Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 06.djvu/30

* DEAF MTJTE. 18 Mutes was incorporated at Danville in 1823. The Ohio institution was opened in Columbus iu 1S29. iigiuia, Indiana, Tennessee, Illinois, North Carolina, Georgia, South Carolina, Jlis- souri, Viseonsin, and ilichijran followed the example during the succeeding quarter cen- tury, and now every Stsite in the Union has an institution in which deaf mutes receive the privileges of education 'as wards of the common- wealth.' In most cases the State institutions are supported by annual legislative appropria- tions. This public provision includes expenses of transportation to and from the institution and all expenses while there. Most of the State insti- tutions have school years corresponding to those of the public schools, and it is expected that friends or relatives will keep the children during the long sununer vacation. The average term of attendance is about five years, but the legal period of instruction in most States is seven years. The average cost to the State is about $325 per vear. According to the report of the Commissioner of Education for 1808-90. there were in the United States 104 schools (both pub- lic and private), with 10.038 pupils. The follow- ing table gives details regarding these; DEAF MTJTE. a pupil of Dr. Thomas H. Gallaudet, of Hart- ford: Laura Bridgman (q.v.), the celebrated blind deaf mute, a pupil of Dr. liowe, of Boston; and Helen Keller (q.v. J, of Boston, in 1002 a college student of wide information and great intelligence. JiETHODS OF iNSTKUCTiox. Two methods of instruction are used in teaching the deaf and dumb: by the sign laiiguayc, and by articulation. Bj' means of the sign language, ideas are com- u.unicated to the pupil through posture, gesture, facial expression, and mimic acting by the teacher. Nothing is spelled with the hands, in this method, as is erroneously supposed. Putting the hand to the head, as if putting on a cap, is the sign for "man,' for example. This is an arbi- trary sign. An example of a natural sign is raising the hand to the mouth and then chewing, to express 'food.' The sign language is easily and speedily acquired, and is said to be mder- stood and used by the American Indians. The use of an elaborate sign language was carried to such extremes by the Abbe de I'Epee and his followers, Ahlie Sicard and Abbe Storck, that their pupils relied entirely upon their memory, without any corresponding ideation. They „ Public .^'f, dav schools Private institu- ,g^ ^^g schools """" dekf Number of schools 57 29 18 362 615 6 73 20 Female teachers 52 Total 1007 79 72 Articulation teachers- Auricular perception 381 35 280 57 1'5 32 42 8 Industrial teachers 24 5438 4452 331 263 230 F**male pupils 224 Total 9890 694 454 236 13 32 Taught by combined 3623 3301 3169 696 110 324 9 31 266 141 37 47 Public day schools for the deaf now exist in California (1), Illinois (12), Indiana (1), Massa- chusetts (1), Michigan (1), Missouri (l),Ohio (4), and Wisconsin (8). Besides those already mentioned, the names of the following Americans should be recorded as especially associated with the education of deaf mutes: Dr. F. A. P. Barnard, for many years president of Columbia College, New York Citv; William W. Turner, of Hartford: Abra- ham R. Walton, of Philadelphia : John A. Jacobs, of Kentu<-ky; Dr. Sannicl G. Howe, of Boston; and Thomas and Edward M. Gallaudet, sons of the Rev. Thomas H. Gallaudet. Some very remarkable examples of acute per- ception and great proficiency in deaf unites have been recorded, notably the cases of .Julia Brace, OKE-HANDED ALPHABET. proved to be incapable of composing sentences voluntarily, but simply memorized the gesture of the master. In some schools, after the pupil has become proficient in the sign manual, the use