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 DEAF NOT DUMB. 
 
 A LECTURE 
 
 DELIVERED OCT. 12tli, 1876, 
 
 BEFORE THE 
 
 GLOUCESTER 
 
 Jittrarjl m^ Scientific |nstitoti0n, 
 
 B. St. J. ACKE RS, 
 
 (UARRISTER AT LAW, ESQUIRE) 
 
 PRINKNASH PARK, PAINSWICK, 
 
 PRESIDENT OF THE ABOVE ASSOCIATION. 
 
 HuWtsljtb bu request. 
 
 LONGMAN'S, GREEN, READER, & DYER. 
 GLOUCESTER : E. NEST.
 
 LECTURE. 
 
 ^^ Deaf and Dumb.'" — How natural does this combination seem! 
 The expression has been famihar to us all from childhood. It 
 will be one of my chief objects to-night to point out how erroneous 
 the term is, or ought to be, as applied to the vast majority of those 
 without hearing ; and to show you in what cases, only, it is 
 admissible. 
 
 I pi'opose to divide my lecture into three heads — 
 
 CAUSES AND PREVENTION op DEAFNESS; 
 HISTORICAL SKETCH, and 
 EDUCATION. 
 
 But before proceeding to do so it may interest you to know why 
 my wife and I took up this subject. In 1869, after many years 
 of married life, our first — and for long our only — child was born. 
 At three mouths old she was attacked with "purpura," a virulent 
 fever, sometimes called "land scurvy;" and was for ten days, 
 apparently, at the point of death. When she recovered, instead 
 of the sharp, bright look she had previously shewn ; instead of 
 waking at the slightest noise ; she was wholly unconscious of 
 sound — ^her healing was totally lost. We took her at three yeai'S 
 old to London for the best medical and surgical advice ; but all 
 was of no avail. What pained us so much, almost more than all, 
 was that no one seemed able to tell us what was the best method 
 on which to have our child educated. We then apjalied to differ- 
 ent schools ; but heard such opposite statements that, we were 
 fairly bewildered. Each school cried up its own system, and 
 there seemed no unprejudiced person who could help us. So we 
 determined to search and prove the various systems by personal 
 inspection — primarily for the benefit of our own child, but never 
 losing sight of the question of the best method for educating the
 
 deaf in general. To tliis end wo visited' most of the leading 
 schools in Great Britain, Canada, the United States, Belgium, 
 Holland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and France. 
 
 The rcsialt of our investigations more than realized our utmost 
 expectations. This result is at the disposal of all similarly situated 
 to ourselves, and all who take an interest in the amelioration of 
 one of the saddest physical losses that can befal mankind. 
 
 Great confusion is often exhibited in books and writings con- 
 cerning the deaf, because different terms are used by various 
 writers to express the same thing, and the same terms to express 
 diiferent things. With your permission, therefore, I will explain 
 the chief terms used in this lecture — they are as follows : — 
 
 "Deaf and Dumb." — Those wholly uneducated; or who can- 
 not hear or speak though educated or partially so. 
 
 " Deaf. " — Those who cannot hear or speak before they have 
 been educated, or who, having been educated, are still without 
 hearing but can speak. 
 
 " German" System — That which is based on Articulation and 
 Lip-reading. 
 
 " French " System. — That which is haaed on el System of Signs. 
 
 " Signs. " — All, except 
 
 "Natural Signs "Which I define as siich as hearing persons use 
 and can iindcrstand — e.g. " Come," beckoning with the hand 
 " Go," motioning away with the hand ; which are really actions, 
 not signs. 
 
 (i) We visited the following in the order named below. 
 Canada and United States. 
 New York — Washington Heights ; Belleville; Montreal ; Hartford; Northamp- 
 ton; Boston — Day-School and Mr. Bell's ; Now York — "Improved Method;" 
 Washington and Philadelphia. 
 
 Continent of Europe. 
 Rotterdam ; Brussels — Boys (Brother Cyrille) and Girls (under Soeurs ide 
 Charite) ; Osnabi-iick ; Cologne; Frankfort; Friedberg ; Wcissenfcls ; Leipzig; 
 Prague; Vienna — Imperial, Jewish and Herr Lehfold's ; Zurich ; Chambery — 
 Boys and Girls ; Nancy ; Paris — National and M. Uoudin's. 
 
 Great Britain. 
 Birmingham ; * Manchester ; * Liverpool ; Glasgow ; Edinburgh — Old Institu- 
 tion and Donaldson's Hospital ; Doncaster ; Loudon — Old Kent Road, Institu- 
 tion for the oral instruction of the Deaf and Dumb and Miss Hull's. 
 * I had visited before and also other schools in England.
 
 And now let us take the first of our divisions and treat of the 
 
 CAUSES AND PREVENTION of DEAFNESS. It is very 
 
 important carefully to distinguish between those born deaf and 
 
 those who have lost their hearing from illness or other cause; these 
 
 two classes are generally called " congenital " and " accidental." 
 
 Congenital Deafness, — The chief causes are 
 
 Blood-relatlonsliip of Parents ; 
 
 One or both Parents heing congenUaUij, not accldeatallij, deaf, and 
 
 Scrofida. 
 Let us take them in order and first treat of 
 Blood-relatlunship of Parods. Some authorities affirm that 
 there ai-e more cases of congenital deafness from the marriage of 
 first cousins than from all other causes put together. Others go 
 further, being against any blood-relationship of parents ; and we 
 have heard it asserted that the children of second cousins are even 
 more often deaf than those of first cousins. But though there are, 
 doubtless, many cases of congenitally deaf children, the issue of 
 the former, I believe it to be quite exceptional where the 
 number exceeds those born of the latter : and one great step in 
 advance would be gained if the marriages of fii'st cousins were 
 to become less frequent — as they ought to be and would be, I be- 
 lieve, were it generally known how many idiots, deformed, blind 
 and deaf come of such unions. The Rev. Samuel Smith, one of 
 the excellent clergymen labouring amongst the " Deaf and 
 Dumb " in London, mentions, in the last July number of the 
 "American Annals^ of the Deaf and Dumb," the fact of eight 
 children, all congenitally and totally deaf, the issue of the mar- 
 riage of two first cousins ; and many other instances under his 
 personal observation of quite an appalling number of cougenital- 
 deaf, the children of first cousins. 
 The next great cause is 
 
 One or both Parents being congenitally deaf. ^lany persons 
 think this even a more fruitful source of congenital deafness 
 than any other ; sure we are that it is a very great source of 
 
 (0 p.p. 142, 3.
 
 such affliction, and one that is looked upon with less dread than 
 it deserves ; frequently, we believe, because parents, spoken of 
 as congenitally deaf, really lost their hearing when so young 
 that they have ever since been looked upon as having been born 
 deaf. We all know the proverb, " Like begets like ; " and it is 
 an indisputable fact that in certain families there is a great 
 tendency to children being born deaf. It is a common thing, on 
 enquiring about the pupils, at the different Institutions, to find 
 that their parents — or some one or more of their aunts,' 
 uncles or cousins — are also congenitally deaf. 
 
 There are those who think that because the children of some 
 parents, both congenitally deaf, can all hear (though I believe 
 this to be very rare) that the evil of such marriages has been ex- 
 aggerated. But what is their argument worth ? It is worth just 
 as much as that of a person who should attempt to ignore the 
 physical evils produced by drink, because persons have been 
 known to get drunk every night of their lives and yet live to be 
 old. As well might arguments be used against care in sanitary 
 matters because one or two very old and healthy people may be 
 found where bad water and worse drainage prevail. 
 
 But to return ; take the case of Martha's Vineyai'd, Massa- 
 chusetts, U.S.A.,^ which was inhabited in the year a.d. 1720 by 
 about two thousand Indians, whose descendants now number 
 about two hundred; among these, strange to say, no case of 
 a congenitally deaf child has occurred — yet we find the alarm- 
 ing number of fully one in every hundred and fifty of the pre- 
 sent inhabitants deaf, instead of one in fifteen hundred ! or 
 ten times the usual number. All are descended from one common 
 ancestor, a Missionary who went over to the island in the year 
 before mentioned, 1720, He was himself a hearing and speak- 
 ing person, but one of his descendants was congenitally deaf, and 
 
 (i) I have put aunts before uucles as it is a fact, well kuown to phy- 
 siologists, that tlic female trausniits marked character, peculiarities aud 
 blemishes more ofteu and more strongly than the male. 
 
 (2) I am indebted for these statistics to the Hon. F. B. Sanborn, of Concord 
 and Boston, Mass. — a great authoi-ity in America on this subject and on all 
 questions relating to the statistics of the deaf and dumb.
 
 now there are descendants of his to the third generation "without 
 any hearing whatever ! In many cases which we ourselves en- 
 quired into all the children of two persons congenitally deaf, 
 were congenitally deaf also. In other families where only one 
 parent was congenitally deaf, several of the children were con- 
 genitally deaf too.' Surely then, at least, the marriages of the 
 congenital-deaf with each other ought to be avoided. How is 
 this to be accomplished ? I must ask your indulgence if, to 
 answer this, I depart somewhat from the proposed plan of my 
 lecture, and trench for a few moments on the subject of education. 
 The best way to prevent such marriages is, I believe, by teaching 
 and training the deaf on the " German " system — so as to make 
 them as much like their hearing fellow-creatures as possible. 
 
 It is most impoi'tant to dwell on the necessity of thus educating 
 toto-congenltals ; all the more so now that the advocates of the 
 " French " system allow the value of teaching articulation to most 
 of the " semi-mute "^ and " semi-deaf," but still deny the use of 
 attempting it with the " toto-congenital" except in very rare 
 instances. 
 
 As I have said again and again, elsewhere, were deaf mutes 
 to be born and trained for the sake of spending their lives 
 in Institutions, the case would be altogether different ; but very 
 far from this is the lot of almost all. Some are never educated 
 at all; and those who are taught under the French system, except 
 the very few who become teachers of other deaf-mutes, are sent 
 out into the world — often a very rough unsympathetic world, where 
 no one knows their special and favourite language of signs ; sent 
 out from their own happy homes, for such the Institutions become, 
 where eveiy-one readily understands and returns answer in the 
 language of signs. If the deaf are unable to mix comfortably 
 with hearing persons they will naturally shrink from them ; be 
 drawn to others like themselves ; marry those similarly afflicted, 
 and so, alas too often, hand down and increase the evil. 
 
 (i) See also Hawkins on the Constitution of the Deaf and Dumb. p.p. 26 — 28. 
 (2) Semi-mutes are those who learnt to speak before they lost their hearing.
 
 Last of the great causes of congenital deafness is 
 
 Scrofula. Like many other questions relating to our subject to- 
 night this is one, perhaps, more suitable to be discussed before a 
 medical audience ; but thus much one may safely say, that 
 •what applies to the marriages of those mentioned under the 
 two former heads — first cousins and congenitally deaf — tells, 
 with even greater force, in the case of persons afflicted with the 
 taint of scrofula. One has only to go into any large institu- 
 tion for the deaf to see how sad, painful and marked are the 
 signs of this dread disease. And when it has been stated 
 that the majority of the deaf and dumb die from strumous com- 
 plaints and consumption, enough will have been said on this 
 head for the present purpose. Those who wish to see the subject 
 more fully treated cannot do better than refer to Mr. James 
 Hawkins' excellent little work on the " Constitution of the Deaf 
 and Dumb."' Here it is appropriate to mention, that it is one of 
 the many advantages of the " German " system that the voice of 
 the pupil is kept up and used regularly. This is a great help in 
 cases of weak lungs. 
 
 Care should be taken never to check the natural noises and 
 exclamations of the deaf, when very young — which is frequently 
 done because the sounds they make are often unpleasant before 
 they have been taught — and so the best and most valuable aids to 
 articulation are lost and the health risked. 
 
 And now we come to the causes of 
 
 Accidental Deafness, — these are many ; of which wo will 
 take the following in the order named, — 
 
 Falls ; Fr'ujlds ; Blotvs ; Great Noises ; Sudden Noises ; Skill of 
 Physicians, and Zijmotio Diseases — fevers and the like. 
 
 Falls. It is wonderful how man}- cases of accidental deafness 
 are attributed to this cause. Over and over again have we been 
 told, "My poor boy^ never was the same after he fell down stairs 
 
 (i) p.p. 37—40. 
 (2) There are many more cases of accidental deafness amonprst boys than 
 girls. This is to bo accouuted for partly because boys are really the iHore 
 delicate, but chiefly because they are much oftoner iu luiscliiof aud ;ue exposed 
 to so many more perils.
 
 and soon we found he could not hear properly " — the not hearing 
 " properly " often ending in total deafness. It is difficult to give 
 a really scientific reason for this cause of deafness, when no 
 apparent injury has been done to the head or ear — indeed there 
 is much difference of opinion even amongst doctors and aurists 
 on the subject, but the fact remains. 
 
 Frights. Deafness thus occasioned is also very difficult to 
 account for, but many are the instances arising therefrom. 
 
 Blows. Now we have something much more easy of explana- 
 tion. A blow on the head often produces total deafness. A box 
 on the ear often produces total deafness. Yet how common is the 
 practice of teachers and parents, to say nothing of boys one with 
 another, giving " only a box on the ear;" or "only a slight slap on 
 the head." Such things should never be done. And how often 
 does the punishment light on those who are really hard of hear- 
 ing — a term in no way to be confused with deafness. Oh ! that 
 teachers and others would be more careful to find out whether 
 the seeming negligence arise from want of attention, or from diffi- 
 culty of hearing. It is little thought of how many go through 
 life with imperfect, i.e., not acute, hearing ; handicapped in the 
 race of life, especially in our large schools — where the quickest 
 and sharpest, not always the best or most powerful intellects, 
 succeed. A box on the ear and a blow on the head produce 
 deafness — in the former case, usually, by injury to the membrane 
 of the ear ; and in the latter, like falls and frights, by affecting in 
 some mysterious way the auditory nerve. 
 
 Great Noises. In these cases the auditory nerve often gets a 
 shock from which it never recovers ; not unfrequently succumb- 
 ing to it entirely, leaving, of course, total deafness as the result. 
 Or the membrane gets broken, stretched or injured in such a way 
 as to cause partial deafness ; this is the most common occurrence. 
 With regard to those subjected to great noises, artillery-men and 
 others, some authorities (we heard this view warmly upheld in 
 Austria), contend that the mouth should be open, as then the 
 membrana tympani is better supported to bear the shock, as it 
 receives the concussion of air on either side. Others contend that
 
 10 
 
 the moutli should be kept shut, because the membrane of the 
 ear can only receive the air on either side, at the same moment, 
 during swallowing ; the Eustachian tube being closed at other 
 times : while others contend that the Eustachian tube is never 
 quite closed, except from disease, but at all times, when healthy, 
 allows the egress and ingress of air, though to a very limited ex- 
 tent. From this it will be seen hoAv great are the differences of 
 opinion held by eminent medical men on this subject. Much, 
 very much has yet to be discovered with regard to the ear, its 
 faculties and disorders — the objects which some parts serve, e.g. 
 the second mebinrane, are not yet ascertained or only partially so. 
 
 One practical lesson, at all events, may be learned from this part 
 of the sulject, abo^^t which there can be no difference of opinion, 
 that in all cases where the usual pressure of the outer air on the 
 membrane of the ear is increased (as in a diving-bell), or reduced 
 (as on very high mountains), the uneven pressure of the air on 
 one side of the membrane, sometimes so disastrous in its conse- 
 quences and which causes the pain or discomfort so commonly 
 experienced, may be lessened and generally removed by repeated 
 swallowing, so as to equalize the pressure of the outer and inner 
 air. 
 
 Svdden Noises. These need not be loud to cause the most seri- 
 ous consequences. It is a w^onderful jjrovision ol' nature that the 
 muscles and nerves of the body can, if prepared, withstand a 
 shock unharmed, where the same might prove most disastrous if 
 unexpected. Let anyone recal the common occurrence of fancy- 
 ing one has reached the bottom of a flight of stairs, Avhen really 
 there is one step more ; although no further fall than each pre- 
 ceding step, yet how it jars the whole frame and what a shock it 
 often gives; this, and similar shocks, may be laughed at; but 
 not so those which affect the exceeding delicate mcmbiane of the 
 ear, and the even yet more sensitive auditoiy nerve — thc^e are 
 often injured, and permanent loss of hearing has been knov.n to 
 follow, from a sudden noise close to the ear. 
 
 Skill of Physicians. To place this amongst the causes of deaf- 
 ness seems at first most startling — I fancy some of my kind
 
 11 
 
 medical friends wlio asked me to bring this subject before you to- 
 night are now ready to exclaim " What will he say next " ? — but 
 "facts are stubborn things;" nor is this fact to be wondered at 
 when thought out ; for it is well known that through the advance 
 of medical science many lives have been saved, many who would 
 formerly have died now live, but not all that live come through 
 the fire of fever unscathed. Some are aifected in one way, some 
 in another ; some for a time, others for life. In cases of recoveiy 
 from small-pox how common was the loss of sight before vaccina- 
 tion was introduced, and even now it is far from unknown. So, 
 exactly, is it with those saved by the skill of the medical 
 attendant from death by fever, especially scarlet fever — life is 
 saved, but hearing is lost. 
 
 Zymotic Diseases — fevers and the like. These, the last of the 
 special causes of accidental deafness which we propose to treat of 
 to-night, may truly be said to equal all the others put together in 
 number of victims. It is quite pitiable to see how many bright 
 boys and girls in the very prime of youthful beauty, the delight 
 of their parents, the pride of their teachers, are struck deaf by this 
 awful visitation — yet so it is. 
 
 Here we would impress upon all that the greatest care should 
 be taken when the child appears to be getting over the fever 
 well. Then, too often, precautions are relaxed, the child is 
 allowed to catch cold, and the fatal seed, which had nearly 
 died, is revived, life-long mischief caused, and in hundreds of 
 cases — this is no exaggeration, in hundreds of cases — deafness, 
 stone-deafness, ensues. 
 
 There were, till recently, two great reasons for so many losing 
 their hearing from scarlet, or other, fever — viz : — The increased 
 skill of the i^hysician, and The ivant of good nursing — i\iQ want, 
 that is, of care, attention and proper precaution on the part of 
 mothers, nurses and others. I venture, however, to think that 
 the day is coming when the numbers from these causes will 
 be greatly lessened. My theory on this point is strikingly borne 
 out by the Census statistics of the United Kingdom. —
 
 12 
 
 
 Pojulation. 
 
 (>) 
 
 Deaf and Dumb. 
 
 1851 
 
 27,511,801 
 
 
 17,300 
 
 1861 
 
 29,321,288 
 
 
 20,311 
 
 1871 
 
 31,845,379 
 
 
 19,237 
 
 You will see that from 1851 to 1861 the rate of increase in the 
 general population Avas largely exceeded by that of the deaf-mute 
 portion of it. From 1861 to 1871 the general population increased 
 in a similar ratio, but the deaf portion actually decreased ; the 
 proportion of deaf-mutes to the Avhole being in 
 
 1851 1 in 1590 
 
 1861 1 in 1432 
 
 1871 1 in 1644^ 
 
 Surely then, these figures go far to confirm my previous theory,^ 
 that since 1851, by the increased skill of the physician, many 
 have been saved from death; and that since 1861, by the beneficial 
 results of improved nursing, and greater care after the crisis of 
 the disease had passed, many have been saved from deafness; 
 and so we have the happy two-fold result of fewer deaths and 
 fewer cases of loss of hearing. 
 
 Cannot this improvement be increased? I believe it can 
 and greatly so, too. The general use of the speculum and 
 lamp in all cases of severe fever — not after the patient has got 
 about again; not after pain has been complained of; but — 
 
 (i) It is much to be desired that in the next census 
 
 The born deaf; Those who have lost their hearing under (say) two years of 
 age, and Those who have been hearing and speaking children, should be classed 
 under separate heads : the cause of deafness in each of the latter classes, and 
 the age when it occurred, should be given. This would greatly aid those who 
 are seeking for the causes and prevention of deafness and be of much value in 
 many ways. 
 
 2 I am indebted for most of the particulars on this subject to Dr. Buxton, the 
 able head of the Liverpool School ; our greatest English authority on the statis- 
 tics of the deaf and dumb. 
 
 3 Had there been a decrease in the number of the deaf and dumb in each 
 decennial period it might have been attributed to better sanitary regulations, 
 and thence to the check of zymotic disease ; but such is seen not to have been 
 the case.
 
 13 
 
 during the height and progress of the disease, would do much, 
 it is believed, not only to save the hearing, but even the life 
 of many so attacked. There is the closest affinity between the 
 tympanum, or drum of the ear, and the brain.' Disease of 
 the ear will often cause brain mischief and death ; what more 
 likely, then, than that timely, judicious^ and skilful incision of 
 the membrana tympani in certain cases would afford vent to 
 the poison — unable to pass down the Eustachian tube, as is 
 so often the case in fever — and so frequently save hearing, 
 and life also in many instances. T believe that in numbers of 
 cases deafness might be thus averted,^ and in many more by yet 
 better nursing. Is it too much to hope that, as vaccination has 
 been found to mitigate the terrible evils of small-pox, medical 
 science may in time discover equally valuable helps against other 
 diseases ? Is it too much to hope that such a help may be found 
 against scarlet fever ? so awful in its destruction of life — and of 
 hearing when life is saved. 
 
 Before leaving this subject of injuries to the ear — accidental 
 deafness and its prevention — I cannot forbear reading to you the 
 words of one of the greatest modern authorities on the ear, James 
 Hinton, alas ! now no longer with us, on one of the most 
 common ways of injuring the ears of children. 
 
 "In the washing of children care should be taken that all the 
 " little folds of the outer ear are cai-efully dried, and gently, with 
 " a soft towel." 
 
 "But I come now to what is jDrobably the most frequent way in 
 " which the ears are injured : that is, by the attempt to clean 
 "them. It ought to be understood that the passage of the ear 
 " does not require cleaning by us. Nature undertakes that task, 
 
 I Attention has recently been called, in connection with Life Assurance, 
 to discharge from the ear as being occasionally of serious import. It is some- 
 times the only sign of serious and ultimately fatal brain affection in persons 
 otherwise apparently healthy. Dr. E. Symes Thompson, M.D., F.R.C.P. 
 
 Physician to the Hospital for Consumption, Brompton, &c. &c. 
 (2) For want of skill and judgment this operation at one time fell into dis- 
 favour and comparative disuse. 
 
 (3^ See also Holmes' " System of Surgery," Vol iii, p.p. 169, 70.
 
 14 
 
 and in the healthy state fulfils it perfectly. Her means for 
 cleansing the ear is the wax. Perhaps the reader has never 
 wondered what becomes of the ear-wax. I will toll him. It 
 dries up into thin fine scales, and these peel off one by one from 
 the surface of the passage, and fall out imperceptibly, leaving 
 behind them a perfectly clean smooth surHice. In health the 
 passage of the ear is never dirty ; but if we attempt to clean it, 
 we infallibly make it so. Here- — by a strange lack of justice, as 
 it would seem, which, however, has no doubt a deep justice at 
 the bottom — the best people, and those who love cleanliness, 
 sufier most, and good and careful nurses do a mischief negligent 
 ones avoid." 
 
 " Washing the ear ovit with soap and water is bad; it keeps 
 the wax moist when it ought to become dry and scaly, increases 
 its quantity unduly, and makes it absorb the dust with which 
 the air always abounds. But the most hurtful thing is intro- 
 ducing the corner of the towel screwed up, and twisting it round. 
 This does more harm to ears than all other mistakes together. 
 It drives down the wax upon the membrane much more than 
 it gets it out. Let any one who doubts this make a tube like 
 the passage, especially with the curves which it possesses ; let 
 him put a thin membrane at one end, smear its inner surface 
 with a substance like the ear-wax, and then try to get it out so 
 by a towel! But this plan does much more mischief than 
 merely pressing down the wax. It irritates the passage, and 
 makes it cast off small flakes of skin, which dry up, and become 
 extremely hard, and these also are pressed down upon the 
 membrane. Often it is not only deafness which ensues, but 
 pain and inflammation, and then matter is formed which the 
 hard mass prevents fi*om escaping, and the membrane becomes 
 diseased, and worse may follow. The ear should never be cleaned 
 out loith the screwed-up corner of a towel. Washing should ex- 
 tend only to the outer surface, as far as the finger can reach. 
 * * * * When a child's ear becomes painful, 
 as it so often does, everything should be done to soothe it, and 
 all strong irritating applications should be avoided. Pieces of
 
 15 
 
 " hot fig or ouion should not be put in ; but dry flannels as hot as 
 " can be borne should be applied, with poppy fomentation if the 
 " pain does not soon subside. How much children suffer from. 
 " their ears, unpitied because unknown, it would probably v/ring 
 " the hearts of those who love them suddenly to discover. It is 
 " often very hard, even for medical men, to ascertain that the 
 " cause of a young child's distress is seated in the ear, and fre- 
 " quently a sudden discharge from it, with a cessation of pain, 
 " first reveals the secret of a mysterious attack, which has really 
 " been an inflammation of the drum. The watchfulness of a 
 " parent, however, would probably suflice to detect the cause of 
 " suffering if directed to this point, as well as to others. If chil- 
 " dren cry habitually when their ears are washed, that should not 
 " be neglected ; there is, most likely, some cause of pain." 
 
 I commend to the non-professional portion of my audience the 
 whole article from which the extract I have read to you is taken. 
 It is part of a very useful work, " Physiology for Practical Use." 
 
 And now, with your permission, I will pass on to the second 
 division of our subject and give you a brief 
 
 HISTORICAL SKETCH of the deaf The earliest record 
 I know of is in the Book of Exodus, iv, 11; the next is 
 in the Book of Leviticus, xix, 14, where it is said, " Thou 
 shalt not eui'se the deaf." Would that this holy law had been 
 observed by all nations ! but we find, in the few passages rela- 
 ting to the deaf and dumb in the history of other countries, that 
 they were almost universally considered a special curse sent upon 
 their relations, and were often destroyed to take away the re- 
 proach supposed to attach to those related to them ; frequently 
 had terrible cruelties inflicted upon them and at best were trea- 
 ted as idiots and kept in confinement. They were never allowed 
 to possess any property, even if left to them by will. 
 
 The Common-law of our own land relating to the deaf is most 
 equitable ; everything is made to depend upon the capacity of the 
 person in each individual case, e.g., a deaf and dumb person cannot 
 be punished for crime ; cannot make a will ; administer property ;
 
 IG 
 
 be a witness on a trial, or exercise any civil right, unless it can be 
 shewn that he understand the nature of the act in each case. If 
 this l)e proved to the satisfaction of the Court ; if he appear to 
 have sufficient knowledge and appreciation of the consequences 
 of such acts, then he is treated like any other person — must bear 
 the responsibilities and has a right to the privileges of every 
 Englishman in the possession of his faculties. Under the Ro- 
 man Law, spendthrifts and the deaf and dumb — we are not so 
 particular now-a-days — being unable to administer their property, 
 were placed under a curator ; who had to see that they and their 
 estates were properly cared for. 
 
 For centuries after scarce a mention is made of the deaf and dumb; 
 and of the possibility of their instruction no idea seems to have 
 been formed until the year A.U. G85, when we learn' that the 
 then Archbishop of York, commonly called St. John of Beverley, 
 taught a deaf and dumb person to speak — a poor beggar whom 
 he passed daily. This he is believed to have done, much as prac- 
 tised now in the "German" system schools, by getting the pupil's 
 attention; by making him imitate the motions of the lips and vocal 
 organs of the teacher, and so produce articulate sounds. This ap- 
 pears to be the only recorded case until eight hundred years later! ! 
 when, in the 15th century, Rudolphus Agricola^ — a native of 
 Groningen — in his posthumous work "De Inventione DialecticEe," 
 relates having seen a person, deaf and dumb from infancy, who 
 had learned to understand writing and was able to express all his 
 ideas by that means. Rabelais^ mentions a young Italian named 
 Nello di Gabrielis, who, though deaf, could understand all that was 
 said to him by merely watching the lips of the speakers. In the 
 16th century Jerome Cardan, a learned, but erratic Italian "took," 
 we are told, "the subject into serious consideration;"* and it 
 appears that he thought out most of the points now in use in the 
 "French" system; but, being a highly unpractical man, no good 
 
 I "L'Education des Sourds-Muets" by Mgr. de Haerne. Member of the 
 Belgian Chamber of Representatives, &c., &c. 
 
 (2) Peuny Cyclopflodia Vol. viii. p. 326. 
 
 (3) Paper road before the Society of Arts by G. W. Dasent, D.C.L. 
 
 (4) Hawkins on the " Constitution of the deaf," p. 7.
 
 17 
 
 came of his labours in this direction ; unless his views were after- 
 wards copied and passed off as original — such is quite possible. 
 
 We now pass to Spain ; where, about the same time as Cardan, 
 lived a Benedictine monk, Pedro Ponce — or Pedro Ponce de 
 Leon, as he is more often called — wdio taught two brothers and 
 a sister of the Constable of Aragon ; and after this a son of the 
 Governour of Castillo ; aH these being toto-congenitals. He 
 left in manuscript, deposited in the library of his monastery, the 
 methods he adopted in the education of his pupils ; and there is 
 good reason for believing that Jean Pablo Bonet, another Spanish 
 Priest, who 40 years later published in 1620 a work on the deaf 
 and dumb, derived much of his knowledge from Ponce, as he 
 taught another member of the same house of Castillo and must 
 have had much opportunity for conversation with his jjupil's rela- 
 tions ; who would have remembered Ponce and his system. Also 
 it is not improbable that Bonet had access to Ponce's manuscript. 
 
 It is a curious fact that one and the same idea, before luiheard 
 of, will spring up, as it were spontaneously, in many parts of the 
 world at the same time. Philosophers have in vain tried to ac- 
 count for this most remarkable phenomenon. Take one instance, 
 well known to all — the Electric Telegraph — it is a point that will 
 be disputed to all time who first invented it. The truth appears 
 to be that somewhat of the same idea came into many minds at 
 the same time. Our present Telegraph, as now in use, is the pro- 
 duct of these many minds. So also with whom should rest 
 the credit of having first invented a system of education for the 
 deaf. Here again the same thought seems to have been engen- 
 dered in many minds about the same time. During Bonet's life, 
 and for a hundred years after, in Italy, France, Great Britain, 
 Switzerland, the Low Countries and Germany, persons were 
 found, most of whom, in all honesty, believed themselves the in- 
 ventors of a hitherto absolutely unknown science — the science of 
 educating the deaf. 
 
 In England, John Bulwer published the first work on the sub- 
 ject in 1 648, entitled " Philocophus, or the Deafe and Dumbe man's 
 Friend." A few years later Wallis, Savilian professor at Oxford,
 
 18 
 
 a man of great scientific knowledge, and Dr. William Holder, a 
 Clergyman of the Church of England and a Fellow of the Royal 
 Society, gave their attention to the subject and practised their 
 theories ou a few pupils: their success seems to have been very 
 considerable. In 1680 George Dalgarno, a native of Aberdeen, 
 published a work containing much that would be found useful and 
 practical at the present day — it is entitled " Didascalocophus."' 
 In it he pi'inted the first manual alphabet — his own invention — 
 ever seen in this country. In 1690 Dr. Amman, a physician and 
 native of Switzerland, but practising in Holland, published a 
 work called "Surdus Loquens;" believing himself the first in- 
 structor of the dpaf. The book was so highly thought of that it 
 passed through many editions and was translated into several 
 foreio^n lang'uao'es. 
 
 But, excellent as were many of the ideas given in the works of 
 those I have mentioned, we must pass on to the lives and teaching 
 of the two great men, Samuel Heinicke in Leipzig and the Abbe 
 de I'Epee in Paris, who are justly looked upon as the founders of 
 the two great systems of the present day — the " German " and 
 the "French.^" I say 'founders,' not that they were the sole 
 inventors of the systems named after their respective countries ; 
 not that these systems, as now taught, are by any means identical 
 with theirs ; but because each was instrumental in founding a 
 school in Avhich his system was carried out, and where men were 
 trained who should carry on the work after the founders were 
 dead and buried. It is for this that we must always associate 
 with intense gratitude the names of Heinicke and De I'Ept'c with 
 the deaf. Before their time every one who had taken up the sub- 
 ject was content either to let it die with him, or to leave its vir- 
 tues to the precarious fortunes of writing — not oue trained others 
 to succeed him. 
 
 (i) Republisheil with his other writings by the Maitlaud Club, Glasgow, 1S3-4. 
 (2) For those who wish to know something of other persons who taught, or 
 wrote about, the deaf, see Bio. Die. the following — Affinate ; Fabrizio d'Acqua- 
 pendente; Jean Bonifacio; Pierre de Castro; Lana Ferzi; George Sibscota ; 
 Peter Montans ; F. M. Van Ilelmont ; Kerger ; George Raphel ; Otbo Benjamin 
 Lasius ; Arnoldi ; Vanin ; Rodrigiie Pereire ; Ernaud ; Deschamps ; Henry 
 Baker ; Thomas Braidwood and Joseph Watson.
 
 19 
 
 De r%ee was born A.d. 1712 ; Heinicke 1729. Their char- 
 acters were widely different. The former was frank, open, 
 generous, self-sacrificing — the latter reserved, mysterious and, 
 apparently, somewhat avai'icious. But it must be borne in mind 
 that the former was a Priest, without worldly cares or a family to 
 provide for ; whereas Heinicke was a poor man, who had to fight 
 his way to obtain and keep an honourable position and to main- 
 tain a young family. Still, Heinicke's supposed character and 
 the mystery he indulged in have told against the success of the 
 system which he founded. True it has become universal, almost, 
 in Germany ; has spi'ead and is spreading far and wide over 
 other countries, where till recently the " French " system alone 
 was taught ; has entirely superseded the latter in Holland ; bids 
 fair to do so in Italy ; has advanced even into France, and is 
 compelling unwilling attention in America and our own country ; 
 but — the wide publicity given to their teaching by De I'Epee and 
 his successor, the Abbe Sicard, caused the " French " system to 
 be generally adopted a century before the " German." 
 
 And this leads me to a point of great importance to us in this 
 country ; a point about which there has been thought, written and 
 spoken in America more error than on any other relating to the 
 deaf It has been, I repeat, thought, written and asserted in eveiy 
 possible way that the " German " system was tried in England, 
 failed, and so was discontinued. The origin of this error is not 
 far to seek, but the mischief it has done is incalculable. Gallaudet, 
 the noble "apostle of deaf-mutes," as he is often called in America, 
 desiring, early in this century, to learn how to instruct the deaf and 
 dumb, came over to this country and made the acquaintance of Dr. 
 Watson, the first head of the London Institution. But he met 
 with difficulties ; Watson wished him to do certain thino-s which 
 he objected to, especially to take back with him a trained teacher 
 — which he afterwards had to do from Paris. About this time the 
 Abbe Sicard, De I'Epee's successor, was lecturing in London ; Gal- 
 laudet heard him, returned with him to Paris and took back to 
 America Clerc, one of Sicard's best p^^pils, himself deaf and dumb. 
 And so it came to pass that Gallaudet, knowing that Watson taught
 
 20 
 
 articulation, but knowing no more, went away with the notion, 
 which has ever since prevailed in America, that Watson was 
 teaching on the " German " system ;' whereas he really taught on 
 what is now called the " Combined " method. And this brings 
 us to the last head of our subject — 
 
 EDUCATION. It may be well briefly to give the leading 
 features of the two great systems, "German" and "French," as 
 at present practised — it would hardly be profitable to go into the 
 early stages of their development to-night. 
 
 The "German" system teaches by Articulation and Lip-reading; 
 the "French" by Signs, Dactylology (i.e. the manual alphabet) 
 and Pantomime. Writing and Pictures are, of course, common 
 to each system. It is true that in " German " system schools 
 N'atural Signs are used at first, but they are dropped as soon as 
 the pupils have learnt to express their meaning in words ; and, 
 on the other hand, in " French " system schools some few pupils 
 are taught Articulation. The " German " system teaches the 
 pupils /ro?Ji. the first to think in the order of the language of their 
 country, whereas the " French " system teaches the pupils to think 
 in the order of signs, which is an inverted order, as far as English 
 and all other European languages go, e.g. " Cart draw horse." 
 It also ignores particles and other things necessary to ordinary 
 English. 
 
 Here a few words on the " Combined " method may not be 
 out of place. It is so called, because it tries to combine parts of 
 each of the two great opposing systems. The teaching, however, 
 being lased on signs, is far nearer the " French " than the 
 " German" system, though some articulation is attempted with 
 each pupil. A system which has brought, and always will bring, 
 articulation into disrepute, for it is useless to think of teaching 
 articulation successfully unless it be, as in the "German" system, 
 the hasls of instruction ; so that the pupil may always think and 
 express ideas in the order of the language of his country, which is 
 
 (i) Tho "German" system was never taught in England, unless by S. 
 John of Beverley, till the latter half of this (19th) century.
 
 21 
 
 next to impossible for him to do if taught upon any system whicli 
 is based on signs. Signs are, also, much easier than articulation 
 to the deaf. The two have nothing in common. The easier will 
 always supersede the harder in the affection and practice of the 
 pupil. 
 
 It may be said " Why then set such great value on articulation, 
 if so hard to be obtained ? " Putting aside the fact that, if signs are 
 prohibited, articulation is not "so hard to be obtained," we value 
 it thus highly because it enables the pupils to think, read, write 
 and speak, with comparative ease, in the language of their country. 
 By so doing it makes them less separated from hearing persons ; 
 makes them figuratively less deaf, and really less dumb — indeed 
 not dumb at all — and so enables them to fight their way in the 
 world far better than those who have been taught under the 
 " French " system. 
 
 It may however be asked "Are the deaf and dumb really able 
 to speak ? " I answer. No ; the " deaf and dumb " cannot speak, 
 and never will be able to do so, to any profit ; it is too late for 
 them. Tou cannot make the manufactured article take again 
 the shape of the raw material — you cannot make this paper 
 return to its original condition of flax, cotton, or grass. Tou 
 forget that there is no such thing as one " deaf and dumb " by 
 nature. Alas! many are born deaf ; but, happily, none need be 
 dumb on that account. It cannot be too often reiterated that 
 the born deaf are, at first, just the same in all other respects 
 as hearing babies. Their voices, yes, their voices — all have 
 voices — are just the same ; they cry, crow, laugh, aye and 
 talk too, like hearing children, only we do not understand 
 their language. What mother understands all her hearing baby 
 says at first ? ^ But it will be said, " Even if this be 
 so, hearing children can understand what is said to them 
 and that is what deaf ones never can " — really ! can hearing 
 children understand all that is said to them ? then whv 
 
 I It is the commonest occurrence for mothers not even to discover for 
 months, often for two ye.ars, that their chiklren have been born deaf! So little 
 difference is there between the hearing and the deaf at tliat early age.
 
 do mothers and nurses say the same thing over and over again a 
 hundred times? And, ^vhen the hearing child can imitate what is 
 said to it, does it therefore know tlie meaning? does it know what 
 "Papa" or "Mamma" mean because it can say the words ? of 
 course not. The objects must be shewn with the words spoken, 
 and shewn over and over again, too, before the hearing child can 
 connect the object with the spoken word ; and so, exactly so, is it 
 ■with the deaf child: you do not let it go on talking its own lan- 
 guage; but, just as with the bearing, you educate it to repeat cer- 
 tain sounds after you and to connect those sounds, (spoken words), 
 with certain objects — only with the deaf you cannot teach through 
 the ear and so must through the eye. It is all by imitation, as 
 with the hearing child ; it does not " come natural," as unthinking 
 people so often say, either to the hearing or to the deaf. 
 
 Here it may be well to say a few words about those who have left 
 Institutions and school life and gone out into the world. It is a 
 fact I have never heard disputed that toto-congenitals educated 
 on the " French " system seldom or never rise, even in the hum- 
 bler walks of life.' True, they are very often good workmen, 
 skilful lithographers or the like, but rarely if ever become master 
 men with others employed under them. Such, however, is not 
 so much the case with those taught on the " German " system — 
 many more rise in life. The greater ease with which the}- can 
 communicate with the outer world is a great help to them. Some 
 rise to be wealthy. We saw one in Vienna, a fancN'-leather mer- 
 chant — all the cases I am now speaking of are toto-congenital — 
 who employed seventy men under him ; whose premises the 
 Emperor and Empress of Austria visited before the great Vienna 
 Exhibition ; who could not only speak the language of his country 
 fluently, but also a little English ; who had visited England and 
 other countries ; was a practical horticulturist and altogether an 
 agreeable, intelligent, wealthy man — wealthy through his own 
 talents and industry. 
 
 We ourselves have seen many toto-congenitally deaf, in almost 
 
 I That is, outside the Institutions ; some bocomo tcacbere in " French " 
 system schools.
 
 23 
 
 every rank of life, who, had they been educated, as almost all are 
 in our own land, on the "French" system, would have been called, 
 and rightly so too, "deaf and dumb," but with whom we conversed 
 ■ — understanding their speech and being understood by them, 
 though we were foreigners. We do not pretend to assert, and we 
 do not believe any " German " system teacher ever has asserted, 
 that the toto-congenitally deaf can ever speak as well as hearing 
 persons : but we do assert that they can be taught to speak, so as 
 to be understood by all ; aud to read the lips of others, so as to 
 understand nearly all that is said to them. It appears hardly 
 necessary to insist upon the great value of speech to the deaf; it 
 seems to need no argument in its favour; only so much discredit is 
 attempted to be thrown by " French " system teachers on the use 
 the deaf make of speech in after life, that I will give the par- 
 ticulars of one of the cases that have come under our special notice. 
 
 We went into a hatter's shop in Friedberg who had a toto- 
 congenital deaf workman. That very morning a man had been 
 convicted for theft, principally on the evidence given, viva voce, 
 in open court by that deaf workman ; who stood the test of exam- 
 ination and ci'oss-examination without any other method of com- 
 munication being used than word of mouth. 
 
 It may be well to devote a short space to one of the many helps 
 that have been proposed for aiding the great systems in the 
 education of the deaf; I allude to Bell's system of "Visible Speech," 
 which is attracting so much attention at the present time. 
 
 Mr. Ellis, the greatest living authority on the subject, declares 
 " Visible Speech " to be " The most scientific of all systems of 
 phonetics."^ This — the life-long work of his father, commenced 
 by his grandfather — Professor Graham Bell, an Englishman of 
 rare talents and enthusiasm, now residing at Boston, Mass., 
 U.S.A., is applying to the education of the deaf. His system 
 has not been long enough tried for its results to be spoken of with 
 certainty ; but I am doubtful how far it will be of service in the 
 early instruction of the deaf. Miss Ellen L. Barton, a highly 
 
 (i) Alexander -John ElHs, F.E.S., F.S.A., Author of "Early English 
 Pronunciation " &c.
 
 24 
 
 gifted American lady, (we engaged an American to teach our 
 child, as we could not find an English lad}' who understood the 
 "German" system — preferring to risk somewhat of the American 
 accent to that of the German or Dutch — she has now taught an 
 English lady to follow her in the instruction of our child and is 
 leaving for America in a few days' — Miss Barton, I say), has used 
 "Visible Speech " with our own child ; but I doubt its utility to 
 one so young : for phonetics have one of the disadvantages of 
 signs that those taught thereby have a double brain-process to 
 go through, they have to think in phonetics before they can get 
 the pronunciation of ordinary Avriting ; true, there is no inverted 
 order as in signs, but there is the double process ; and education 
 is sufficiently hard for the deaf, in any case, without extra 
 work of this kind. 
 
 Of the value of Bell's system to teachers — to shew them, 
 in outline, the positions which the vocal organs assume in 
 the formation of all the various sounds and combinations 
 of which the human voice is capable — I have no doubt; nor 
 of its value to the deaf — to enable them to correct their pro- 
 nunciation in after life. His system, is briefly, to sketch a sort 
 of section of the vocal organs which the pupils soon leai'n to 
 understand ; and then each sound or combination is expressed by 
 one or more symbols, representing the position of the vocal 
 organs necessary to make such sound or combination. 
 
 It is not my intention to enter into the details of the instruc- 
 tion pursued in the education of the deaf under the " German" 
 and " French " systems, but it may be well briefly to note one or 
 two of the chief characteristics of each in practice and the results 
 obtained. Let us take the " French " system first, as best known 
 in this country. 
 
 And here let mc pay a just tribute to the good done by the 
 schools established on this system in the United Kingdom. Till 
 
 (i) We were unable to procure anyone to teacb our child at home ; bad we 
 been inclined to part witb ber, wo certainly sbould bave sent ber to Miss Hull's 
 excellent Scbool in Kensington — tbe only one in England tbat we know of 
 conducted on tbe "German" system by an English person. Miss Hull's is a 
 private School.
 
 25 
 
 recently schools on the " French " system only have been at work 
 amongst us. Though we cannot but regret that such should have 
 been the case, I gladly bear testimony to the many, many bles- 
 sings conferred on the deaf of this land by their means. The 
 teachers of this system adopt the signs made by the different 
 pupils on entering school, and — with others taught to them — 
 thei'eby explain almost ever^'thing throughout the whole period 
 of their instruction. Of course writing is also used ; but it is 
 on signs that the teachers rely to convey their own ideas, and 
 receive back those of the pupils. 
 
 It will be obvious from this that the signs in one Institution 
 differ in many points from those in others ; so that a new teacher 
 requires a long time thoroughly to understand them. To 
 shew the great difference in signs for the same thing in various 
 places take those used for man in this country and America; here 
 we stroke the chin — to denote the beard ; there the hand is raised 
 to the side of the head, and jerked outwards — to denote the action 
 of the hand in removing the hat from the head, as in bowing. 
 Nothing can be more dissimilar than these. It takes a person 
 3'ears to become a thoroughly good teacher of signs i.e., to be a 
 skilled teacher in a "French" system school. 
 
 On the other hand, fathei', mother, sister, anyone can teach a 
 child on the " German " system ; for there is no strange language 
 to be mastered, as in the " French " — all is done in that used by 
 the teacher in ordinary conversation. " To teach our system 
 there are but three things wanted," say the Gei-mau teachers, 
 "patience, patience, patience." What a comfort is here! what 
 a comfort to feel that, if there be not a good school to send the 
 child to, if there be not a skilled teacher to be had, the child need 
 not be sent to a " French " system school, there to be manufoc- 
 tm-ed into a deaf and dumb person, but may be educated at home 
 and enabled to talk with its brothers and sisters (and others, 
 of course, too), if only one member of the family can give up 
 sufficient time and has — always remember — the patience necessary 
 for success. Pei'sons in almost every rank of life have been known 
 to carry this out practically, some with little time to give fur the 
 work.
 
 26 
 
 It is only too common for people to be unduly astonished 
 when a child is first able to articulate a word or two, and to be 
 just as unduly disappointed that, after that, the child cannot talk 
 and understand eveiything all at once. Great harm is often done 
 by the expression of these feelings, and the impatience shewn by 
 parents and friends who visit the schools. The result too often 
 is that the teachers are almost forced to make their pupils " show 
 off" more ; and, sometimes even, leaim much that should not be 
 taught at first, and so the poor children are injured, often 
 irreparably. 
 
 It cannot be too clearly borne in mind that there are three 
 chief things to be taught the deaf, articulation (with hp reading), 
 language and onental development ; and the skilful, conscientious, 
 good teacher of the "German" system will never allow any one of 
 these to be in advance of the other : it is not always an easy task 
 under any circumstances ; I beseech anxious parents not to make 
 it impossible by their impatience — in the end they will be fully 
 rewarded. "To be well grounded is half the battle" in all educa- 
 tion, but more than half with the deaf; the difficulty with them to 
 get out of bad or slovenly habits of speaking, writing or thought 
 being ten-fold greater than with hearing persons. Oh ! if parents 
 would but be anxious for good, not much, teaching ! There need 
 be no limit to the power of the deaf, when once well grounded, educa- 
 ting themselves after they leave school, provided they have the 
 time and desire to do so. But if they are turned out with uneven 
 teaching — and either their language exceed their speech, in 
 which case they will never be able to use that language, vocally, 
 with comfort ; or their knowledge exceed their power of expres- 
 sing it — they will be disheartened and seldom if ever improve in 
 after years; in running the race of life one leg being shorter than 
 the other they will never try to win. 
 
 And here I would entreat parents, relations, masters, teachers and 
 all to be very gentle, firm and even in their behaviour to the deaf, 
 and to the deaf and dumb ; not very kind at one time, cold at 
 another and angry at a third : the deaf cannot pick up, and there- 
 fore cannot realize, the hundred and one little things which go
 
 27 
 
 towards causing difference of manner in ordinary people, as 
 hearing persons can, and so are very sensitive and extremely sus- 
 picious if tliey think they liave been wronged or deceived. On 
 the other hand, if always evenly treated, they do not know what 
 suspicion and doubt mean. 
 
 Many persons think it the duty of the State to ]3rovide for the 
 education of all deaf children ; or to see that their parents or 
 relations, or the Guardians of the Poor, do so. For, not only is 
 there the loss, through want of education, of many who might 
 have been made useful members of the community, but the un- 
 educated deaf-mute is often very dangerous to society, more 
 resembling an animal than a human being, having — unlike the 
 blind — all his faculties for mischief in full force but his sense of 
 moral obligation unawakened and his passions unrestrained. You 
 can picture to yourselves, then, the terrible condition of the wholly 
 uneducated ; of whom alas ! there are, I believe, vast numbers in 
 this land.^ 
 
 Noble indeed are those who take up the education of the deaf 
 and carry it out conscienciously, lovingly, sweetly. There is great 
 want of such teachers. The demand for them will soon be even 
 greater ; for, without in any way interfering with the old Institu- 
 tions, many new ones must be started, to help and extend the work 
 of the few, but excellent, ones now existing on the " German " 
 system. Great is the good the " French " system schools have 
 done; great is the good they may yet do; for we cannot, unfortu- 
 nately, hope to educate all on the "German" system: weak intel- 
 lects, want of time and early education unfit many of the deaf for 
 this method of instruction ; but let us educate all we can on this, 
 the better, system. I believe it to be practicable with the majority 
 
 (i) In 1871 there were 2,000 deaf and dumb under education. This, at one 
 sixth of the whole number of the deaf and dumb in the United Kingdom, (the 
 proportion that ought to be at school, as given in the Education Act of 1870,) 
 would give a total of 12,000 only ; whereas we know by the Census of that year 
 that the number was, at least, 19,237. And, when it is borne in mind how 
 much larger a proportion of the deaf and dumb than of the hearing are of a 
 school age, owing to the shorter average of their lives, we may fairly reckon 
 that 4,000 ought to be under education.
 
 28 
 
 of toto-congenitals, all semi-mutes and almost all the semi-deaf. 
 
 And it should be borne in mind that it is for the poor that educa- 
 tion on this system is so especially desirable. It is to the poor that 
 the gift of speech is of such great value, to enable them to make 
 themselves understood by the world at large. It is not of so 
 much consequence in the case of the rich, for they will always 
 have a home where they can converse with friends, and with 
 those who have time to learn their methods of commuuication. 
 
 But we must have teachers or we shall never get schools. The 
 great want is a Training College for Teachers. The want is 
 felt on all hands — will no one help ? How many men of education 
 are there who now go out as Missionaries! all honour to them — how 
 many ladies go as nurses ! all honour to them also : if there 
 be any here who desire to devote their lives to a noble, tliough 
 different, cause let them train the deaf to speak and to read the 
 lips of others. Then, not only in figure but in truth, may in our 
 own times, to a very great extent, be realized the fulfilment of that 
 glorious promise, " The ears of the deaf shall be unstopjied * * 
 and the tongue of the dumb sing."' 
 
 But, in conclusion, it is not only those who devote themselves 
 to the work of teaching to whom we look for assistance in this 
 matter. To say nothing of money — always wanted — every one 
 can help the good cause by making known the benefits of the 
 system. And also — let everyone remember this — by immediately 
 reporting every case of the uneducated deaf: one boy was so 
 brought from Africa and became one of the brightest pupils of 
 the Liverpool School. 
 
 All can help in some way. Ail can help by speaking of the 
 deaf no longer as "deaf and dumb" but as "deaf, not dumb." 
 Once more, I beseech you, bear alwaj^s in mind that there is no 
 such thing as a person born deaf and dumb because deaf. 
 
 Let us never rest, therefore, till Ave have secured that in our 
 own land, at least, the i)recious gift of speech be preserved, 
 
 Isaiah xxxv., 5, 6.
 
 29 
 
 ti-ained and made the utmost of. Let us never rest until we 
 have wiped out the reproach that, by our very education itself, we 
 have made many, very many, " Deaf and Dumb;' who might 
 and ought to have been DEAF not DUMB. 
 
 FINIS
 
 ^ 1^^ 
 
 * ■IT * '7 T^iB