St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-07-12

Science ana was near Delng publ1Sheu by
congress- Prof. Bell said the influences of
selection in modifying our breeds Of domes-
tic animals are most marked, and it is reas-
enable to suppose that if we could apply
selection to the human race we could also
produce notifications or varieties of men in
this country of deaf mutes many marry
mutes, and such marriages are not exceptions
but rule. If the laws of hereditage that we
now hold in cases of animals also ap-
ply to man, the inter-marriage
of congenital deaf mutes through a
number of successive generations must re
suit in the formation OF a deaf variety Of the,
human race Pure training upon the sub
ject proves the following points: That deaf
ness runs in certain families. Such families
are now numerous and they are to be found
in all parts of the United States. About one
third of all the pupils in our stltutions have
deaf mute relatives. The significance of
this becomes more apparent when we find
| that in the majority of such
cases pupils have more than
one relative deaf and dumb. While in few
cases as many as fifteen deaf mutes rela-
/ tives are received in the institution, report
estimated from the returns of the census in
dcates more than 10000 deaf mutes in the
country belong to families containing more
than one deaf mute. Fifty-four per cent. of
the deaf mutes of the country are born deaf.
There are 1S,32S congenital and 1850 nom.
congenital deaf mutes in the United States.
More than one-half of the congenital have
deaf mute relatives. Even in cases of per-
sons who have become deaf from accidental
causes IA per cent. have other members of the
family Gdeaf and dumb. Judging from
breeding animals it is estimated thus that
fIapra 1ooo fIn,,
the country. Deafness would probably tend
to become hereditary by inter-marriagcs.
There is also an indication that the hearing
members of these families would be liable to
transmit deafness to their offspring by
marriage with deaf mutes or with hearing
persons belonging to a family containing
deaf mutes. Forty-fve per cent. of the
pupils in our institutions marry,
and of those who marry at the
present time not less than so per cent. marry
deaf mutes. The records of the marriages
of the deaf are very imperfect, but
there is abundant evidence that
there is a tendency among deaf mutes to
intermarry. This tendency has been con-
tinuously exhibited during the past fifty
years. We may anticipate that it will con-
tinue in future so that deaf mute offsprings
Of deaf mutes will in most cases marry deaf
mutes. Thus the work of selection will go
on from generation to generation.
DIR. Turner, of the American asylum.
made an examination Of the marriage of
pupils of his institution ahd found that
where congenital deaf mute had married
hearing person one tenth of the children
were deaf, and where both parents were
| congenitally deaf third of the children
sufficientin number to throw some light
upon the proportion of deaf offspring born
TO deaf mutes compared with the proportion
born to the community at large. The total
number of deaf mutes in the country is 49,,
S78, which gives proportion of one deaf mute
to every 800 population. If the proportion
of deaf mutes originating among deaf mutes
themselves were no greater than in the COM
munity at large they should constitute only
one in 1900 of the deaf mute population. In
other words we should have only twenty three
deaf mutcs in. the United States
who are the children of deaf mutes.
Returns received from institutions, how
ever, show that no less than 215 such chill
dren have already been admitted as pupils
into thirty-fve OF the fifty-eight of the insti-
buttons of the country, twenty three not an
swering the question. Pupils are rarely adj
mitted before they are ten or twelve years of
age, and many do not reach an institution
until they are much older, hence 1t is evident
that this number does not express the total
number of such cases in the United States.
Even if we suppose that no more than TWEEN
| ty-three snch cases are found in the country
the proportion is ten times greater
than in the community at large.
When we consider that nearly all these child
rem are born deaf, whereas nearly one half
the deaf mutes of the country become deaf
from accidental causes, we will realize that
the liability to the production of congenital
deaf mutes is nearer twenty times the popu-
latinn at large to ten times. If we assume
that the proportion who marry is less among
deaf mutes than hearing people, then the
liability to the production of deaf offspring
is greater than the figures given above. 1t
is evident that whatever may be the actual
number of deaf mutes in the country who
have one or both parents deaf, the
true number is very much greater
While we cannot at present arrive at any
percentage, It'll certain that the proportion
of deaf mute offspring born of deaf mute
marriages is not many times greater than
the proportion bop to people at large. The
oldest deaf mute in the country both of
whose parents we're deaf mutes, was born
in 1882, and only eleven of such cases have
been reported who were born before 1910.
These pupils are now only about middle age,
SO it is evident we have admitted into our
institutions only the first generation of
deaf mutes born of deaf parents. A
few cases have been recorded who had
one parent deaf boin in the early
part of the century, and in few of these
families deafness has been handed down
through four generations. There is a case
in New Hampshire of deaf mute born in
1772, who has originated three families of
deaf mutes, in two of which deafness has
been handed down through four generations
and another one through three. There was
another case in Maine of the tran smission
through four generations, and there are
many cases throughout the country Of trans
mission through three generations, A COM
parison of the growth of the deaf mute popu-
lation shows that the congenital deaf mutes
of the country are increasing at greater rate
than the population at large,
and deaf mute children of deaf mutes at
greater rate than the deaf mute population
Thus there is an indication that we are form
ing race of deaf mutes in this country.
Regarding the causes that promote the Sc
lection Mr.. BelFsaid that we separate deaf
mutes from hearing persons in childhood and
collect them in institutions by the hundreds
for the purpose of education. They live in
these institutions and see no other children
than deaf mutes. The language used in
communication is not the English language,
but special language of gestures which was
devised by the Able Delepee, of Paris.
and introduced into this country in
1917. The English language is only taught as
a school exercise in the same way we teach
French and German in The public schools.
~ ~ 4 \ -. A.
means of communication, but are required
to translate from written English to gesture
language and vice-versa. The result is that
that they do not think in English when they
leave school. They flock together into large
cities where they form societies of deaf mules