Deaf-mutism / by Holger Mygind.

  • Mygind Holger, 1855-1928.
Date:
1894
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Deaf-mutism / by Holger Mygind. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

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    Herodotus is the first author who mentions a deaf-mute.* He relates in ist Book, chap, x., 34, that Croesus had two sons, one of whom was of but Uttle account to him, being a deaf-mute t [i, p. 78 +] ; this deaf-mute—according to Herodotus —regained the power of speech. Hippocrates states in his work Trtp! aaph:uiv [2, sect. 18, p. 608], as a proof that the aid of the tongue is necessary for articulate speech, ol Kwcpol ol sk -yeveTijg ou(v- E-t(rrayraL CiaXtyeaBcu {i.e. dcaf-muteS § do not know how to speak.) This would seem to indicate that Hippocrates considered deaf-mutism as the result of an inability to use the tongue, and that he did not recognize the dumbness as being the result of deafness. Hippocrates does not otherwise mention deaf-mutes. Neither did Aristotle understand the connection between deafness and dumbness. In his work on the senses, he compares deaf-mutes with the blind, and comes to the conclusion that the blind are superior ♦ Deaf-mutes are, however, spoken of in Exodus, chap, iv., 2. ■|-Herodotus makes use of the expression Koir/jof, which originally implied dumb, but which according to Ammonius by degrees included the idea of deafness. Deaf-mutes were also called (vcot or u^itoifoi or iiX<i\oi, i.e., such as cannot speak. Herodotus was evidently aware that deaf-mutes cannot hear as he says of the son of Croesus in chap. 38, that he was iie^>iapiitvot: Ti/K I'lKO)/!/ (deprived of hearing). ; Here, and afterwards, the figures in brackets as above refer to the biblio- graphy at the end of the book. § Properly speaking deaf from birth, or dumb from birth. It is ditTi- cult to decide which translation is correct (see above note). There is much which speaks in favour of Hii'Hocrates as well as later authors having under- stood deaf-mutes pure and simple by km^oi ycvtTi.ij. In Latin deaf-mutes, in general, are spoken of as surdi nati, which expression appears again in French, even Itard using the heading stiyditc lic la iiaissiiticc for dcaf- nuitism.