lint tile task which the Deaf and Dumb have to enter upon, is mut h more complicated and difficult. Ignorant IA est ty pact of that system of signs, which mankind base insulted for tie communication of they hate to be it structed, nut merely iu those written cha racters ss "lel) are t. c representatis es of words ; but in the int tood of articulating tilt worus tileinseiVes, and of distinguishing them when articulated by others ; and in the prytise nlcaniu which loch of then( is intended to co th) too, combine, to render this pi mess tenious. We cannot, in their case, it is oh sious, deli it one cord by another; but the sigrnriCalicill of t.tt h must he I. tight, either by a direct appeal to t I gs th•ms Iv, s, or the pictures of things ; or by the Iat olage of ;fit sticulation and natural signs. The nar rots stia. k of knowledge which they bring with them, when compared with (nose who enjoy the sense of hear ing, circumscribes greatly that field of illustration, which is la quired in the early stages of Instruction. And what is a no ICSS material disadvantage, they arc entirely cut ofT none that constant source of new ideas, as well as new winds, which other children enjoy in their inter ce,urse %sill' society.
Expel ience, however, has shewn that all these difficul ties may be overcome by perseverance ; and in pointing out ss at appear to its to be the best means of attaining this important object, we shall is fnr our observations to the four following heads, Writing, Manual Speech, or Durtidology. Vocal Speech, and the Explanation of the (•iing Of frordsr.
vet) first step in the education of the Deaf-mute, is, to teach him to write. Writing is a medium of in s.truction so necessary, in his situation, that it cannot be too early acquired. No particular directions are requi site for t us purpose. It may be taught first on sand wins the finger, or on a slate %%jell the pencil, in the usual way, and aft( rwards on paper with pen and ink. Com p iratively little attention, however, need be paid at the commence meat to the nicety with which the letters are tract d. The chief object is to enable the pupil to con. met lettt rs together with legible distinctness, as speedily us possible ; and, this done, practice will gradually give the manipulation its nect.s sly accuracy and precision.
Aiong ,s inn Writing, the pupil is to be taught the me thod of rt prestutio,.; It eters aim %surds by the fingers, or what has been called Dactyllogy. Tots is an easy task. 'file Manual Alphabet, winch is represented in Plate CCX1.1. seems to us very ssl U adapted for the pin pose. It is that Which is taught by Dr Watson, (Instruction of the Deaf and Dumb, tic. 8vo. ',rind. 1809); and which, we should conceive, is both more easily practised, and less liable to confusion, than the one employed by Sieard, in v. hi, h only one hand is employed (Coors d'Instruc lfun de Xaissance, 8•o. Paris, 2d
unit 1803 ) • The uses of this Manual Speech are obvious. It is much more expeditious than ss ming; it can be practised in any situation, and without any such implements as slate, or pencil, or impel ; it admits of being addressed to several at a time; and, what is a most important ad vantage, it affords a medium of communication between persons who arc plat ed at a considerable distance from each other. Dr Watson, too, assures us, that it is intel ligible to the touch, as well as to the sight, and conse quently may be used in the dark. ( If quoted above, p. 121.) It is remarkable, that S, and dumb pupils who have been t night to speak vocally, always employ this manual language alone, in addressing each other. Nor is it to be regarded merely' as an instrument of education. The Deaf and Dumb, ill their after inter course with the world, will meet wins many persons who base taught themselves to speak on the lingers, inerely as an amusement, and not flow any defect in their organs of hearing or artit elation. With such persons, there fore, toey may often enjoy the pleastne of conversation in circumstances calculated to render Vocal Speech both difficult and embarrassing.
Alcor the !mini has made a little progress in Writing and Duct ylology, the more laborious task may be entered upoo, of teaching uim Vocal SP•ech.
unquestionably, is the most extraordinary, ac complishment which it is possible for a Deaf and Dumb person to acquire. That it should be possible to instruct such a person, through the medium of writing-, as fully', in every' department of human knowledge, as those who enjoy the sense of hearing, does not appear in the slight est degree remarkable; for it is not more difficult to as sociate our ideas with a system of visible than of audible signs. But that he should be capable of learning both to emit sounds and to articulate them, merely by observ ing with his organs of touch and sight, those minute vi brations of the throat, and those rapid and delicate mo tions of the parts belonging to the mouth, which accom pany the speech of others, is a thing so singular, that, previously to experiment, we should suppose it almost impossible. Yet it is curious to remark, that this seems to have been a chief object even with those to whom the idea of instructing the Deaf and Dumb first occurred; and that the earliest attempts which arc recorded to have been made to teach Deaf-mutes to speak, appear to have been attended w ith complete success. In truth, all those \VIM have enjoyed much experience in the education of the Deaf and Dumb, agree in declaring, that this is a department of it, in which any one cannot fail to succeed, who resolves to bestow sufficient time and patience on the task ; and who has good sense and good nature enough to encourage, by kind arts, the perseverance of his pupil.