Page:Vocal Speech for the Dumb.djvu/12

4 Germany, Saxony, Bohemia, Austria, Bavaria, Switzerland, Savoy and France.

The subject before you naturally divides itself into three heads—Medical, Historical and Educational.

Time will not allow me to-night to enter upon the medical and historical aspects of the case, interesting as they are, even more so, probably, to the general public, than the educational view of the subject. This paper, however, must be confined to this latter portion of the question, viz., education.

Education.—Chiefly as bearing on the results of the different methods of education on the pupils in after life.

Let it be clearly understood that the term 'deaf and dumb,' as used in this and all countries where the 'French' system is adopted, includes the toto-congenital—those born wholly deaf; the semi-deaf—those with partial hearing; and the semi-mute—those who have spoken before loss of hearing. This term 'deaf and dumb,' used for such degrees and classes of affliction is very confusing; the different conditions are often misunderstood, and much evil arises therefrom.

There are three systems of teaching the deaf—' German'; 'French'; 'Combined.'

The 'German' system teaches by articulation and lip-reading. The 'French,' by signs, dactylology (i.e. the manual alphabet), and pantomime.

Writing and pictures are, of course, common to each system. It is true that in 'German' system schools, natural signs are used at first, but they are dropped as soon as the pupils have learned to express their meaning in words; and, on the other hand, in 'French' system