New-York tribune., 1906-07-09
BLIND AND DEAF.
Statistical Report Prepared by DR..
Il. e.. Bell.
From The Tribune Bureau. ]

Washington. July s.-Dr. Alexander Graham Bell.
inventor Of tho telephone. has completed for the
United States census exhaustive investigation
or the blind and the deaf IN this country. from
which It appears that one out IF every 1.2D0 per
sons i'm the United States is blind and one in every
so deaf Blindness and deafness are more common
in men than in women, and Negroes and foreign
born arc prone TO blindness than native
whites.
The total number of blind persons in the United
States in 1890 64763 about one in every 12OO
or the total population. There 35.645 totally
ni'hd and 2SllS partly blind. These figures how
ever can be considered Only the minimum
an unknown proportion Of the blind were not To-
Gated b. the enumerators The number Of partly
blind by no means represents the facts as to de-
ieetFe eEesiGht, but represents only verified"
cases.
or the total number of blind 37.054 or s7e per
cent were males. ard 277o9, or 42s per cent were
FEMALES. Since in the general population only 5ll
per cent were males and 4S9 per cent females,
II Is evident that 3;;c :sss frequently
among males
About 30 per cont q: .!e Flj:r" 'ep r:cd were to-
tally blind and about 10 ocr c,nl ~ partly blind
A slightly smaller proportion OF ..,1a males than
of blind females were totally blind
VI the blind at least ten years of age % per cent
were engaged in some eanful occupation as COM
pared with 500 per cent among the general popula-
uon. The partially blind as would be expected
snow larger proportion gainfuly employed than
co the totally blind The percentage of persons en-
gagged IN professional pursuits. trade and transpor-
tation and in manufacturing and mechanical in
Custrles IS larger among the totally blind than
among the general population. In these three
cIasses OF occupations the totally blind show a
hlgher percentage engaged than do the partially
ollnd OF the partially blind gainfuny employed
the majority were engaged In agricultural pursuit s.
the percentage so engaged being considerably
higher than in the general population
DEAFNESS DEFINED.
The report on the deaf gives not only the data
concerning color, sex. race, nativity. marital
0ition, school attendance and occupations but
also much information in regard to deafnes: as a
defect and TO the ability of the deaf to communi-
cate
In collecting the figures for this report the census
enumerators were instructed to return tho name
sex. age and postofice address of every person
who could not understand loudly shouted
versatOn. The object OF this definition of the
was to eliminate from the report all who
simply hard Of hearing"
According to this method OF classification the
total number of deaf finally determined to be
Ss2S7' or one in every $50 of the general popua-
ton There we're 81 7426 totally deaf and 81 partly
deaf Among the total number of deaf 2,772 were
also blind and 24,369 dumb.
Deafness, upon the whole, is more common in
the northern part of the United States than in
the southern. The North Atlantlc and North Cen
tral divisions show a larger ratio to the million
than the South Atlantic and South Central and
the largest ratio of all is found in the New Eng
Of the s9.2s7 persons returned as deaf 555ol were
able to sneak we'll ?.417 were able to speak u1per-
ali of those who speai; imperfectly or not at aii
lost tleir hearing in childhood (under twenty years
who sneak wen lost their bearing in adult life or
ne usaI ara ulnP more thnl 20 per cent were re-
the ability speak is dependent largely upon two
and the dgse Of d es We nerere GSGqrTea
rather with the acquisition OF speech than with its
retention after 1t has been acquired.
AS speech = on acquired gift. dependent for its
to hear il used constany' one You'd naturally ex
Pect that children born deaf could not speak and
only mperfecty It is Therefore rsthcr
to find that q per cent of those born deaf caS
speak and that about 50 per cent of those becom-
speak perfectly The opinion is reached. therefore
that the schools for the deaf are doing excellent
er the oS total Tead ng%bG @ Inc Of q aes @ @ @rep0Ted d that
and 60,S27 did not report.
CAUSE OF DEAFNESS
ARecton of the middle ear caused deafness in
26 per cent of the while the percentages for
deafness caused by affection of the internal and the
external ear were 256 and Is, respectively.
OF the diseases which resulted in deafness the
most important is catarrh. Other diseases which
were reported in large numbers OF cases were as
follows. in the order Of diminishing importance:
measles typhoid fever brain fever, influenza, and
quinne is given as disease, for i is doubtful il
malaria fever without quinine would produce deaf
scarlet fever, meningitis and brain fever. more
than Is per Of that due to measles and more
that 90 per cent of that due diseases of the
occurred in childhood; on the other hand. more
catarrh and colds occurred in adult life.
When the subject of deafness is considered from |
the point of view of consanguinity, it would
that heredity has PLAYED a part in producing con
genital deafness and the deafness occurring In |
adult life. whereas deafness occurring in early !
childhood. after birth and under the of five. is
proba bly, a large extent adventitious. Whore a
tendency toward trouble exists in a family. it |
may lie dormant and unsuspected until some seri- |
Gus illness attacks member Of the family. when !
the weakness IS revealed and deafness is produced
In such deafness Is attributed the disea Sc
and not 10 the Weakness although both are proba- |