The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1902-02-13
THE BLIND ARE MADE TO SEE
Interesting Experiments With the
Deaf, Dumb and Blind.

a wonderful account comes from
Vienna Of the methods of DR.. Heller,
who IL teaching the blind to see, the
deaf to hear and the dumb 10 speak
We give the account Of DR.. llrllcr's
wonderful results in the words Of the
London t. lcgraph:
An interesting case was brought the
other day before meeting Of the
Society Of Physicians at Vienna. Di-
rector Heller, Of the Vienna Hllnd In
stitulion, introduced a boy of seven
years, blind from his birth, whom by
his system he had taught in fuurt, cn
moths to read, to distinguish &C lors,
forms and objects, to local zc aud to
distinguish them without previous
touch either by day or artificial hight
and at continually increasing distances.
The Professor, who has hnd thirty
years experience with the deaf, dumb
and blind, came long ago to the CON
ciuslon that when the former have per.
fcctly-formcd cars they can hear, but
the connection with the brain fails.
DR.. Heller therefore cndcavorcn to
arouse thought in connection with a
subject, and ha, made scvcnty-lwo
such children hear and speak. The
success with the deaf and dumb en-
couragcd him to do something for the
blind whose eyes are perfectly formed
and who suffer from physical blind
ness. Three years ago two boys, broth
crs, aged four and five, born blind,
were brought to him from hungary
for preparation for the Blind School.
Professor Fuchs, one Of the leading
oculists Of Nionilh, 10 whom the boys
were taken for examination, pro-
nounccd both to be blnd with perfect
Informed cycs-;l case, therefore, OF
physical blindness.
The method adopted by DR.. Heller
IS TO place the patient in perfectly
dark room, in which movcabIc illu-
minated transparent disc ~ placed.
The child thus learns, after long and
tedious labor, the difference between
liuht and dark. The youngest was
soon able TO lUcalizc the disc, and Il
large housc-kcy was placed in his hands
that he might feel il. Tins was later
| fastened behind the canvas. The boy
said "W hat you have placed iii the light
| is your housc.kcy.N The next object
that he recognized was Il ball. The key
| and ball were often exchanged, but he
never failed to distinguish them cor
rcclly. The director then hung a piece
of red glass between the piano laml
and the disc, when the boy said
"To-night there is another light" ii
was explained TO him that this was red
and gradually he learnt to distinguish
colors with great precision. Outside
| the darkcncd room he was still per
| fccly blind. Gcomctrical figures,
lines, cnclcs, trianglcs were drawn
upon the sheet, after which Heller
triumphantIy proceeded to letters and
figures. The blind boy now reads
with his eyes. Gradually the instruc-
ton was extended to daylight. After
eight months Ilcl'cr brought his pupil
| back to Professor Fuchs, who thought
that there must be some mistake, that
the boy followed lhc movements of the
| chalk upon the board with his cars, On
| listened to the signals Of his teacher.
Director Heller begged Professor Fuchs
to take the child into another room,
whore, ont Of slXty-four experiments,
he only failed three times.