The Washington times., 1901-12-01
MASSAGE BY THE BLIND.
a Peculiar Capacity for It-OricntnI
Methods.

Among the many philosophical,
scientific, and social-for which Western
civilization is indebted to the Far East,
few are more characteristic of the Orient,
especially of Japan, and at the same time
! easily capable of world wide utility. than
massage.
matter which frequently arouses the
comment of strangers visiting the Eng
land of the East" is that those who are
professionally engaged in this practice
have lost or never possessed the sense of
sight. 1t is quite familiar sight, not
only in cities, but also in villages. to see
blind masseur walking about and calling
out that he is ready to perform massage,
and little enquiry by the interested
foreigner will elicit the fact that the
blind enjoy practically monopoly of this
hygienic and remedial Industry, a privil-
ege which, it would appear, was granted
TO them by a former Emperor several
centuries ago. This custom is in itself
sufficient TO show that the masseurs are
employed by all classes.
The wealthy regularly submit them
selves to the operation after their daily
their days labor completed. have the
soreness taken from their limbs in this
manner The cost is but a trifie, as may
be judged from the fact that the Euro
pean or American who pays the equiva-
lent OF sixpence is thought to be very
generous indeed. II was from Japan that
massage found its way to Russia, where
at first, among the better classes, 1t
fffYn mol Ind hnr alc ha
blind-and they are very numerous in
deed. In Russia-haye been specially Sc
leeted for the work, not merely in order
to find them an occupation by which they
can earn a livelihood but also because
they are peculiarly proficient. In the In
stitute for the Blind in st. Petersburg
considerable number of the inmates are
carefully instructed in tba best methods
of performing massage, and they are also
given an elementary, but very servicea-
BILE. knowledge of some OF the main points
of anatomy and physiology. On the
whole these experiments have worked
well in Russia but such can scarcely be
said to be the case in Germany.
Various attempts have been made in
that country to employ the blind in COM
paratively large numbers as masseurs and
masseuses, but the public hitherto have
not shown much liking for the innovation,
ana consequently II mas not proved 10 De
a success. 1t is. however. pleasing to
learn that there is every likelihood Of a
change for the better in the near future,
for new movement supported by a great
number of very influential men, has been
made up and SO far as the present ar
rangements for the promotion OF this plan
are concerned, they seem to be highly
satisfactory in every respect. In connec-
tior with this statement it is interesting
to note that a Leipsic physician has re-
Gently published an instructive and valu-
able account OF a series Of cases in one
Of the leading scientific German papers,
from which 1t appears that blind Oper-
atnrs have attained to high state OF
proficiency. This proficiency is quite un-
derstandable, for well known physio-
logical fact which the physicians obser-
yation has emphasized is that when ma
ture deprives man of one sense ii often
partly compensates him with a remarka-
bic keenness in another, and so 4 blind
masseur is often found to possess q quite
wonderful delicacy OF touch Want Of
sight is. indeed Lo disadvantage al all in
a masseur, but the contrary. for we must
remember that many people would prefer
this in an operator and, further. the eper-
alton as such is but little aided by the
operators vision-it is a mere matter OF
tactile power-London Mail.