The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-07-10
THE DEAF AND DUMB
IN THE UNITED
STATES
The Census Report of 1890
Gives the Number of A.
flicted Persons.
Associated Pres. to The Evening Times.

Associated Press to The Evening Times.
Washington, July 10-About l per-
son in every 200 was blind and one
in every $50 persons was deaf in the
United States in 1900, according to a
special census report on the blind and
deaf in the United States just issued
by the census Office.
The inquiry was conducted under
the direction OF DR.. Alexander Gra-
ham Bell, who determined the scope Of
the investigation and wrote the report.
The total number of blind in the
United States was 64.763, of whom
35.645 We're totally blind and 29,llS
partially so. These figures. however
the report says. can be only consii-
cred as the minimum as an unknown
proportion of the blind were not To-
Gated by the enumerators. OF the
total blind S7,054 were males and 81
709 females.
Blindness is chiefly defect of adult
life, almost 65 per cent of the blind be-
coming so after 20 years of age. About
one-tenth OF the total number of blind
were born so. The number of blind
per 1000 of population was greater
among the negroes than among the
whites, and greater among the for
elgn born whites than among the ma
tive whites. In about per cent of
the cases the parents of the blind
were cousins. OF the blind whose par
entS were so related % per cent were
con senltally blind, while among the
blind whose parents We're not cousins
<o11 LIZ.
only 6.S per cent. OF the blind at least
ten years of age, 20 per cent were en-
gagged in some gainful occupation.
Inc percentage of persons engaged II
professional pursuits, trade and trans
portation and in manufacturing and
mechanical industries is larger among
the totally blind than among the gem
eral population.
Deafness on the whole. the report
says, is more common in the northern
part OF the United States than in the
southern and there are more deaf
males than females. The total num-
Der of deaf is given as S9,2S7, of whom
37.42S were totally deaf and 51,S61
partially. From the latter class, how
ever, are eliminated those merely
hard of hearing" The census report
OF 1890 gave the number of deaf as
121,17S and the opinion is expressed
that the returns for 1890 are undoubt-
eddy excessive while those for 1900 are
deficient. Of the totally deaf 52.5 per
cent were males. Negroes constitute
lis per cent of the general population
and only So per cent of the deaf
That the negroes seem less susceptible
to deafness than the whites, the re-
port says, is probably due in part to
less complete returns from the negro
deaf. OF the totally deaf, 81 per cent
were SO from childhood (under %
years of age) and SO per cent from
birth. Of the S9,2S7 persons returned
as deaf, 55,501 were able to speak we'll
9,417 imperfectly and the remainder
not at all. The report presents fig.
ures to show that the schools for the
deaf are doing excellent work in teach.
Ing articulate speech. When the sub.
5ect of deafness is considered from the
point of view of consanguinity, i,
would seem that heredity has played a
part In producing congenital deafness
and the deafness occurring in adult
life; whereas deafness occurring in
early childhood, after birth and under
the age of five, is probably to large
extent adventurous.
OF those at least ten years of age
among the deaf 1875 per cent were
gafnfully employed, as compared with
50.2 per cent among the general pop
ulation. Of the deaf who were gain
fully employed 1877 per cent were in
occupations in which perfect or even
partial hearing is not essential