The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-04-12
HeAeD THE DUMB SPEAK.
Education of The Deaf Described and IL
Illustrated at A oademy of Medicine.

The Maine Academy of Medicine at us
monthly nlG citing in this city last even
ing, departed from it's customary routine
in several particulars. 1t was ladies'
night, and in gathering of about lou
more than 100'were representatives OF the
fair sex.
The business session was very brief.
DIR. c. ". Stockman of Augusta, Or.
Randall H. Blanchard of Deering and DR..
w. B. Becker of Auburn were admitted
to membership. 1T was voted to accept
the invitation of the Lewiston and Au-
burn physicians to hold the May meeting
in Lewiston.
The evening was chiefly devoted to a
consideration of the work of the Maine
School for the Deaf, a Portland institu-
ton of which the city has reason to be
proud. An interesting paper by Miss
Taylor, principal of the school, was read
by Mrs. DIR. Hersopl. Following is an
abstract of it,:
THE EDUCATION OF THE DEAF.
AT no period in the history Of the edu-
cation Of the deaf has the prospect for
the deaf child been SO bright as the pres
ent. Methods have been improved, ad
vancement and progress are being made
in this, as in all other educational move
ments, generous provision has been made
by Legislatures, private funds have been
literally contributed, and the pubic Is
evinoing greater sympathy and interest
in the work than ever before.
Efforts were made TO educate the 0eal
as early as 1854 by Able De PEpee, q
priest of Paris, and the same year i'll
Dresden by Samuel Skinickl, a soldier;
followed in 1850 by Thomas Braidwood. q
teacher of elocution in Edinburgh; but
it was not until 1917 that the first actual
America. Through tie efforts of Thorn
as Hopkins Gallaudet this school was es-
tablished in Hartford, Connecticut, and
the year following the New York Institu-
tion was incorporated, and the school in
Philadelphia had its beginning about the
year 1919
When the child first comes to school
kindergarten methods are adopted, and
he is taught to recognize and compare
FORMS colors, sizes, textures. etc. Mouth
and tongue movements are practlced.
lip reading begun and the written and
spelled forms of common objects and ac-
tions are taught. Every effort Is made
to cultivate the sense of touch, as with
these little people touch and sight must
do double duty.
The smallest modicum of hearing can
be utilized to a greater or less extent. The
voice of child with slight degree OF
hearing is always better than one totally
deaf. We have in the school little girl,
who when first admitted heard only I'M
Ineligible noises, and for year could
distinguish not more than half dozen
words. This dormant hearing has been
developed and utilized, and by earnest
and persistent effort she has been taught
to recognize sounds as elements OF speech,
until she has hearing vocabulary al
most equal to her written vocabulary.
The percentage OF hearing remains the
same, but it has been aroused, cultivated
and utilized until her sensibility of sound
is keener and more alert-in other words
she is gaining the hearing habit.
Prof. S. r. Walker is authority for the
statement that cit has been shown that
a person with 60 per cent. of hearing, if
he be of phlegmatic temperament, slow
of perception, indolent and mentally dull
may, il no interference supervepe, live
long life without ever uttering a word or
compromising word spoken to him, -
and from personal observation OF such
cases, it is my opinion that if the educa-
tional interference does not supervene at
wildered by the succession of unintellig-
ible sounds until the mental activity
and the mind perception is irreyocably
dulled.
The moral status of the pupil is quite
mp to his hearing fellows. We have the
spirit ever present. and the faith of the
little child OF which the Bible tells us.
idea of Divine Being, but in a few
months, with no prompting but the gem
eral instruction which he receives he may
be found on his knees uttering the only
appropriate language which he knows,
"Come to me. [ love you" and this
prayer, no doubt, is carried quite as near
the Great White Throne as the learned
dogmas of the most eloquent divine The
deaf are more obedient, tractable and
teachable and quite as lovabie as hearing
children. They are capable OF more con-
centration and are greater seekers after
knowledge than average hearing children.
There is no obstacle that q teacher OF
the deaf has to meet greater than Love-
of self, guided under tho title Of parental
affection. When father removes con-
tented child from school after one week
of happiness, because he (the father can
not sleep, is not compulsory education for
the deaf to be demanded?
The subject of the education of the deaf
can scarcely be discussed without some
reference to Helen Keller. Her extraor-
binary use of language. expressing her
keen appreciation of the wonders and
beauties of nature. is simply marvellous
when we remember that her mental de-
velopment has been almost solely through
the sense of touch, she having been de-
prived of perception by sight and sound
at the age of ninteen months. While
at her requirement OF speech
and lip reading. It must not be forgotten
that the susceptibilities of Helen's mind
were appealed to, and her remaining fac:
ulties influence through the medium OF
the manual alphabet. Though the pro
cess proved laborious, it has resulted IN
the development of an intellect phenome-
nal in its grasp and which now is being
perfected not by knowledge. but by ac-
tivity."
Statistics show that in the United
States congenital deafness occurs on an
average of one in every $500, and deafness
from all causes on an average OF one IN
every 1900
Congenital deafness is caused by the
blood relationship of parents, one or both
parents congeni!a'ly deaf. and by scrotn-
la. Sporadic deafness is caused by Halls:
rights, blows. fevers. ETC., and BY varl-
Gus throat diseases which may affect the
ear. The American or Combine System
tho yuIn ~,