New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-07-10
LIP LANGUAGE.


STATE LEGISLATION AND PERMANENT Es-
TABLIsHMENT.
NORTHAMPTON, Mass, July ct was not
until about the middle of the last century that any at
tenti0n was given in Europe to the plan OF collecting
into schools charitable institutions for the purpose OF
education persons born deaf as well as those VINO had
become at early age by accident Almost from INC
beginning of the movement two systems OF instruction
for this class OF people have received the attention OF
phanthropsts and perpexed tho minds of Instructors
or these systems IL ia not definitely known which is the
moro ancient But the probabilities that the panto-
mimic method Of deaf-nute instruction dates back 10
the days when the first person was born WIN
out development OF the organs OF hearing Inc other
method which may be designated as the rational one
probably suggested itself 70 intelligent minds deeply
interested in the subject mental culture began to de-
yeop higher spheres Of intellectual action. The pano-
mimic method is based upon the first crude signs and
gestures made by human being who has no other me
dunn OF expression for his wants and emotions. Upon
this has been built up cOpOus language sufficient Tor
the actual and practical necessities OF e but not APP
propriate for the highest mental culture. This language
is only known TO the deafmute in its most elementary
principles when he enters upon course OF instruction
in it, To become proficient in II several years are re-
oured It's greatest recommendation lies in the fact
that 1t appeals entirely TO the eye, which, in the deaf
mute supersedes the ear, and the greatest objection
which can be TO 1t is the difficulty OF translating 1t
into written language to which 1t Is directly antago
nistc. II deafmutes TO live in separate commu
nties and hold intercourse with hearing and speak
ing people, the evils attendant on such method OF
instruction would not be very great.
The second or artificial SYSTEM as it is called by some
is based upon the proposition that deamutes are per
suffering from deafness alone This seems to be the
most reasonable theory, for they make many inartcu
late and artcuate sounds Many persons will call
IN min which known "a
mute to taught say various simple words such as
"papa"" mamma" &C., but there are few who are aware
TO what extent the nerves of feeling serve sonedeaf
people in the place Of They receive to greater
or less extent according to the decacy and suscept
bity Of their systems ali the surface OF
their bodies various vibrations, waves OF sound,
especially through their hands and feet. deafmute,
with his hand upon throat chest, and his eyes
fixed upon your lips and the apparent muscles Of
your throat conscious Of the sound that You make in
speaking and that it requires certain motion OF
TIE lips Let suppose this sound to be- not the name
OF letter. but its power, is exemplifed when letters
are blended into a word. He feels the sound and sees
the motion which is required in giving this power He
tries to reproduce the sound himself by doing Just
you do AT first, his attempts are imperfect; but he
gains facility as he proceeds Byandby he can com
bne sounds into words And all this time. from being
compelled watch your lips, he has been learning not
only TO talk but TO understand what you say to him.
Every word that he learns to speak and to read from
your lips is one step toward improving his means Of
intercourse with the world at large; while In panto-
mimic instruction. for every sign that is taught him. he
must find equivalent in written language, which has
no connection with Thus, If it be true that any
language he acquire is foreign to the mute, when he
learns the pantomimc system and translates 1t into
words that written and spelled he really learns two
languages instead OF onethe words which he must
his with the world whereas If he be taught
nofs ip
his means of intercourse will be greatly facilitated and
he will be dsencumbeTed of the clumsy machinery OF
language which is only understood by few persons
These two systems are divergent that they only
be taught separately. Until within few years the
panomimc system has prevailed in France and in Great
Britain, while in Germany the plan of teaching deaf
mutes to artcuate and read the lips has been adopted
to such an extent that 1t is often called the Germanic
system Of deamute education. In this country the sub
feet began 10 receive attention about 80 years after pub
lie institutions this class began TO be established In
the Old World. incident, seemingly simple In II
self but greatest Importance the pantommic ys-
TEN was the that first introduced into America
and II has been up to within few years the only
taught in any school In the latter part of 1884, Miss
Harriet Rogers OF North Billerica, Mass, decided to
take charge of little deaf girl and teach her
to speak. This child to all practical intents
deaf and mute She had entirely lost her hearing
at the age of three and half years, and when she
passed into Miss Rogerss she was eight years old
had forgotten every word she knew with the ex
ceptiOn OF "bOy" and one other word which sounded
almost as much like papa it did like mamma. She had
received no instruction whatever, and possessed
only of the average intelligence of children Of her age
Miss Rogers possessed singular aptitude for the work
of teaching but hitherto she had taught only children
in full possession OF their She knew nothing OF
the various methods by which experienced teacher Of
deafmutes reach their minds almost at the begin
ming his work. She aware, from rumors that had
reached her. that system for teaching articulation TO
those who dumb by of deafness was at the
time praetced in Germany; but all that she knew on
the subject contained in slip cut from an old news
paper and given her by friend. The following extracts
from little wel-w0rn and wellthumbed blankbook,
which have before me, will be interesting than
anything that could be written the subject This little
blank book was a sort of MS spelng-boOk, which the
teacher invented for her scholar and in which all the
words are done with the pen in the form of printed
characters But there is little space reserved in which
few brief notes Of the pupils progress were made
from time TO time, accompanied by dates The modest
writer Of this little chronicle little knew its true value,
from practical point of view, at the time that 1t was
written. 1t is better than half dozen lectures on the
subject, since il is severe and conscientious report
made by the of the pupils progress during the
most important period the experiment This chronicle
says:
"Began to teach her Fanne) Nov 16, 1864 In "A days
she learned IL letters. These were all that she could
learn without difficulty Sometimes she would be three
or four weeks trying TO get sound before she succeeded
s. for instance, and a. took much longer time In less
than two months she could tell all the letters but
She could say bog when she came to me. The 10th Of
January 1865 she could say table UdT toO, Jour, man,
girl lady The last three could understand but they
poorly said. She could at this time count on her
fingers and learning TO write had taken the mtia-
tory steps, and written one wOrd-Ddn
"Feb 9, lS65.-Fame can now read the words on page
80 OF this book about 4S words OF one two and three
sylabes each, such high, HHy eighty one hundred,
horse &c and the sentences pages 80 and 80 about
n sentences like see you; You hare UdrB cdter; Ny
table is high, &c.l. now Obge her 10 ask, May hare
my table or, May hare Uaterf before she have
them.
"March q 1sC5-Fannie to me, after looking out
Of the window, and said horse. IL Is the first
assistance.
April l, ls65-she write about half the capt.
tails she writes words very nicely. She can now speak