Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1875-08-03
SPEECH FOR THE DUMB.
A PIne Idea if itProves successfu


The public examination of the children
in the school of the association for the
oral instruction of the deaf and dumb,
at No. II Fitzroy Square. was held on
Thursday, at Seymour Hall, in lower
Seymour street, DR.. g. W. Dassent in
the chair. Lord Granville was pre-
vented from presiding by domestic
affliction. Amman, Swiss physician,
first systemized lip reading, and instruc.
ton is widely given in this way on the
Continent to the deaf and dumb. In
England the ordinary mode of commu-
nication between deaf mutes and those
who converse with them is by gestures
and signs, some OF which are alphabet
cal. 1t is only those who have mixed
much with the deaf and dumb who know
how to communicate with them in this
manner. The advantage Of lip reading
is that it enables the mutes to under
stand the words Of people who have no
special familiarity with their ways, pro.
vided always that the speakers have not
too bushy boards and mustaches. In
the hopeless cases dumbness is result
OF deafness, and when once the atten-
ton is trained to observe the play of the
facial muscles, these movements of the
face can be initiated. By initiating the
actions they see in speaking persons,
the dumb are actually made capable of
speech themselves 80 as to be audible
and ineligible to ordinary people. The
children examined on Thursday had
not attained perfection in this
branch, for the school has only been
open three years, and the course takes
eight. Their voices wandered some
times into strange and mournful caden-
ces; their RS we're usually whole syl-
lables; but at least two pupils made
every word they said clearly end distinct
ly understood. The establishment Of
the institution is due to conferences held
ia 1871, at the house of Baroness Mayer
de Rothschild, who had already founded
the Jews Deaf and Dumb Home on the
same system and under the same man
agement. There are now fifty children
on the books, who all pay the same
amount for their education. Subscrip-
tions are asked for in order to extend
the school, make itpermanent, and seRd
out teachers. After a few words from
Mr.. Van Prsagh, the director of the
school, the childrea came forward in
four groups. First, those who had been
from fortnight to six months in the
school-very little girls and boys-wrote
letters on the blackboard and repeated
them after their teacher. The next class
has been a year in the school, and they
wrote such words as moor" aud
thumb" and read off little sentences
with an eagerness to show their acquire
meuts, and a pleasure Of countenance
and gesture which contrasted strangely
with their hating utterance. The next
group had been two and half years in
the school. They could say "copy-book"
very distinctly, and on being examined
knew that it was made Of paper, and
that it cost four-pence. They worked easy
sums, enumerated the games they had
played-cricket and oot.ball-and the
flowers they knew. They wrote down
from Mr. Van Praaghs dictation SEN
tences which he formed by his lips with
out saying a word. The fourth group of
children, who had been three aud half
years in school, were asked more diff.
cult questions. One had been in Paris,
and liked it very much. They talked
French in Paris, she said, and so one of
the boys was asked what language was
spoken in Melborne. He made an intel
ligent and amusing mistake in replying
Australian" and when he was asked to
what country Iceland belonged, began
guessing England" Ireland, as other
quick boys do. But one of the girls
knew that Iceland belonged to Denmark,
and that from Denmark came the Prin-
cess Alexandra. They knew who fought
the battle of Waterloo, and that Bona.
parte was dead "a long time age"
They knew that Sir John Franklin went
toward the north pole, where he found
ice and snew. He is dead, said one
of the boys, slowly and solemnly. Mr..
Van Praagh invited visitors to come to
the school any day, at 3 o'clock; and
DR.. Dasent in proposing a vote Of thanks
to Mr.. Van Praagh and the assistant
teachers, said that since most of us take
eight or nine years to learn Latin and
Greek, it was not wonderful that deaf
and dumb children should take some
years to learn their first language. The
prizes we're then presented. The chill
dren came as their names were called,
shook hands with the chairman, and
thanked him audibly for the books he
placed in their hands.