Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1893-06-26

HOW THE BLIND READ
The Sense Of Vision Superseded
BY That Of Touch.
~PolNI' sYsIEm Of TODAY
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nzsssd frsssssx--rhs rsrss Esxlksh
nosk - Ensis,h Btasss<a Lsssss&

n h tins nfnese<nsn e>nsury. 49,
hp>ms With the sislblD svidsoeos a
wandnrfzI prcgress in ali the ssss snd
hsioassa. shso III pssxincss 81 ths bese
mnuius ara etvs1Asntion - the wosa
nh ~ ezhiosssA - the gress Coiu~
No. szpsssesso. the grsndesr end a.
49, unGn3opencs q wh5eh The bsight
- hnman eye - inadeqaats - psr-
~. u = pdelfAl "a cosssn,plass ths
nnus thss th>ss are thsaaaadk of hu-
80 hsknxs who are hsrult 81 The price
49, bosn Of sssing - .ass b con-
nnns wiah ~ aeuenl sssn~povts thss
oone thrusDh so0mnnion with those
Rho are pssnSes<d 10 see sh6s rsvels-
ojon IL tia osnsariesA The san ~ M
euru never <lAhpe. for them They are
n pxrprtsal darkness They 90 in
and out ~nd hold communication. with
vnrfed forms and invisible speech, BY
che way IL the velvet road nj feeling
Or stonx abe sounding strand Of hear
1nx. ban thr cvy-tsi yates are cics>d
With the eyes Of the Understanding
they cone down - the avenues ct EN-
trance into the world Of light. but
sher~ they stand AMI wait AMI feel and
1i~sen-
The genius OF man has been slow 20
grspplr with th~ problem u desising
practical methods for the Successful
Instruction OF the blind
NGnifestly the first consideration In
dcvisinx a scheme that viii enable the
blind 20 acquire knowledge j. the con-
trivscec of q system of printing and
writing that will enable them % read
aat write without the sense of sight
The ~rnse Of vision i a prerequisite
~ an adequate conception 81 the ma
turc aud relationship of our environ
ments. Il isthe sense rnost frequently
ors,agA, into rcfuisificp By the human
mind. and contributes more largely
than any other TO our happiness
cl0ss study 81 the natural laws that
govern the operation Of the perceptive
fzcunles viii reveal the fact that the
lo->@ - THIS important sense of sight
Sharr<ns and aece.erst~s the mental
processes Ia a phenofnenal degree.
fss-eft 81 the sense Of vision the hu-
man raird il forced 10 depend upon that
otaer most important function. closely
allied - II in OR physiological econo-
ny. She sense of touch II Il a beauti-
IA And prevalent iispens&sion of the
eli-aie srther that the sense Of touch
IN lis sii,-hks 81 children should have
teer enaoqssc with susecp.ibllities of
high orelcr. To the person that Is
born biind the idea OF something ex-
ss-rs,oi g. ourselves rests almost entire
gv arau vac sense 81 touch. The seat
Of tris 1snse i tbs cat1ncous surface
a. The body. which consists of eonern-
trse rows az small. eonieal elevations
knosxa a. papilin-. IN which the nerve
eh~r~ terminals. anl which. when da-
vslyps,d ~ condition 81 acute sensi-
biiitr. transmit. - the brain the nature
Of the cojesf with which they come in
contact w,sh the certainty and velocity
cf ne eie, |ric current On the palmer
surface 81 the hand. particularly at the
tips OF tfs fingers. these papiliac are
raorc sensitive than Al any other point
on the surface of the body, except at
the Up II the tongue.
10 was natural sequence Of these
facts that The esrli-s. efforts of the
edursfa-s Of the blind were directed
toward the invention If a system @!
raised. or cmbos<ed. letters. that would
enable the blind 10 read easily and
quickly ~ the sense OF touch
The earliest recorded instances Of
reading BY The sense " touch are
fornd IN the history az some South
American tribes who Rad by a system
OF strings tied with numerous knots OF
different soo~ and At various distances
a = IL.
bet,eal si9niGcance. When the span.
iar,is invaded Peru they found these
ma 49, II yVpoie n strings and knots Sc
cnrs.iy stored away In Substantially
constrnctrd boxes.
Instructors OF En-, blind who have
rnasi- s.usiy OF the advancement made
an systems - printing and writing are
rrettv generally united in according "a
thr French people the honor Of being
f1reuaost in the work of embo~<esi
printing Tie Ingenious French had
brsaxht shi. art q a remarkable de-
gree 81 perfection almost . half cen
tsrv bsf1rc work - this kind was done
n England sud At least a quarter ~ q
century before any was done in Ger.
many The French schools for ths
blind are The eldest and among the
h~sf 10 me world
The growth and Gradual perfection
81 successful system ~ embossed
PRINTING and writing prccipitated .
severe 1itar controversy il regard T.
the relative merits 81 various alpha
bets. Naturally The first thoaght ws'
~ construct ssries % raised letter.
that should be similar In form N ths
letters Il the English alphabet hu
with certain nsodiications that Should
simriifv them add adapt them more
ree+iiy - the ssnre ~ touch
A brief references - few ~ he r,ors
irnpor.sn, efsorfs N The line Of I'm
lirssea sIphsbets viii suffice for th'
purposes - this paper. The honor %
doing The erst embossed printing ;
usually assrsbes % Valentine Han>v
faander q he first school for Tie blina
bedsfqhtIktsso