Lectures on diseases and injuries of the ear : delivered at St. George's Hospital / by W. B. Dalby.

  • Dalby, W B.
Date:
1873
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Lectures on diseases and injuries of the ear : delivered at St. George's Hospital / by W. B. Dalby. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Leeds Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Leeds Library.

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    If the child can make its wants known by making signs, although its attention may be called to the lips of the teacher, it will not be able to maintain its attention with sufficient perseverance and care to per- mit of the full development of the fine muscular sense inherent in the tongue, lips, palate, and throat, which full development is, I believe, essential in order to give the child the power of imitating with exactness and precision the movements which it is being taught. So far we have been considering the case of children who are totally deaf, either congenitally, or having become so before they have learned to talk. In passing, I may mention two or three somewhat different con- ditions. Firstly, where children have become incura- bly deaf before they have learned to talk; not so deaf but that they can hear moderately loud sounds, but sufficiently so to prevent their hearing enough of what is said to allow them to acquire speech; with these the little hearing which remains will prevent the harshness and want of euphony which characterises the voice of the totally deaf mute who has been taught on this plan. Secondly, a little further degree of hearing will be of immense advantage; for besides speaking euphoniously, if a word shouted close to the ear can be understood, this will serve to correct the articulation, and the child will, of course, not take so long to learn. Indeed, the more hearing that is left, although not enough for a child to learn to speak in the ordinary way, the more quickly and better will language be acquired. Thirdly, in case of a child who has learned how to speak, and at an early age, say