Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume II.djvu/737

 BLIND TIT gart has contributed largely to the printing of the embossed German Bible, the greater part of which was printed at Illzach. The cultiva- tion of music is characteristic of the German institutions. The industrial employments are basket making, reseating chairs, making list shoes, brush making, netting, and knitting. Eope making is carried on at Hanover and turning at Munich. In Germany it -is usual for the sexes to occupy opposite wings in the same institution, while in France they occupy buildings in different parts of the city. The in- stitution at Breslau was founded and managed for nearly half a century by Herr Knie, who was born blind ; and the present director of the institution at Kiel, Herr Simonon, is also blind. Austria has six educational institutions and two asylums and industrial establishments. Of the former there is one in each of the following cities: Vienna, Prague, Linz, Pesth, Brunn, and Lemberg; and of the latter one is at Vienna and one at Prague. The first institu- tion for the blind in Austria was founded in 180-1 by the celebrated Dr. Klein, who was its director for about half a century. The em- bossed Roman type in capitals and small let- ters is employed in the Austrian institutions, and pricking letters in paper is practised in writing. Music is cultivated with reference to earning a livelihood, and the industrial employ- ments are similar to those in Germany. Rus- sia has four institutions for the blind: one at St. Petersburg, established by Hatty in 1806; one at Warsaw, established in 1825 ; one at Helsingfors, the capital of Finland ; and one at Gatchina, a small town about 30 m. from St. Petersburg. The education and industrial em- ployments are similar to those in Germany, music receiving much attention. Sweden has a blind institution at Stockholm, founded in 1806, and one at Gothenburg. The Roman and Moon's types are used in reading, and the employments are principally basket making and knitting. Norway has lately established an institution for the blind at Christiania. In 1811 a school for the blind was established at Copenhagen by the " Society of the Chain, "an organization similar to that of the freemasons, and continued under their management till 1837, when it was taken under the care of the state and called the " Royal Institution for the Blind." Herr Moldenhawer was appointed director, and a sum of $2,000 per annum al- lowed from the royal treasury, the society of the chain endowing it with $8,000. Denmark has also an industrial institution for adults at Copenhagen, established in 1862, on the plan of the London association. The common alphabet is employed in reading, and they have a con- trivance for pencil writing and for embossing letters by hand. In Iceland, which belongs to Denmark, it is said the proportion of blind to the whole population is about 1 in 300. Hol- land has institutions for the blind at Amster- dam (founded in 1808), Groningen, Rotterdam, Utrecht, the Hague, and one in North Brabant. The common Roman type and also Braille's and Moon's characters are used in reading. Music and the trades receive about the same attention as in Germany and England. The blind in Holland are entirely supported by voluntary subscription. In Belgium an asylum for the blind Is said to have been established at Bruges in 1305 by Robert de Bethune, in gratitude for the courage displayed by the inhabitants of that town in repelling an invasion of Philip the Fair in 1300. A similar asylum was established sit Ghent by Peter Vander Leyen about 1370. Both of these have passed away, although the house of worship which was connected with the one at Bruges is said to still exist. The first school for the blind in Belgium was estab- lished at Brussels in 1833. There is also an- other institution for the blind in that city, two at Ghent, and one each at Bruges, Ypres, Mons, Antwerp, and Li6ge. Braille's system of reading and writing is used in all these schools except the one at Bruges, where a mod- ified system by the director, the abb6 Carton, who died in 1863, is employed. The industrial arts are basket making, bottoming chairs, and knitting, and at Bruges the making of bead rosaries. The deaf and dumb share in common with the blind the institutions in Belgium, which are supported by the state. The first institution for the blind in Switzerland was established at Zurich in 1809. There are also an educational and industrial institute at Bern, a combined school and hospital at Lausanne, an asylum and industrial institution at Schatt'hausen, and one at Fribourg. At these institutions; with the exception of the one at Lausanne, the Ro- man type is employed, but at the latter place Braille's system is in use. The principal in- dustrial occupation of the blind in Switzerland is wood turning. At Lausanne there is a young man named Edward Meister, a turner, who is deaf, dumb, and blind. Much cannot be said of the institutions for the blind in Italy. Pablasek mentions four as existing at Paler- mo, Naples, Milan, and Padua ; but they do not appear to be in a well organized condition. To the credit of Italy, however, it may be stated that the first book ever published on the condition of the blind was written by an Ital- ian and printed in Italian and French in 1646, called II cieco afflitto e contolato, or UAveugle afflige et console, being a letter from S. D. C. to Vincent Armanni. In Spain there are two institutions for the blind, one at Madrid and one at Barcelona. They are not in a prosper- ous condition, although the number of blind in Spain would seem to be great enough to stimu- late the government to take some active meas- ures for their relief. An institution for the blind was commenced at Rio de Janeiro in 1854, by the efforts of a blind gentleman, Jos6 Alvares de Alevedo, who was educated at the Paris institution. He did not live to see his plans carried out, having died the same year; but the school now exists, with about 30 pupils. In Asiatic Turkey., Mr. Mott of Beyrout has