 
 
 It has occurred to me, that it would be 
 well worth the attention of the Hind to 
 acquire and retain such an alphabet, in case 
 of any accidental loss of hearing. This hint 
 may, perhaps, meet the eye of some who have 
 an interest in the condition of those who 
 labour under this grievous natural defect; and 
 if it should be the means of averting, even in 
 a single instance, that exclusion from social 
 intercourse, which might otherwise accompany 
 the still more deplorable calamity of a double 
 F 3 defect,
 
 70 INSTRUCTION OF THE 
 
 defect, it will have answered a valuable pur- 
 pose. But this is rather a digression. 
 
 We have seen that, by the help of hearing, 
 a language is readily, and almost imperceptibly 
 acquired, at an early age, (generally about 
 four or five years,) which is sufficient to 
 answer the common purposes of colloquial 
 intercourse. It may be further remarked, as 
 it may have escaped the notice of many, (for 
 we are too apt to think loosely on common 
 occurrences, ) that, by the possession of this 
 language, a human being derives a wonderful 
 accession of strength, (that is, influence,) 
 even in this early stage of its existence: the 
 want of it necessarily implies proportionate 
 weakness, or want of influence. 
 
 By a few easy movements of the organs 
 of speech, ideas may be excited in the minds 
 of others, that will call forth their most active 
 
 * and
 
 DEAF AND DUMB. 71 
 
 and effective efforts to gratify the wishes, 
 assist the weakness, or supply the necessities, 
 of the speaker. 
 
 We come now to take a nearer view of the 
 condition of a child naturally deaf, and con- 
 sequently dumb. 
 
 The first five or six months of his existence 
 is not distinguished by any perceptible de- 
 ficiency: he is not less attentive to the smiles 
 and visible caresses of his parent or nurse, than 
 another child would be; but when that period 
 arrives, at which words usually begin to make 
 some impression, and a few responsive sylla- 
 bles, of the most obvious formation, begin to 
 gratify a parent's ear, he remains mute, and 
 insensible to the most moving accents. Still 
 hope finds a thousand excuses; and, though 
 doubts and fears may arise, yet are they re- 
 luctantly entertained in the parental breast, 
 P 4 till
 
 72 INSTRUCTION OF THI 
 
 till time has slipt away with a year or two of 
 infancy; and then it is gradually discovered, 
 that when a want is to be made known, or an 
 approval or aversion expressed, it is done by 
 a motion of the hand, head, or countenance. 
 In place of the loquacious and engaging 
 prattle usual at his age, with him there is 
 silence, or only inarticulate sound. At times 
 he is pensive and cheerless, no doubt feeling 
 the disappointments necessarily, frequently, 
 resulting from incapacity to make himself 
 fully understood by those about him, who, 
 possessing a more perfect medium of mental 
 intercourse, are too apt to be inattentive to 
 the signs and gestures of the little MUTE. 
 Discouraged by his frequent fruitless attempts 
 to make himself understood and to under- 
 stand ought we to wonder, if the temper of 
 a deaf and dumb person should be soured, 
 
 if
 
 DEAF AND DUMB. 73 
 
 if he should be rendered little communicative 
 of the few ideas furnished by his own observa- 
 tion., and still less inquisitive about the ideas 
 furnished by the observation of others! But, 
 here, I must acknowledge my incapacity to do 
 justice to the picture that might be drawn of 
 a thinking being growing up in the bosom of 
 society without a vehicle for his thoughts. 
 However I may lament my want of words to 
 express all I feel on this subject, the reader 
 will have reason to rejoice that his sensibility 
 has been spared. Rather, therefore, than pur- 
 sue a theme so affecting, let us turn our eyes 
 to a more cheering prospect THE MEANS OF 
 
 OBVIATING THE GRIEVOUS CONSEQUENCES OF BEING 
 BORN DEAF. 
 
 The great facilitating causes of acquiring 
 vernacular speech by those who hear, are 
 reiteration of the application of articulate 
 
 sounds
 
 74 INSTRUCTION OF THE 
 
 sounds, or words, and voluntary exertion of 
 the imitative faculty. 
 
 Want of hearing precludes the former, and 
 by consequence the latter, in the case of the 
 naturally deaf. As far, then, as regards arti- 
 ficial language, they have no facility of 
 acquiring it, in common with those who hear, 
 till we come to that period when what is 
 called education, or the study of letters, be- 
 gins. Then it is, as already observed, that 
 words are presented to us as objects of the 
 EYE: and through that benevolent dispensa- 
 tion of Providence above alluded to, which 
 renders them capable of being so, alone it is, 
 that we are enabled to teach the DEAF to 
 understand and use a language. 
 
 We have said that a child who hears, in be- 
 coming acquainted with words, as objects of 
 vision, has only to connect certain sounds with a 
 
 few
 
 DEAF AND DUMB. 75 
 
 few visible characters; which characters, in com- 
 bination, constitute words, the sounds of most 
 of which, need but to be heard, to be recog- 
 nised, together with the signification of many 
 of them. The deaf learner has a much more 
 tedious route to pursue. To him these charac- 
 ters, and the words composed of them, are all 
 equally unknown and unintelligible. Being 
 altogether new to him, as to their use and 
 application, in order to bring him acquainted 
 with them, we must proceed by the most 
 obvious and simple methods, depending upon 
 what has been termed natural language, (ges- 
 ture, feature, &c. modified and arranged ac- 
 cording to the ability and fancy of the 
 learner, ) instead of the mother tongue, for a 
 medium of communication. 
 
 Having had no other means of making 
 known his wants or inclinations, or of know- 
 ing
 
 76 INSTRUCTION OF THE 
 
 ing the things intended for his information, 
 by others, his attention has naturally been 
 turned to the interpretation of visible appear- 
 ances. The least alteration of the counte- 
 nance, a slight motion of the hand or head, 
 will be understood by him, if it does but 
 indicate, in a natural manner, approbation, 
 disapprobation, &c. Thus, when any person, 
 thing, or action, is beheld with a bright or 
 smiling countenance, he immediately inter- 
 prets approval. The reverse, if he discovers 
 the countenance darkened by a frown, while 
 the eyes are directed to any object. Do you 
 require him to approach you make the sign 
 of the hand drawn towards you: to go from 
 you reverse the sign, and he instantly obeys. 
 Do you require him to eat, imperatively, 
 put your hand to your mouth, making the 
 jaws to move as in the act of mastication, 
 
 keeping
 
 DEAF AND DUMB. 77 
 
 keeping the countenance intense and steady; 
 he will comprehend and obey, or he will 
 refuse by a significant sign. Suppose you wish 
 to put the question, whether he be inclined 
 to eat, you need only make the same signs 
 of the hand and mouth, and instead of the 
 stern steadiness of command on the counte- 
 nance, let it bear an indication of enquiry. By 
 the same signs, with an appearance of anxiety 
 and kind concern on the countenance, you 
 may intreat him to eat: and so on of other 
 things; such as drinking, sleeping, walking, 
 running, &c. but the signs necessary on 
 such occasions are so obvious, that they 
 need not be particularized. 
 
 It is in this simple manner, that two or 
 more deaf and dumb persons are enabled to 
 hold instant converse with each other, though 
 brought together, for the first time, from the 
 
 most
 
 78 INSTRUCTION OF THE 
 
 most distant parts. Thus far, these signs may be 
 termed natural; but the naturally deaf do not 
 always stop here with this language of pan- 
 tomime. Where they are fortunate enough 
 to meet with an attentive companion, or two, 
 especially where two or more deaf persons hap- 
 pen to be brought up together, it is astonishing 
 
 what approaches they will make towards the 
 
 
 construction of an artificial language. I mean, 
 
 that by an arbitrary sign, fixed by common con- 
 sent, or accidentally hit upon, they will desig- 
 nate a person or a thing, and only that person 
 or thing, by that sign ; which, from hencefor- 
 ward, is used by them as a proper name. It is 
 remarkable that, although in the first instances 
 of inventing and applying these sign-names, 
 (if I may call them so,) they are generally 
 guided by some prominent, but, perhaps, by 
 no means permanently distinguishing, mark, 
 
 such
 
 DEAF AND DUMB. 79 
 
 such as, (in the case of a person,) a particular 
 article of dress being worn, the first time of 
 becoming acquainted an accidental wound, 
 though it leave no scar a peculiarity of 
 manner, &c. yet, after having fixed, they 
 never vary, notwithstanding the distinction 
 that guided their choice, should have long 
 ceased to be observable about the person of 
 the individual to be designated. Nor will 
 they fix upon the same sign for another of 
 their acquaintance, though, at the time of first 
 meeting him, he might have the same mark of 
 distinction about him, which they had used to 
 specify a former person. This fully proves, 
 that they regard the sign, merely, as a proper 
 name; and they receive it as such, from one 
 another, without enquiry as to its origin : 
 I have very frequent opportunities of ob- 
 serving this. 
 
 But
 
 80 INSTRUCTION OF THE 
 
 But an example will, perhaps, be requisite, 
 to make it clear, to those unacquainted with 
 the manner of these interesting, but unfor- 
 tunate fellow-beings. Suppose a person, the 
 first time he should be particularly taken 
 notice of by one who is deaf and dumb, had 
 accidentally cut his face, and wore a patch: it 
 is a hundred to one, that that would, from 
 henceforward, be his distinguishing mark, 
 unless some one else of the deaf person's ac- 
 quaintance had already been so distinguished. 
 The wound might be cured, and the patch 
 removed; but the deaf person would uniformly 
 put the end of his finger to the part of the 
 person's face where the patch had been worn, 
 when he wanted to point him out. And, lest 
 those to whom he might be desirous of after- 
 wards communicating something concerning 
 (his person, should not comprehend him, he 
 
 will
 
 DEAF AND DUMB. 81 
 
 will not fail to introduce him to them, by 
 repeatedly pointing to him, and then to the 
 mark by which he means to describe him, till 
 he thinks he has sufficiently engaged their 
 attention. By similar contrivances, places and 
 things, as well as persons, nay, even qualities 
 and circumstances, are distinguished by the 
 deaf, in an astonishing manner. To attempt 
 a description of those signs, in words, would 
 be endless, because they are various, as the 
 circumstances and fancies of their inventors. 
 
 Yet, being grafted on the parent stock of 
 natural and universal signs, they may, in some 
 measure, be regarded as different dialects of 
 the same language. Hence every one, who 
 would undertake the arduous task of success- 
 fully teaching the deaf and dumb, should 
 closely turn his attention to the study of that 
 language termed natural, where it consists 
 G of
 
 82 INSTRUCTION OF THE 
 
 of gesture and feature, in order to enable 
 him to comprehend,, as far as possible, the 
 signs of his scholars: which, at first, each, 
 more or less, differ from one another, as they 
 more or less resemble those signs universally 
 to be understood. 
 
 Of how much importance it is to a teacher 
 of the deaf and dumb to understand their 
 signs, will readily be apprehended, if any one 
 will attempt, either to teach or to learn a 
 language, without having another, common 
 to master and scholar. As if, for instance, an 
 Englishman, understanding no language but 
 his own, should attempt to teach it to a 
 German, or vice versa. But, never let any 
 thing so chimerical be thought of as an 
 attempt to turn master to the deaf and dumb, 
 in the art of signing. Whatever others may 
 say, I own, I have always found it best to be- 
 come,
 
 DEAF AND DUMB. 83 
 
 come, in some measure, a learner, instead of 
 teacher, of this mode of expression. 
 
 What should we expect from an European 
 who should undertake to teach his own regular, 
 copious, and polished language, to a South-Sea 
 Islander, who was henceforward to live among 
 Europeans, and whose scanty vocabulary ex- 
 tended only to a very few words, barely suf- 
 ficient to enable him to express, in a rude 
 manner, what was required by the uniformity 
 of his condition, and his paucity of thoughts? 
 Should we suspect that the teacher would set 
 about new modelling, methodizing, and en- 
 larging this rude and imperfect language, as 
 the readiest method to make the islander ac- 
 quainted with the European tongue; espe- 
 cially, though this new-modelled language, 
 were the thing practicable, which I apprehend 
 few will contend for, could be of use but to 
 G 2 these
 
 84 INSTRUCTION OF 
 
 these two persons? Does this supposition 
 appear ridiculous; how much more fanciful, 
 and useless, is an attempt to methodize signs, 
 for the instruction of the Deaf and Dumb! 
 Would it not be a more natural and rational 
 mode of procedure, for the teacher to begin 
 by watching the objects and occasions to 
 which his scholar applied the words of his 
 barbarous speech; that, by knowing these, he 
 might gradually substitute the words of the 
 language to be taught; using the former, 
 only as an introduction to the latter? 
 
 This is the sort of use I make of signs, their 
 rude language, in teaching the deaf: for it 
 should never be lost sight of, that deaf people 
 are not educated to live always among per- 
 sons in their own unfortunate situation. Were 
 this the case, indeed, an artificial language of 
 methodized signs, (gestures, motions, &c. of 
 
 the
 
 DEAF AND DUMB. 85 
 
 the body or limbs,) might be of important 
 use. But, as they are intended to mix with 
 their fellow beings, in social habits and neces- 
 sary avocations, we have to open a channel 
 to this intercourse. And it cannot be done, so 
 effectually by any other means, as by teaching 
 them the language of the country where they 
 reside. Our first step, in accomplishing 
 this, is teaching articulation, in the manner 
 already described. I have, under that head, 
 insisted on the importance of this step, to- 
 wards the acquisition of language. I must 
 here further remark, that in learning the let- 
 ters, as there pointed out, a very important 
 operation is going on in the mind of a deaf 
 person: I mean the association, in the memory 
 and understanding, of the figures of written 
 or printed characters, with certain movements 
 or actions of the organs of speech. The very 
 G 3 habit
 
 86 INSTRUCTION OF THE 
 
 habit of regarding the one as the representa- 
 tive of the other, paves the way for consider- 
 ing combinations of those actions, or charac- 
 ters, as the signs of things, or of ideas; that is, 
 significant words, written or articulate. We, 
 who hear, consider words chiefly as sounds; 
 the deaf, who have learnt to speak, consider 
 them rather as actions proceeding from them- 
 selves. And this gives language, to them, a sort 
 of tangible property, which is of vast impor- 
 tance, both as respects its retention in the 
 memory, and as respects one of its important 
 uses the excitation of ideas in their own 
 minds. On this account the time, the labour, 
 and attention, necessary to acquire articulate 
 speech, by those who are dumb, through want 
 of hearing, would be well bestowed, even if 
 their speech were not intelligible to others. 
 
 But
 
 DEAF AND DUMB. 87 
 
 But this is not the case; and, therefore, we 
 have an additional motive for its cultivation. 
 
 I could mention many facts illustrative 
 of these observations; but, as I rather wish, 
 that the incredulous should be convinced, 
 by their own experience, where it can be 
 easily attained, than by my reasoning, or 
 by facts of my adducing, their candid ex- 
 amination of persons who have been taught 
 is, therefore, invited. One fact, however, I 
 may be excused for mentioning; more espe- 
 cially, as it cannot be discovered but by those 
 who have lengthened opportunities of observa- 
 tion. It is this: deaf persons, having learnt to 
 speak, are frequently overheard, speaking soft- 
 ly to themselves; that is, rehearsing words, or 
 sentences, either for the purpose of better re- 
 membering them, or of framing such expres- 
 sions as they think will best convey their ideas. 
 G 4 The
 
 88 INSTRUCTION OF THE 
 
 The power of pronouncing syllables being 
 acquired, we proceed to words; of which, of 
 course, we chuse the easiest to be understood: 
 
 for, as it is not solely, nor even principally, 
 want of knowing how to read these, that 
 forms an obstruction to our progress, we are 
 less solicitous about the number of syllables 
 they contain, than about their meaning being 
 obvious. Of all the words of a language, the 
 names of the objects that surround us admit 
 of the most direct application, and they most 
 naturally present themselves to begin with. 
 To give names was the first exercise of 
 human speech: "And out of the ground the 
 Lord God formed every beast of the field, and 
 fowl of the air, and brought them unto Adam, 
 to see what he would call them. And Adam 
 GAVE NAMES to all cattle, and to the fowl of 
 the air, and to every beast of the field." 
 
 We
 
 DEAF AND DUMB. 89 
 
 We therefore show a word, by which some 
 familiarobject is called: as, body, head, face, &c. 
 and the scholar is made to copy it, on his 
 slate, and is taught to pronounce it; he is 
 then shown the object named, and made to 
 point to it, while he pronounces the name, 
 till he remembers the connexion between the 
 name and the thing, sufficiently to point out 
 the object when shown the name; or to pro- 
 nounce and write the name, when shown the 
 object. From the parts of the body, we pro- 
 ceed to the covering of it, and learn the 
 names of the articles of dress, in the same 
 manner. We then learn the names of the 
 next most familiar objects; such as articles of 
 furniture, chair, table, &c. (See the Vocabu- 
 lary,) always taking care to make perfect as 
 we go on, and frequently going over all we 
 have learnt, till every word becomes familiar in 
 its articulation, orthography, and meaning. 
 
 Repetition
 
 90 INSTRUCTION Of THE 
 
 Repetition is the grand means of impressing 
 the memory; and is the more necessary in 
 the lessons of the deaf and dumb; as the 
 principal barrier to the acquisition of lan- 
 guage, by them, consists in their having few 
 means of reviewing words and phrases, but by 
 direct instruction, or set study. 
 
 Hitherto all is very easy: the objects, of 
 which we have been learning the names, are 
 within our reach, and about us in our apart- 
 ment. Yet the advancement we have made 
 is not to be regarded as of small consequence; 
 though it be only to name such objects as 
 have been mentioned. We have learnt the 
 important lesson, that words mean something. 
 A considerable point is gained, when the 
 learner has acquired a habit (limited as it may 
 be) of associating the sign, in his memory, 
 with the thing signified. 
 
 But
 
 DEAF AND ^>UMB. 91 
 
 But we are not always confined to our 
 apartment, and, we can hardly take a step 
 beyond its threshold, till we meet with some- 
 thing that we know very well by sight, but 
 cannot name. We cannot remove it to our 
 apartment, to learn its name there; nor can 
 we very conveniently carry our writing tablets 
 with us, on all occasions. 
 
 Here another art, that speaks to the eye, 
 comes to our aid; and the tool of the engraver, 
 by furnishing us, in small compass, with the 
 lines that bound the visual appearances of 
 objects, in perspective order, enables us to 
 keep their resemblances at hand. Our fancy 
 can supply the properties that manifest them- 
 selves to our other senses; or rather, we are 
 enabled to read picture-language by that 
 wonderful mechanism of our frame, by which 
 our sensations become so blended and linked 
 
 together.
 
 92 INSTRUCTION OF THE 
 
 together, in the seat of thought, that, no 
 sooner does one sense give notice of the 
 presence of an object, than all that we knew 
 of it, through the other senses, is present in 
 our ideas: hence, well-executed pictures are 
 mistaken for the things they represent, till 
 brought to the test by the actual application 
 of the organ of touch: hence, in truth, the 
 practicability of artifical language. 
 
 To have correct ideas affixed to words, is of 
 importance to all; it is peculiarly so to the deaf 
 and dumb. And therefore, it greatly facilitates 
 our progress to have, at hand, engraved re- 
 presentations of the things of which we are 
 learning the names. Indeed, in my progress 
 of teaching, it early struck me, that a vocabu- 
 lary, upon the plan recommended by Mr. 
 Locke, would be of great utility, and shorten 
 the labour, both of teacher and learner; that 
 
 * 
 
 ISj 

 
 DEAF AND DUMB. 93 
 
 is, a vocabulary of those words, standing for 
 things which are known and distinguished by 
 their outward shapes, accompanied by draughts 
 and prints*. 
 
 Nothing, however, of this sort, being ex- 
 tant, at all calculated for the deaf and dumb, 
 I endeavoured, for some years, to supply the 
 place of it, by making collections of as many 
 cheap prints and cuts of the objects most re- 
 quired to be named by them, as could be met 
 with in the shops in London. But these ill 
 answered the purpose. Want of arrange- 
 ment, repetition, and consequent confusion, 
 and inconvenient bulk, rendered them unfit 
 for general reference, especially to children. 
 
 At length, therefore, I resolved to have a 
 
 * Essay concerning Human Understanding, Book iii. 
 
 Chap. xi. Sect 25. 
 
 set
 
 Q4 INSTRUCTION OF THE 
 
 set of plates engraved, representing the ob- 
 jects, as far as could easily be done, named in 
 the annexed list of substantives, which I have 
 long used as part of a sort of classed vocabu- 
 lary; designedly embracing only the names 
 of objects most generally met with, and com- 
 monly known; leaving it to the attention and 
 curiosity of the learner to augment the list, 
 under the respective heads, according as his 
 opportunities enable him. It is sufficiently 
 copious to answer the purpose intended by 
 it, to give a habit of naming, and to enable 
 the young scholar to express the objects 
 which are the subjects of his desire, aversion, 
 necessity, &c. The first time of going 
 through it, we disregard the heads or generic 
 names: but the next time we take particular 
 care to attend to these, and their relations to 
 individual or specific names. 
 
 To
 
 DEAF AND DUMB. 
 
 To attain a habit of NAMING, is a most im- 
 portant step in the progress of learning a 
 language by the Deaf. Grammarians will 
 excuse me, if I consider all the parts of speech 
 as names. When we call a thing or being by 
 a name, (as mountain, man, &c. ) the word we 
 employ, is by Grammarians called a noun 
 (wo//,, nomen, nom] or substantive; but we 
 have many other perceptions concerning it, 
 which we must designate by words, that is, 
 we must name them: is, stands, walks, high, 
 low, large, tall, well, ill, far, near, from, to, 
 slowly, quickly, &c. are no less names of per- 
 ceptions, than tree, animal, &c. 
 
 The mother tongue is no where learnt with 
 any reference to grammatical divisions and 
 arrangements. Perceptions are named as they 
 arise, and the names applied to them are (as 
 we have seen) gradually retained and under^ 
 
 stood
 
 96 INSTRUCTION OP THE 
 
 stood by the infant learner. A more refined 
 and metaphysical mode of procedure might, 
 perhaps, be thought to shorten the labour, 
 where the work is taken in hand as a science. 
 But we can seldom advantageously deviate 
 from the path of nature. Nevertheless, where 
 she has placed a barrier in the way of the 
 improvement and moral advancement of any 
 of her children, we may fairly use all the 
 means she has put into our hands, for its 
 removal: the final cause of such impedi- 
 ments being, we may suppose, the exertion 
 of those means. Human ingenuity, and 
 human benevolence, are enlarged by exertion ; 
 and such is their nature, that the agent is sure 
 to be benefited equally with, if not in a su- 
 perior degree, to the recipient. We may, there- 
 fore, be permitted to employ such manage- 
 ment and previous arrangement as will bring 
 
 our
 
 DEAF AND DUMB. 9/ 
 
 -our learners into such situations and circum- 
 stances as will best enable them to receive the 
 assistance we can afford them. With this 
 proviso, I have no hesitation in saying, that 
 naming perceptions, as they arise, without 
 regard to metaphysical or grammatical dis- 
 tinctions, is the only sure and direct road to 
 the acquisition of a language, by those who 
 have only the natural language of gesture and 
 feature to assist them in acquiring it. For, 
 let it be strictly borne in mind, that the 
 analogy between the naturally DEAF, and those 
 who hear, learning a language, holds only with 
 respect to the first language, or mother 
 tongue. There can be very little in common 
 to them, in the learning of a foreign or dead 
 language, by the latter: for in this case, the 
 mother tongue always serves to explain the 
 .terms of the language to be acquired; an 
 H advantage
 
 98 INSTRUCTION OP THE 
 
 advantage of which the deaf and dumb are 
 totally deprived. And yet, if we compare 
 the progress they make, with that generally 
 made by young scholars, in what are termed 
 the learned languages, in the same length of 
 time, we shall, for the most part, I think, 
 have reason to draw a conclusion in favour 
 of the mode of following nature in teaching a 
 language. It should not, however, be for- 
 gotten, that, fairly to estimate the attainments 
 of a deaf scholar, he should rather be com- 
 pared (though under very disadvantageous 
 circumstances) to a child of an age equal to 
 the length of time he has been under tuition, 
 than to a youth, having all his faculties, who 
 has been as long at school. 
 
 While proceeding through the vocabulary of 
 substantives, in order to give variety to the 
 lessons, we learn the pronouns, personal and 
 
 demonstrative,
 
 DEAF AND DUMB. 99 
 
 demonstrative, &c. at suitable intervals; always 
 attending to the pronunciation, and making 
 the learner write the words with his own 
 hand. Then the verbs, to be, to have, and 
 the other auxiliaries, are learnt to be varied 
 according to their persons, joined to nomina- 
 cases: as, / am, he has, &c. The meaning of 
 all these is learnt by application in examples. 
 When he says /, he points to himself; when 
 he says you, he points to the person teaching 
 him; he, to a third person, &c. Nothing is 
 more obvious to the eye than number, as a 
 property of things; we therefore early learn 
 to count, one, two, three, &c. 
 
 These preliminaries settled, we proceed to 
 the construction of short sentences, without 
 learning the rules of syntax ! Thus, for instance, 
 we may say: this is my pen; that is your pen; 
 that is his pen; these are our pens, &c, "I have 
 
 H 2 one
 
 100 INSTBUCTION OP THE 
 
 one body." "I have two hands/' &c. showing the 
 meaning, by pointing out the objects and their 
 relations already perceived by, and familiar to, 
 the learner, though he could not express 
 them. For practice, he is taught to change 
 the substantive, till he can himself give ex- 
 amples, and rightly apply all the words in 
 such sentences; which, in general, he is not 
 a little proud to do. When the pen writes 
 well, my, your, &c. pen is good. When it 
 does not write well my pen is lad. 
 
 It will readily occur to the reader how to 
 exemplify " to write well," quickly, slowly, &c. 
 and to vary the verb, accompanied by the ad- 
 verbs, with different nominative cases: as, /, 
 you, Tie, they; Thomas, John, &c. &c. By 
 such sentences as the following, we can show 
 the meaning of the words called prepositions: 
 "I write with a pen." "I hold my pen in 
 
 my
 
 DEAF AND DUMB. 101 
 
 my hand." "I lay the pen on the table." 
 "I put the pen into the inkstand, to take ink." 
 " My book is before me." " I sit at the table." 
 "John sits next to me." " The door is behind 
 me." Just in a similar way, by example and 
 application, we can show the meaning of the 
 conjunctions, copulative or disjunctive, as 
 grammarians call them. Thus: "John and 
 Thomas," is John joined with Thomas, in an 
 action or series: " John and Thomas write."-^- 
 "John or Thomas," is, John, not Thomas: 
 Thomas, wo^John: "John or Thomas writes: 
 [ do not know which of them." 
 
 I might multiply examples indefinitely in 
 the application of each of the parts of speech; 
 but though I might thus fill many pages, I 
 must still leave out many thousands of ex- 
 amples, equally illustrative as those I insert. 
 The principle being understood, the applica- 
 nt 3 tion
 
 INSTRUCTION OF THE 
 
 tion is easy. I am not here writing lessons 
 for the deaf and dumb; but endeavouring to 
 give an idea of the process of teaching them. 
 In all cases, examples should be furnished to 
 the learner, till the effect intended be pro- 
 duced; that is, till it appears, by examples 
 given by himself, that he rightly applies the 
 word intended to be illustrated. 
 
 I wish it to be understood, that these exer- 
 cises are introduced as reliefs to the less 
 amusing, but, in the first instance, more im- 
 portant, business of learning the vocabulary. 
 
 In addition to the list of substantives above 
 referred to, we have a selection* of verbs 
 
 and 
 
 * The principle that guided in forming this selection, 
 was the words that compose it being capable of having 
 their meaning shown by an obvious sign ; that is, 
 
 motion
 
 DEAP AND DUMB. 103 
 
 and adjectives, which are learnt and committed 
 to memory along with it. 
 
 The first year of a learner's time at school, 
 is necessarily taken up in becoming acquaint- 
 ed with the pronunciation, orthography, and 
 meaning, of this vocabulary; and with such 
 occasional exercises as will most obviously 
 exemplify the application and meaning of 
 
 motion or gesture, &c. Should it appear to me, that 
 the public are benefited by the publication of the sub- 
 stantives accompanied with plates, and that they could 
 be further benefited by the publication of this selection 
 of adjectives and verbs, they will all be printed together 
 on some future occasion. But, though I speak of 
 publishing a selection of words that admit of explana- 
 tion by signs, it will not be expected, I trust, by any 
 one who has read what I have said on that subject, 
 that I should accompany this selection with a de- 
 scription of those signs. 
 
 H 4 the
 
 104 INSTRUCTION OF THE 
 
 the connecting parts of speech. And where the 
 capacity is good, great progress is usually 
 made in these particulars, during this period. 
 He is then prepared for longer exercises, and 
 for the application of the words he has learnt, 
 in the construction of longer sentences; to 
 which he, of course, requires to be led on by 
 easy and familiar examples. A sort of col- 
 loquy, or dialogue, must be entered into with 
 him. The questions, at first, must be all on 
 the teacher's part, and the answers must be 
 formed for the learner, in the most obvious 
 words and phrases that will convey his ideas, 
 in strict conformity to which, they must con- 
 stantly be framed. How his ideas may be 
 comprehended by his teacher, will require no 
 explanation here, if what has been said above, 
 respecting the natural language of the deaf 
 and dumb, be recollected Due attention 
 
 being
 
 DEAF AND DUMB. 105 
 
 being paid by learner and teacher, the good 
 effects of this method -will presently appear. 
 The latter will soon be agreeably surprised, 
 by his scholar changing parts with him, and 
 becoming, in his turn, the interrogator; and 
 that too, in a way that will show he practically 
 understands analogy. 
 
 Certain stated periods (as once or twice 
 in a week) must be set apart for the repeti- 
 tion of words already learnt, taking care to 
 see minutely, that correct ideas be annexed to 
 each. When the whole of the words in the 
 selection (substantives, verbs, and adjectives) 
 have been gone through several times, and 
 the learner can correctly spell, speak, and 
 point them out, (if the names of things en- 
 graved, ) or show their signification by his signs, 
 (if the names of actions or qualities, &c.) 
 
 then
 
 106 INSTRUCTION OF THE 
 
 then he is to enter upon a work altogether 
 new to him, as yet. He is to go over his 
 vocabulary again, and to learn a short defini- 
 tion of each word; that is, to tell the meaning 
 of words by words. I give him this employ- 
 ment, not because I think he will better 
 understand the words in his vocabulary, by 
 being taught to define them; but because it 
 affords an opportunity of enlarging it, by 
 the introduction of synonymous words, and 
 words that are derived in some way from 
 those we are defining. And these new words 
 enable us to explain others. So that, by 
 this means, and by our colloquial exercises, 
 our vocabulary is daily and almost impercept- 
 ibly enlarging. This is strictly analagous to 
 the manner of acquiring a first language by 
 those who hear. 
 
 The conjugation of verbs is to be carefully 
 
 attended
 
 DEAF AND DUMB. 107 
 
 attended to; and one example, at least, 
 through all the modes, tenses, and persons, 
 should, now, be performed every morning, till 
 the pupil can write any person, of any mode 
 or tense required. This is of great use, by 
 habituating him to the inflections of these 
 words, and their agreement with nominative 
 cases. It may be asked, how we are to make 
 him understand the meaning of mode and 
 tense? Were we obliged to do this by meta- 
 physical definitions, such as grammarians have 
 furnished us with, we should find it a hard 
 task. The simple method of induction, or 
 learning by example, relieves us from this 
 difficulty, 
 
 " Mode, or Mood," say grammarians, " is 
 the manner of using the verb." Some reckon 
 more, and some fewer; and they denominate 
 them variously. I need not stop to enquire 
 
 which
 
 108 INSTRUCTION OF THE 
 
 which is the most philosophical and just 
 enumeration. Whether they should be called 
 infinitive, indicative, imperative, and poten- 
 tial, after our common Latin and English 
 grammars ; or, whether they should be called 
 declarative, interrogative, precative, &c. It 
 is sufficient that we do use the verb under 
 every mode that others use it; and we under- 
 stand what we do, perfectly. For, showing the 
 action of walking, running, eating, &c, &c. 
 we say, , what is that to do ? The answer 
 is, that is to walk, &c. without considering 
 who walks, or when the walking is performed. 
 We follow our common grammars, and call 
 this the infinitive mood. We say, / walk, J 
 do walk, 1 am walking, &c. (pointing each 
 to himself, we do so;) you walk, &c. (point- 
 ing each to the other while we walk,) &c. 
 through all the persons: this we call the 
 
 indicative
 
 DBA! 1 AND DUMB. 109 
 
 indicative mood affirmatively. We ask the 
 question, in the manner already described, 
 (page 77.) "Walk I? Do I walk? Ami 
 walking?" &c. of the other persons; this we 
 call the indicative mood intewogatively. With 
 a negative we deny the act: " I walk wot, (show- 
 ing rest in a place,) / do not walk," &c. this 
 we call the indicative mood negatively. " Walk, 
 or, ivalk not," with the action, and an in- 
 tensity of countenance, commands or for- 
 bids: with a variation in the countenance, 
 as above observed, it also entreats: this we 
 call the imperative mood, or way of using 
 the verb. The auxiliary verbs, may, can, 
 would, could, should, &c. by which, what is 
 called the potential mood, in English, is 
 formed, being each significant words, must 
 be explained by examples. " I may walk," (if I 
 please,) no person or thing preventing: I am 
 
 not
 
 110 INSTRUCTION OF THE 
 
 not held, &c. (show, by signs.) " I can walk:" 
 I have legs and feet and am not lame, (show, 
 by signs:) and thus of the others. I hope 
 this may suffice, concerning moods: we must 
 now say something of tenses. 
 
 The stated revolutions of the " great orb 
 of day," which have served mankind, in all 
 ages, to measure and mark duration, have not 
 been unobserved by the deaf and dumb. 
 They have been accustomed to make the sign 
 of sleeping, one, two, or more, nights; or, of 
 enduring one, two, or more, cold or hot 
 seasons, (that is, summers or winters,) and 
 pointing forward to mark futurity: (meaning, 
 one day, two days, one year, two years, &c. 
 to come. ) The same sign, pointing behind, 
 has served them to mark time past : the pre- 
 sent, they have distinguished by pointing 
 
 directly
 
 DEAP AND DUMB. 1 1 1 
 
 directly upwards, and describing the light or 
 darkness that surrounds them. We have, 
 therefore, only to teach them the names of 
 the visible appearances which they have already 
 observed: day, when it is light; night, when 
 it is dark; Sunday, when we go to church; 
 (to signify this, a deaf person will put himself 
 in a devotional attitude;) Monday, one day 
 more than Sunday; Tuesday, two days more, 
 &c. In short, we teach them the names of the 
 days of the week, and other divisions of time, 
 downwards to seconds, and upwards to centu- 
 ries. It is almost needless to say, that they 
 must be daily exercised in these things, for 
 some considerable time. This is Sunday, 
 yesterday was Saturday, to-morrow will be 
 Monday; I am well to-day, I was ill yesterday, 
 I hope I shall be well to-morrow: and such 
 like sentences, introducing the adverbs, now, 
 
 lately,
 
 112 INSTRUCTION OF THE 
 
 lately, before, since, after, &c. must form 
 frequent exercises. Always taking care to 
 seize upon occurrences that have most par- 
 ticularly attracted the notice of the learner. 
 Examples to be understood by him, in this 
 stage of his progress, must not be hypotheti- 
 cal, but according to the truth of things, that 
 come under his notice. 
 
 Having acquired the notion of time, and 
 learnt the names of its divisions, our scholar 
 cannot be at a loss to understand the present, 
 the past, and the future tenses of a verb. 
 And this is all the distinction we impose 
 upon his memory, for the present. If his 
 capacity is good, (which we all along sup- 
 pose,) he has felt the imperfection of his 
 signs to convey his ideas, in respect to the 
 time of the performance of an action, or hap- 
 pening of an event, &c. more than, perhaps, 
 
 in
 
 DEAF AND DUMB 113 
 
 in any other respect whatever. How glad 
 would he often have been, to have been able 
 to explain to those about him, what one of 
 his age, having a knowledge of language, 
 would have expressed readily, in sentences 
 like these: "I felt pain (some time past) from 
 confinement;" &c. " I feel happy (now) to be 
 released: I will not offend again (in time to 
 come) that I may not be confined." " I did 
 not know the danger of eating that fruit, (or) 
 I would not have eaten it, (but,) I will remem- 
 ber it (and) will avoid it. These are short 
 sentences; but they convey details which the 
 rude signs of an uninstructed deaf and dumb 
 person could not convey, with precision, to 
 any one, much less to those, who, having had 
 no occasion to use this imperfect mode of ex- 
 pression, had made it no study. He, there- 
 fore, embraces, with avidity, helps to the un- 
 
 i folding
 
 114 INSTRUCTION OF THE 
 
 folding of thought; which are no sooner pre- 
 sented, in an intelligible point of view, than 
 felt to be suited to his necessity. Such are 
 the inflections, and (in o*ur language) the 
 words that mark the tenses of verbs. 
 
 We have said that, with a certain proviso, 
 our mode of communicating language, to the 
 deaf and dumb, is by teaching them to name 
 perceptions as they arise. The sensible pro- 
 perties of objects, of course, had early a share 
 of our attention: a white lily, a red rose, a 
 green field, a tall tree, &c. could not be long 
 unobserved nor unexpressed. These proper- 
 ties (qualities or adjectives) vary in degree: 
 one rose, &c. is simply white, another whiter, 
 a third is the whitest of the three. In order 
 to make the comparison of adjectives familiar, 
 we have only to bring together the objects 
 in which the qualities exist, and to name our 
 
 perceptions.
 
 DEAF AND DUMB. 115 
 
 perceptions. There are internal perceptions, 
 as well as external, if I may be allowed the 
 distinction, of qualities, that also require to be 
 named and compared: "the boy who labours 
 to improve himself, and acquires much know- 
 ledge, ( many, and long lessons, ) is wise. He 
 who is idle and playful, and fails to acquire 
 knowledge, is foolish, is ignorant," &c. "The 
 pen that writes well is good: the boy that 
 obeys his master, and learns his lessons, is 
 good." " The pen that does not write well, is 
 bad: the boy that disobeys his master, and 
 neglects to learn his task, is bad." Here it is 
 obvious, that wise, foolish, good, bad, are 
 names of internal or mental perceptions, and 
 admit of degrees of comparison just as readily 
 as white, tall, &c. which are names of sensible 
 qualities. 
 
 Having applied the term white to a lily, to 
 i 2 paper,
 
 116 INSTRUCTION OF THE 
 
 paper, to linen, to a horse, &c. we must be 
 prepared to understand the word, 'whiteness; 
 and in the same manner we are enabled to 
 annex just ideas to wisdom, folly, prudence, 
 justice, goodness, truth, &c. 
 
 Should any one question whether the natu- 
 rally deaf and dumb can be brought to affix 
 the proper ideas to these terms, let him ex- 
 amine how he himself became possessed of 
 the ideas, he affixes to them. And if he finds 
 that he acquired them in any other way than 
 by observing what is true, good, just, prudent, 
 foolish, wise, &c. I will allow him to doubt 
 whether the deaf and dumb can acquire 
 them. 
 
 By this time, probably about the third year 
 of the learner's progress, supposing in him 
 the requisite attention and capacity, it will be 
 proper and necessary to begin the reading of 
 
 printed
 
 DEAF AND DUMB. 117 
 
 printed books,, for the sake of profiting by 
 the information they contain. As far as the 
 mere act of reading is concerned, we have 
 no new difficulty to surmount, for, all our 
 exercises and lessons have, in fact, been read 
 as well as written by the learner. The dif- 
 ference between printed characters, and those 
 used in writing, has, of course, not been un- 
 observed. What constitutes the chief impedi- 
 ment to making sense of what is met with in 
 books, is the promiscuous use of words, with- 
 out regard to our selections. What is to be 
 done when we meet with a word which we 
 have never seen before ? Precisely that which 
 is done with all children, under similar cir- 
 cumstances; explain it, by the substitution of 
 a word of which the meaning is known, if it 
 can be done; if not, pass it over till a favour- 
 able opportunity shall occur to show its 
 j 3 meaning,
 
 118 INSTRUCTION OF THE 
 
 meaning, by an example. If no such op- 
 portunity ever occur, then can the meaning 
 of that word be of no great moment to the 
 learner. 
 
 To discover the progress he has made, and 
 is daily making, and to assist him in the com- 
 position of sentences, (the expression of his 
 thoughts in writing,) he is now required, 
 every day, to furnish a certain number of 
 lines, according to his capacity, from his own 
 ideas. He is at liberty to chuse his subject: 
 he may relate what he has seen in his walk, in 
 his play-ground, or, he may unfold the stores 
 of his memory, relative to more distant places 
 and periods. He may ask questions, &c. 
 His rude essays at expression are often curious, 
 and require some skill in the language of 
 pantomime to discover their meaning, by 
 his own explanations. This attained, it is put 
 
 into
 
 DEAF AND DUMB. 110 
 
 into correct, but easy language: he commits 
 it to his memory, thus corrected: and goes to 
 work again, at his leisure hour, in the evening, 
 for next day, generally profiting considerably 
 by the alterations it was necessary to make 
 in his preceding essay. 
 
 We have now a channel of communication 
 opened: and the knowledge of the meaning 
 of words, and their use in the construction of 
 sentences, which we have already acquired, 
 may be carried to almost any given degree of 
 perfection and extension. I most earnestly 
 wish to impress this observation on the minds 
 of all who are in any way connected with the 
 deaf and dumb. Could the relatives and at- 
 tendants of the rich, and the masters and 
 companions of the poor, be sufficiently per- 
 suaded of the truth of it, they would find all 
 the additional trouble they might occasion- 
 1 4 ally
 
 120 INSTRUCTION OF THE 
 
 ally have, in conversing with these most 
 interesting fellow beings, amply repaid, by 
 their increased intelligence, and usefulness in 
 society. I say, the trouble they might occa- 
 sionally have; for, to hold conversation with 
 even the most intelligent deaf person, must 
 require more pains than to converse with one 
 who can hear articulations. A deaf person 
 must have our conversation made perceptible 
 to his eye, or obvious to his touch, before he 
 can comprehend it. 
 
 It is truly astonishing, and would hardly be 
 credited by any one who had not seen it, how 
 readily deaf persons, who have themselves 
 been taught to speak, catch words, and even 
 long sentences, from the mouths of those 
 who address them. Yet, in this sort of con- 
 versation, it is indispensable that the speech 
 should be immediately directed to the spec- 
 tator.,
 
 DEAF AND DUMB. 121 
 
 tator, (we must not call him auditor,} who 
 must have an opportunity of observing every 
 motion of the muscles, (as far as these can be 
 seen externally,) and countenance, in order 
 to make out the discourse. On this account, 
 it is impossible for a deaf person to under- 
 stand the conversation of a mixed company, 
 a discourse from the pulpit, or harangue to 
 an assembly, where the speaker does not im- 
 mediately address him. 
 
 The manual alphabet is another help to a 
 ready communication with deaf persons, who 
 have been taught the use of language: it has 
 the advantage of being intelligible to the 
 touch as well as to the sight, and, consequently, 
 may be used in the dark. I give no descrip- 
 tion of it here, because it may be variously 
 formed, according to agreement between the 
 parties using it. But I subjoin a plate re- 
 presenting
 
 122 INSTRUCTION OF THE 
 
 presenting that which we use. Any intelli- 
 gent person may learn it in ten or fifteen 
 minutes: and educated deaf people soon teach 
 it to those they have occasion to converse 
 with. 
 
 Writing, though a more tedious mode of 
 discoursing, than either of the preceding, is 
 yet frequently necessary. It is the least liable 
 to be misapprehended, and should, therefore, 
 always be resorted to, where great precision 
 and accuracy are required, in communications 
 made to the deaf. 
 
 Frequent conversation and intercourse, by 
 the words of the language he has learnt, is of 
 the very utmost importance to a deaf person, 
 (especially if he should happen to have little 
 leisure or inclination for reading,) as the 
 means of extending his knowledge of lan- 
 guage, and of enlarging his conception of 
 
 things;
 
 DEAF AND DUMB. 123 
 
 things; and as the means of retaining what he 
 has acquired. Every one will readily per- 
 ceive this, who considers how easily a foreign, 
 or dead, language is lost, for want of reading, 
 writing, or speaking, in it. 
 
 I think it unnecessary particularly to en- 
 large upon what branches of useful know- 
 ledge the deaf may acquire, besides language, 
 or upon the method of instructing them in 
 these. We have called language, the medium 
 through which mental operations are trans- 
 mitted from mind to mind. Science consists 
 of mental operations; hence, by enabling the 
 naturally deaf and dumb to comprehend a 
 language, we open a passage through which 
 science can as readily be introduced into their 
 minds, (as far as language is understood,) as 
 into the minds of others: and it will thrive 
 and flourish there, in proportion to the apti^- 
 
 tude
 
 124 INSTRUCTION OP THE 
 
 tude it meets with for its reception, as in the 
 rest of mankind. Were I to enumerate all 
 they can learn, I must run over almost the 
 whole circle of the arts and sciences; I 
 will, therefore, content myself with stating 
 what they positively cannot learn Music and 
 ORATORY. 
 
 In the manner we proceed in teaching a 
 language to them, we pay all possible atten- 
 tion, with it, to give them a knowledge of 
 things. The occasions that present them- 
 selves to us, for the exemplification of the 
 use of words, which we are constantly on the 
 watch to seize, do, often, at the same time, 
 present us with opportunities for conveying 
 to their minds the leading principles of those 
 sciences most interesting to mankind. The 
 natural properties of bodies, on our earth, 
 animate and inanimate, their kinds, habits, &c. 
 
 the
 
 DEAF AND DUMB. 125 
 
 the use of numbers the situations and dis- 
 tances of places the motions and known uses 
 of the heavenly bodies the notation of time 
 the nature of right and wrong, applied to 
 human actions, affections, and passions; their 
 merit, demerit; and the reasonableness of re- 
 ward, or punishment, as a necessary conse- 
 quence the superintendance of an Intelli- 
 gence, whose wisdom, power, goodness, and 
 greatness exceed all comparison, and com- 
 prehension; His love of right, His abhorrence 
 of wrong; our accountableness to Him; 
 our too frequent ingratitude and offences, 
 notwithstanding our obligations and finally, 
 the means of our reconciliation, and the hope 
 thereby afforded us of endless and exalted 
 felicity. These, I say, as occasions arose, have 
 all, in their turns, been subjects of exemplifi- 
 cation, in the progress of teaching a language 
 
 to
 
 126 INSTRUCTION OF THE 
 
 to the deaf. When they are able to read, and 
 derive information from books, (with the as- 
 sistance of a master,) it follows, that these 
 should be used as aids to the attainment of 
 that information which is most important; be- 
 ginning, of course, with elementary treatises, 
 and extending their attention to others, as 
 circumstances admit. Our scholars arrived at 
 this point, we may consider them as taking 
 rank with the rest of their species, in social 
 life; and the difference of the degrees of 
 knowledge they acquire, from henceforward, 
 may, in a great measure, be imputed to causes 
 similar to those that operate upon, and ex- 
 tend or limit, the attainments of mankind at 
 large. These are, natural mental capacity, 
 inclination, leisure, opportunities, and helps, 
 to study. 
 
 Two questions very naturally present them- 
 selves
 
 DEAF AND DUMB. 127 
 
 selves here: What is the most proper age to 
 begin the education of a deaf and dumb child? 
 And, what length of time will it require to 
 complete that education? Neither of these 
 questions admits of an absolute and direct 
 answer; I mean, that no precise period of 
 time can be fixed for either the commence- 
 ment or duration of such education, inde- 
 pendently of those circumstances that necessa- 
 rily vary, in different individuals. This is true, 
 applied, to children in general, as well as, to 
 the deaf and dumb. The following ob- 
 servations may enable us to judge of the 
 proper answer to the first question, in any 
 particular case. 
 
 EDUCATION, from the etymology of the 
 word, signifies the fostering, feeding, or rear- 
 ing, of the mental faculties. Every one knows, 
 that food administered, without some degree 
 
 of
 
 128 INSTRUCTION OP THE 
 
 appetite, or necessity felt for it, in the per- 
 son who receives it, creates rather noxious 
 crudities, than salutary and invigorating nou- 
 rishment. In strict analogy to this, we find 
 that education is thrown away, to say the 
 least of it, upon an individual, till there is 
 some degree of aptitude, or capacity, in the 
 mind to receive it. What this capacity or 
 aptitude consists in, and how it shows itself 
 in children, whether they be deaf or not, we 
 shall endeavour to point out. 
 
 From the moment that a child is born 
 into our world, commence his sensations of 
 the impressions of external objects, which 
 are to form the ground-work of that won- 
 derful fabric, a human mind. These, by 
 degrees, become objects of thought; they 
 may then be termed perceptions. The traces 
 and images of these being retained in the 
 
 memory,
 
 DEAF AND DUMB. 129 
 
 jnemory, associated and combined there, con- 
 stitute ideas. This process goes on, for a 
 while, something analagous to the growth 
 and expansion of the corporeal frame, with- 
 out any perceptible act of the will in the 
 control of it. It is not till nature has ma- 
 tured her work, to a certain degree, that she 
 permits us to interfere with effect in assist- 
 ing her to carry it on. When this period 
 arrives, the child is observed to have, and 
 occasionally to exercise, a power of directing 
 his attention to the consideration of one 
 object or subject, in preference to another. 
 In doing this, he will meet difficulties which 
 will produce calls for assistance. The inquisi- 
 tive curiousness of children is the natural 
 indication of these difficulties; and, in pro- 
 portion as their attention is fixed by the 
 answers or solutions we offer to them, so may 
 
 K we
 
 130 INSTRUCTION OF THE 
 
 we fairly consider them fit subjects of educa- 
 tion. Hence, some children are better sub- 
 jects of education at four years of age, than 
 others are at seven ; some better at seven, than 
 others are at nine, &c. It may be said, that 
 children who can hear and speak, may thus 
 indicate their aptitude to receive instruction; 
 but how can a parent distinguish these indica- 
 tions in a child that is deaf? This question is 
 more likely to proceed from those who have 
 had no opportunity of observing the manner 
 of those, more than commonly interesting 
 little unfortunates, than from those who have. 
 It will be found, agreeably to the account 
 we have attempted to give of the comparative 
 importance of the senses of seeing and hearing, 
 as furnishing matter for mental operations, 
 that the process we have been describing has 
 been but little retarded by deafness. Nay, I 
 
 will
 
 DEAF AND DUMB. 131 
 
 will venture to affirm that in many cases, which 
 have fallen under my own observation, it 
 appears rather to have been forwarded by it. 
 I have seen more settled attention to the ap- 
 pearances of things, and more apparent satis- 
 faction at every endeavour of those about 
 them, to gratify curiosity, in children who 
 were deaf, at an early age, than ever I saw in 
 children who could hear and speak. It is 
 not till a considerable length of experience 
 has convinced him of the imperfection of the 
 vehicle he possesses for the communication 
 of his thoughts, that a deaf and dumb child 
 begins to mistrust it, and ceases gradually to 
 weary himself with enquiries that produce 
 nothing but disappointment. Let the parents, 
 therefore, of such children, sedulously watch 
 the indications they give of a capacity to 
 K 2 learn:
 
 )32 INSTRUCTION OF THE 
 
 learn : and from considerations already stated*, 
 they will, I am persuaded, see it to be their 
 duty, if the means are in their power, to 
 improve the opportunity that is in their 
 hands. It is true, that though a deaf child 
 may give proofs of its capacity to be in- 
 structed, as early as three or four years of 
 age, it is, nevertheless, too young to be 
 placed at school. I flatter myself, that those 
 tender and intelligent mothers, who may 
 honour what I now lay before the public with 
 an attentive perusal, will find it an easier 
 matter than they imagined, to give a sort of 
 preparatory education to such children of 
 misfortune. Among the various objects that 
 are noticed with delight, by deaf children, 
 
 * Page 68. 
 
 none,
 
 DEAF AND DUMB. 133 
 
 none, perhaps, are more so than pictures. 
 The plates of our vocabulary, therefore, present 
 a field sufficiently amusing and instructive for 
 the employment of such young learners, under 
 maternal guidance, even if they did nothing 
 more than learn to distinguish the objects 
 they represent, by pointing them out. But 
 I recommend the earliest possible use of the 
 pen, or rather, slate and pencil, by which, and 
 by the manual alphabet, the names of these 
 objects may be learnt to be correctly spelt. 
 Thus, instead of all the notice and attention 
 which children in this affecting situation are 
 inclined to exert, from three or four, to six 
 or seven, years of age, when they may advan- 
 tageously be placed at school, being thrown 
 away, they may be most pleasantly and profit- 
 ably exercised. 
 
 This remark, of course, applies to mothers 
 
 whose
 
 134 INSTRUCTION OF THE 
 
 whose education gives them the ability, and 
 whose station in life affords them leisure, to 
 take such pains with an unfortunate child. 
 
 I am not without hopes, however, that the 
 indigent deaf and dumb will be profited by 
 the hint, although not through the medium 
 of parental care. 
 
 I am encouraged to entertain this expecta- 
 tion, from knowing some amiable instances 
 of benevolent attention to such objects, by 
 ladies of fortune and leisure, their neighbours, 
 ven under the discouraging circumstances of 
 having no guide to direct their exertions; 
 so strongly were they impelled by a wish to 
 do good. I cannot entertain a doubt, that 
 the number of such benevolent and amiable 
 gratuitous teachers of the indigent Deaf and 
 Dumb, will be greatly increased, when rational 
 and easy means, of being so useful, are 
 
 pointed
 
 DEAF AND DUMB. 135 
 
 pointed out to them. And there is ample 
 room for all they can do, in this field of 
 usefulness, as that Institution so honour- 
 able to our age and country, "THE ASYLUM 
 FOR EDUCATING THE DEAF AND DUMB CHILDREN 
 OF THE POOR/' does not admit any on the 
 charitable foundation till they are nine years 
 old. The reason for fixing upon this age, 
 was not any idea that it was the earliest 
 at which regular education could be advan- 
 tageously begun. t But, Jive years being 
 deemed, generally speaking, sufficient to ac- 
 complish that course of instruction thought 
 most essential to such children, destined to 
 earn their bread, by the labour of their hands; 
 and, fourteen being the earliest age at which 
 they could be apprenticed, it was judged best, 
 for the ceconomical purposes of the Institution, 
 
 not
 
 136 INSTRUCTION OF THE 
 
 not to receive them before the age of nine 
 years. 
 
 It will not now be necessary to enlarge upon 
 the second question: "What length of time 
 will be required to complete the education of 
 a deaf scholar?" For, having just said, that, 
 generally speaking, Jive years has been deemed 
 sufficient to accomplish that coarse of instruc- 
 tion deemed most essential to children de- 
 stined to earn their bread by the labour of 
 their hands; it is easy to infer, what length 
 of time will be necessary to accomplish a 
 more finished education. But, that I may 
 not be misapprehended, I will state precisely 
 what I understand by an education most essen- 
 tial to deaf children of the class mentioned. I 
 deem it essential, that they should have such 
 a knowledge of language as to enable them 
 to express their ideas, on common occasions: 
 
 to
 
 DEAF AND DUMB. 
 
 to understand the commands or directions it 
 may be necessary to give them in ordinary 
 cases, &c. to read with intelligence., the pre- 
 cepts, the examples, and the promises, which 
 are contained in the Scriptures, particularly the 
 New Testament: that they should write a 
 good hand, spell correctly the words they use, 
 and understand the principal rules of arith- 
 metic. When I say that these acquirements 
 may be attained in Jive years, I mean to state 
 that, as the shortest time; even where the 
 capacity of the learner is good. 
 
 It is, then, superfluous to observe that, 
 where the mind is intended to be enlarged by 
 a system of general information and science, 
 a proportionably longer time must necessarily 
 be required for its accomplishment. 
 
 Or
 
 138 
 
 OF THE VOCABULARY AND PLATES. 
 
 IT remains, only, to say a few words of the 
 Vocabulary, and of the Plates for its illus- 
 tration: of the Vocabid&ry it has been already 
 said, (page 94, J that it embraces only the 
 names of objects most -commonly required to 
 be named ; it cannot, therefore, be any dis- 
 appointment to the reader to find it compre- 
 hending nothing like a complete list of the 
 substantives in the language. 
 
 The order of learning it is, agreeably to what 
 has been observed above, (page 89, ) accord- 
 ing to the proximity and obviousness of the 
 objects. 
 
 The Plates speak for themselves, as the means 
 of giving significance to the names of the 
 objects they represent. They are, moreover, 
 both amusing and useful in our colloquial 
 
 exercises:
 
 DEAF AND DUMB. 139 
 
 exercises: and they are purposely placed 
 without any numeral reference to the Vocabu- 
 lary, the more effectually to engage the atten- 
 tion and exercise the memory of the learner. 
 In the execution, fidelity has been considered 
 of more importance than elegance. It was 
 my injunction, all along, to the artist, to avoid 
 repetition; nevertheless, this has not been 
 altogether complied with, owing to the great 
 variety of subjects which are more or less con- 
 nected with each other. 
 
 THE END. 
 
 Printed by W. Barton, and J. and J. Haryey, 
 Gracechurch-Street, London.
 
 J22ffiSSSt LIBRARY FACIL 
 
 ' III! 11(11(1111 || 1 1| HI 1 1| 
 
 A 000 037 874 5