On the oral education of the deaf and dumb : a paper read at the teachers' conference, Jan. 10th, 1878 / by William van Praagh.

  • Van Praagh, William.
Date:
[1878?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On the oral education of the deaf and dumb : a paper read at the teachers' conference, Jan. 10th, 1878 / by William van Praagh. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by King’s College London. The original may be consulted at King’s College London.

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    ORAL EDUCATION OF THE DEAF AND DUMB. Paper read at the Teachers' Conference, Jan. ioth. By WILLIAM VAN PRAAGH. Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen—- Allow me to thank you, in the first instance, for the privi- lege extended to me of introducing the subject of deaf-mute instruction before your Conference. I am sure that all friends of deaf children will share my hopes that a thorough ventila- tion of this special branch of instruction before a recognized body of teachers will bear excellent results for the afflicted class to whose welfare I am resolved to devote my life. The art of teaching deaf mutes is comparatively young; in this country the French and the so-called combined systems had been exclusively followed until, now ten years ago, I publicly introduced the German or oral system of teaching. The work, being still in its early stages of development, requires the assistance and co-operation of all those who are connected with the noble work of “ education.” True, much has been done, but much more remains to be done ; and for the completion of our labours we ask the moral support of teachers generally, not less than of the medical profession. The time allotted to me for the reading of this paper is, as you know, limited, and I must therefore restrict myself to give you, in a few words, the chief points of the German or oral system. Dumbness arises either from deafness or from idiocy. Deaf children cannot imitate sound like their hearing fellow- creatures, and consequently sound remains unknown to them, though their organs of speech may be ever so perfect. An idiotic child hears, but the mental power fails ; its min'd can- not combine sound with the object or thought which it repre- sents, and hence arises dumbness. Let us compare the clitTer- ence between deaf and dumb children and hearing children