The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1847-04-29
TRUSTEES.
In behaBo Of
the State.
In behalf
Of the
Corporation.

geo. IL. IuSSeu,
Charles Sumner,
Boston Jan. l, 1917.
To the Members Of the Corporation.
GENTLEMEN-We respectfully lay before
you the following Report Of the history and
condition of the Institution during tie past
year.
The number Of blind persons, inmates O.
the house, reported in January, 1916, was
Inincty.onc; during the year, twenty-eight
new ones were admitted, and eighteen were
discharged, so that the present number is one
hundred and one This is the largest num-
Der ever connected with the Institution al
any one time but since there has been &
steady increase every year, as the establish
ment has become more widely known, and
since there must be nearly two hundred blind
persons of proper age for instruction in New
England, there is reason to suppose that the
increase will continue in future years, There
is about the same number of blind persons in
every community as there is of deaf mutes
and as the institution at Hartford has some
times had about one hundred and fifty pupils,
it is probable there may soon be as many
blind here, since the two establishments re-
ccive pupils from the same population.
There has been very little sickness of any
kind during the year, and TO case Of mortal
disease. The pupils are kept upon a simple,
wholesome, and regular diet; they are re-
CURED to battle daily in the sea in all mode
rate weather, and in the house in cold wealth
er, and to exercise in the open air; and most
Of them have the reward Of good health. But
like every other school for the blind, ours pre-
sents greater proportion Of scrofulous and
feeble constitutions than is found among an
equal number Of seeing persons, and conse-
quently there are more frequent ailments
among its members.
There is usually striking contrast between
schools for the blind and those for deafmutcs
a difference which is to be accounted foi
mainly by tie different effects of the priya
zion Of sight and Of that Of hearing, upon the
general health
The deaf mute has nothing to prevent him
from INDUCING the desire, SO strong in child.
hood and youth, for continual exercise Of the
body and limbs indeed the priyation of hear
ing, by cutting off some Of those sources OF
mental stimulus which are Of sedentary ma
ture, urges him to move about in the search
of others To him the sofa is an abomina
ton, and sitting still five minutes makes him
feel q" the rack of too easy chair" Move
mcnt is his great delight; some of his mus
clcs are in action during every waking mo
mcnt indeed, he is never completely at rest
for even while he convcrses, his body is in
action, and his eager gesticulations promote
the healthy flow Of his blood.
Not so with the blind man. Movement is
to him difficult, and sometimes dangerous; he
goes about slowly and cautiously, except in
the most familiar PLACES; his pleasures come
through the ear, and hearing is best enjoyed
while the body is at rest. To him the temp
tation of the lolling chair is irresistible; and
if some friend will read to him, in musical
voice, the works Of genius, he will sit and
while The day away, nor envy monarch up
on his throne.
1t is true, that during the period Of child
hood and early youth, nature furnishes such
stock of animal spirits as urges even the
blind boy to physical action; but his desire
for movement and exercise is more generally
rcpresscd than encouraged by those who have
the charge of him and as he cannot run
freely about, he seeks to work off the stint
illus by motion of his body or limbs without
changing his place. Hence it is so common
to see blind persons who have contracted hab.
its of reeling backward and forward, or from
side to side, twitching the head, or jerking
some part of the body; habits which some
times become inveterate, and which make the
subjects of them appear very awkward and
uncouth to seeing persons.
In respect to personal appearance, the con-
trast with deaf mutes is again very striking.
The mutes not only have their frame we'll de-
veloped and their carriage natural and I'M
constrained, but their motions are graceful
and their whole mein is pleasing. Compar-
ed with the blind, they are handsome; and
this is not merely because they have the speak
ing eye and the animated countenance, but
also because they have that ease and grace,
both in their posture and in their motion,
which are to be attained only by constant eX-
ercisc.
The deaf mutes value these advantages of
person very highly, and with good reason;
for they 90 some way tow Ud' compromising
them for their decided inferiority to the blind
in the facilities for developing what are most
valuable in man, the intellectual powers the
moral sentiments, and the social nature.
1t should be the duty of the educators of
blind to urge them in every possible way to
exercise frequently and freely, not merely
the muscles Of the legs in walking, but those
of the whole body by gymnastics of various
kinds. 1t is, however, duty that is seldom
fully discharged because it is one in which ,
the efforts of the instructor are rarely, sec !
onded by the inclination of the pupil. Many
of them come to school after the period of