The Savannah morning news., 1900-06-19
HEARING WITH THE EYES.
REMARKABLE PROGRESS MADE IN
SCIENCE OF SPEECH READING.

Deaf Persons. Guided by Eyesight.
Able TO Converse FreeIy-OnIy
Small Minority of the People Hear
PerfectIy-A Southern Mntron Who
Had No Trouble COnceaIing Her
Affection.
From the Chicago Chronicle
1t is estimated that more than 100000 per-
sons in the United States under S5 years
of age have grown deaf since their teens.
A large proportion of these have sustain
ed almost complete loss of aural power
How to benefit this constantly increasing
class of sufferers is matter af far-reach-
ing interest and is engaging the attention
and most earnest investigation of numer-
GUS scientists Many educators, TOO are
engaged in efforts TO ameliorate the condi-
ton of such are called upon to bear
with this affection. The Volta bureau OF
Washington d. c., under the supervision
of DR.. Alexander Graham Bell, who him
self conversed with his profoundly deaf
mother by placing his lips on one of her
closed eyes and the laboratory expert
ments at Clark University bear witness to
the progress made in this important sub
jet. Aside from the almost totally deaf
adults. growing is the number who have
one defective ear and are forced to take
front seat in church or public hall, while
never will be known the army who are
conscious of gradual failing of the hearing
sense and are wondering how soon their
friends will find it out. Curious IS the
authenticated fact that only small minor
ity of people hear well. 1t is much hard
er TO bear deafness which has come after
once knowing the pleasures possible
through the sense of hearing. The mem
DRY of ii is prone to make d-of-hearing
adults suspicious. They are painfully sem
stive TO the publicity given by talking to
them in a loud voice. They shrink in
stinctively from the use of artificial aids
to hearing. Why conversational tubes or
ear trumpets should not be as commonly
employed as are eye glasses and specta-
cles-the need is scarcely less great-only
the pride of the hard-of-hearing can ex-
plain. 1t Is less than thirty years since
the first effort was made to teach the deaf
10 speak Such progress has been made in
the interval with deaf children that they
are now being largely taught to substitute
the eye for the ear. Out of twenty years
of varied experience in teaching children
of defective speech and hearing a clever
woman evolved some six or seven years
ago a unique method, which is working
miracles for the hard-of-hearing adults,
no less than the totally deaf
Kept Her secret Well
The remarkable progress made by those
who study what may be called the science
of speech reading is illustrated in the
case of a charming matron from the
South, whose story was recently told to
a writer for the New York Tribune She
was among the guests last winter at
house party in a wel-known country seat
on Long Island sound. Winsome in her
beauty, possessed of a sprightly Wit and
gracious IN manner she was the belle
of the party. She was compelled to re-
turn to her Southern home before the
party broke up, and many were the ex-
pressions of regret at her reluctant de-
parture.
And TO think, she is deaf-totally
deAf!' sighed the hostess, as the car
riage turned toward the station, leaving
the group on the veranda disconsolate.
Dear they repeated in chorus.
Deaf? What do you mean?"
Lucretia Throckmorton is as deaf as
a post. She has never heard a word
spoken to her while in this house It's
years since the sound of a human voice
mas reached her clever brain"
Incredulity was on every face; protest
in every voice.
Nonsense said one, It have talked
with her by the hour, and 1 am sure she
heard every word"
another. Indeed, so quick was the re-
Spouse that she seemed almost to divine
my thoughts"
Il made love 10 her as industriously cs
is my wont" confessed a gallant from
the neighboring military post land l
swear not a word of il was lost"
Disclosure Came With Darkness
Il am not surprised" smiled the hos
tess, that you doubt my word. l we'd
- raT1y r.rstl,
discovered her atfiiction. In all probabl-
ity would never have suspected il had
not circumstances forced Us one night to
share the same bedroom Not until the
lights were out and there was 10 response
to my repeated remarks did it dawn upon
me that my compa Mon was as deaf es
the bedpost. Next day l learned her
story and believe me, the day Ct mira
cles has not passed. She had been s.ead-
lily growing deaf since girlhood, but ii was
not until after her mirriage that it be-
came a source of such embarrass nelt
that she was forced 10 retire from socie-
ty. Her mother had throat trouble, and
il was such an eXertion for her to make
her daughter hear that often week
passed without word being exchanged
between them. Aurists declared her ears
beyond medical skill. Artificial aids
trumpet, fan, conversation tubes-only
added TO her embarrassment without re-
lieving her trouble.
cut off from all her temperament,
youth and beauty craved. she was border
ing upon melancholia when a friend sim
ilarly afflicted summoned her to New
York. For some time she was absent from
home, to return TO it literally reborn. The
strained worried expression, inseperable
from the faces of the deaf, gradually dis
appeared and to the surprise of her fam
lily and friends she was not only able 70
carry on conversation. but soon look up
her old piaCe i'm the social world.
How does she hear?"
with her eyes. It's called speech
reading
Hardly one of the astonished listeners
had ever heard of speech read
ing until then and several knew II charm
ing people to whom it VII perhaps ere
long prove a blessing