New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-10-11
LIP READING FOR THE DEAF.
Practical Experience Of the Relief Afforded
by Learning This.
To the Editor OF The Tribune.

| To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: May cay word to your readers who are
! deaf hard OF hearing'7 There good
| many OF them. know, probably between and 4
per cent There about two and half millions
Of us in the United States. say 'us' because
myself am hard OF hearing. The vast majority Of
US incurable; have tried specialists and
quacks, drums. disks and what not. and our money
has melted away in vain. But for practically all
OF us there is a help, and that help consists In
training the eyes TO do tho work Of the ears-in
other words. lip reading. I know that many OF US
sceptical Of the value OF lip reading as a re-
source and 1t is these sceptics that should like TO
convince.
a lip reader for know that there are many more
skfuI ones than myself. yet have had business
and personal dealings with people for weeks and
even months before they knew that was deai
and In some cases even then only when told
them. 1t is my belief that practically every one
successfully learn lip reading except perhaps
| those who inhibited by age. The Rev. A W.
Jackson in his little book. Deafness and Cheer
funess" most earnestly urges lip reading upon the
hard of hearing.
There a good many successful lip readers IN
| the world to-day. Perhaps it is best not to men
ton names in letter like this, but should like to
cite few instances of such lip readers The VIE
OF a prominent citizen OF Washington Is almost
famous for her lip reading abilities. She says that
her husband may talk with her for half an hour at
a time any and every subject, no matter how
abstruse and she will understand 'as well as any
hearing person"
A certain Ohio lawyer in the midst Of his prac-
| tes lost his hearing and he feared much lest rs
would lose his business by it. But he learned lid
reading, and a result Tho not only addresses the
| court and conducts his own cases, examining
cross-examining and watching all points made by
| his adversaries, but says that he meets with no
material difficulty in conducting his ordinary legal
The wife Of one of Americas foremost artists is
| deaf and lip reader. and her husband says that
he talks to her just as he would to any one eise
and almost never has TO repeat NJ, ,-
more less widely known. Among my own &C
Is man Who 5noqss a aSw Ip
reading he is comfortable In his everyday walks
quaintance became deaf in childhood. picked up lip
reading at home and on the strength or II has
| Brooklyn's well known schools. Yet another ac-
quaintance began to study lip reading only last
| but already she says that half the time now she
forgets she has trumpet and dSes MOI Iff1 s
husband she has almost entirely discarded It's use
| cite even among friends and acquaintances There
are already many successful lip readers but there
are deaf should resoiutey undertake the study.
ing that Subtle Art which may Unable one with an
observant Eie TO Heare what any man speaks pea, py
knows from experienced declares that this Subtitle
Art rs worth and well reP9ys every possible no
| hear" with only her sense of touch, we who can
singularly without ambition IL we shirk the
effort of learning TO hear with the eyes"
Even without instruction we can help ourselves
much by Gttenttvely watching the lips and express
| sion of the person speaking to us. Nevertheless.
instruction of sort is advisable In practically
every 1t is taught in institutions and by pr
vate teachers and there is little book, a selfn-
structor In lip reading needing in addition TO the
book itself only friends TO practise with, which
such authority as Professor A Melville Bell has
| declared ingenious and well executed" and of
| great assistance to learners Of lip reading"
In conclusion let say word to those or your
readers who not themselves deaf, but who have
deaf friends. In talking to your dear IrienoS
tumble words into a Niagara Rapids. but
speak with moderate sowness (not very slow. and
| enunciate clearly and distinctly You will find that
you get better results than you do by yelling at the
| top OF your lungs and the increased comfort 10
| both yourself and your friend will repay you.
EDWARD B. NITCHIE.
New-York Oct, g. 1903.