quickly, produce a very similar or a mere confused motion of the mouth. But the fact is, every vowel and every consonant has its peculiar method of utterance, which can be noted by minute observation. The preliminary work of the teacher consists then in accustoming the children to remark and to remember these distinct lip-movements, which, though of unlimited number, are of continual recurrence. Having been next taught to associate these movements of the lips with definite meanings, the pupils by degrees take in the thoughts of those about them readily, without the power of hearing; and their ordinary education can be conducted on this plan. It is, of course, necessary that the deaf person should have good sight, and that the speaker's face should be fully in the light. These conditions being secured, it is marvellous how fully the faculty of reading the lips can be developed by practice.

But still something further is done under this system. We have already referred to the fact that children born deaf remain dumb. Excepting cases where idiocy or malformation of the mouth hinders the power of speech, the reason why deaf children cannot speak is that they have no opportunity of hearing others do so. Talking is acquired through imitation. The ordinary child is taught by constant repetition to copy the sounds that it hears; but the deaf child has no such opportunity. Beginning thus with the proved assumption that it would speak if it could hear, the method to be adopted is to utilize its imitative powers in another direction. The teacher draws attention to the motions of his throat, lips, and tongue when speaking. Here again, therefore, the child's eyes are called into service. But besides this it is taught to feel the vibrations of the throat and face which every effort to speak causes, to imitate the said movements, i.e. to speak, and to connect the remembrance of their vibrations with certain words and ideas. The pupils thus imitate their teacher by the assistance of sight and of feeling, and being encouraged when they succeed in producing the right sounds, they by degrees learn to speak. The want of hearing makes good modulation almost impossible. But it is of the greatest value to the deaf child to be able to speak intelligibly, and thus make itself understood by those with whom it comes in contact.

Until lately the deaf and dumb in England have been more frequently instructed on the French system, organised by the Abbé l'Epée, which connects the alphabet with certain manual signs. This plan has also proved of great help and had many advocates; but the pure oral system offers advantages, which were thus stated by Mr. Van Praagh, the Director of the Fitzroy Square Training College, in a Paper read by him at a

Conference on the Teaching of the Deaf and Dumb, held at the International Health Exhibition last year. He said: "My strong conviction is, that the best way of teaching a deaf child is to follow the pure oral system: 1st, because it emancipates the deaf-mute by giving him the great gift of speech; 2ndly, because it develops the power of understanding what others say; 3rdly, because it teaches language in the natural way; 4thly, because it extends his means of acquiring knowledge, since every one whom he sees talking, and who converses with him, becomes to him a teacher, whilst at the same time it destroys his isolation, and makes him better fitted to mix in society." Mr. Van Praagh's experience leads him to object to mixing the two systems, as he thinks that a child accustomed to speak with the fingers will not make actual progress in lipreading and in speaking.

Another reason for the preference of the oral system he thus explains: "Deaf boys and girls, once able to express themselves in spoken and written language, and to follow what is said by others, can be apprenticed in the same way as hearing boys and girls. Their employers can explain to them, and that too by word of mouth, the secrets of their handicraft. Their fellowworkmen can enter into conversation with them; and in their turn the apprentices can become masters, able to employ hearing workmen. In fact, to all intents and purposes, the deaf apprentice, taught on the pure oral system, is almost on a par with his hearing fellow-workman."

The Association owes its origin to the benevolence of the late Baroness Mayer de Rothschild, who, being greatly struck with the success of the oral system introduced by Mr. Van Praagh in 1867, and adopted at the Jews' Deaf and Dumb Home, secured support, by great exertions, for a wider application of this form of teaching. In 1871 the Association took an organised form, and in the following year the Committee opened their Normal School at 11 Fitzroy Square, under the able direction of Mr. Van Praagh. It had been generally asserted. that the oral system was not suited to the majority of deaf mutes, and would only be successful in cases where superior mental capabilities enabled the pupil to acquire speech and lip-reading. To give a practical refutation to this theory, the Committee determined to admit all applicants, excepting only such as would be rejected by any other deaf and dumb school; i.e., idiots and those who could partially hear. The result of the experiment proved very satisfactory, and several public examinations have shown the value of the system. The number of pupils for the past year at the School was 58-35 boys and 23 girls-and many teachers have received their training for this special line of

teaching at the College. The school course is one of eight years. The pupils do not reside at the Institution, as the Committee considers that it is desirable for them to mix with hearing people, and to live in families "where they will witness the round of daily life, have a much more extensive field for observation, and share the joys and sorrows of a home." Any one visiting the School cannot fail to be struck by the keen, eager look of the children, showing that their eyes, and through these their minds, are active and interested.

Mr. Van Praagh attaches the greatest importance to the practical training of the Normal students. They study for one year at the College, with constant class work in the School. He finds that those become the best instructors of the deaf and dumb who have already become conversant with school discipline in the ordinary course, and for such twelve months prove a sufficient time. The School Board for London has adopted the system, and sends teachers to be trained at Fitzroy Square. Many Institutions for the Deaf and Dumb have also expressed satisfaction at the results of the system as practised by Normal students trained by Mr. Van Praagh. Public Lodies have likewise been supplied with teachers, and many governesses have been prepared for private families. As with all systems of instruction, the zeal and skill of the teachers are the most indispensable requisites of success, and it may be added that in this case immense patience must be required for securing the progress of the pupils.

We are glad to find that already one School for the Deaf and Dumb exists in India, and there the oral system is adopted. We refer to the Institution founded in last year at Bombay by Dr. Meurin, the Roman Catholic Bishop. Mr. Walsh, who has had great experience in the instruction of deaf mutes in England, has taken charge of it. The school was described in the Times of India a few months ago, and there were then seven pupils, one of whom was a Parsee youth. When they first entered the school not one of them was able to utter a single word, and the improvement made was astonishing. The institution is purely non-sectarian, and pupils of all classes, races, and creeds are admitted. The last census report showed that in the Bombay Presidency alone the number of deaf and dumb was 16,594. It is to be hoped that similar schools will be established in other parts of India, so as to enable these persons, isolated by misfortune, to take a useful place in society.

In Great Britain and Ireland it appears that there are about 21,000 deaf and dumb persons, out of which number over 5,000 are of school age. The deaf mutes at present at school amount to scarcely 3,000. The Education Department has under consider

ation the passing of some rules for encouraging the attendance of such children; and when one sees from the experience at Fitzroy Square the great difference between a trained and an untrained deaf and dumb child, as to power of intercourse and ability to earn a livelihood, one cannot but earnestly desire the extension of suitable school teaching for these afflicted children. We will conclude this sketch with the words of Mr. Van Praagh: "I wish every one of my fellow-workers, and all who are in any way willing to contribute towards the amelioration of the condition of this afflicted class in this or other countries, 'God speed' with all my heart; they have peculiar claims upon our sympathy; they are with and among, and yet not of us. Untaught, they are a race apart; and to bridge over the gulf which separates them from their fellow-men, to reduce their awful disadvantage to a minimum, and, so far as possible, to administer instruction to them through that one entrance from which it were else shut out, and place them fairly on a level with ourselves, is surely one of the noblest works which man can perform."

It is announced that the Executive Committee appointed in connection with the proposed memorial to the late Mr. Fawcett have decided to recommend that the subscribed funds should be applied to a development of the Royal Normal College for the Blind at Norwood, which was described in the February number of this Journal. The late Postmaster-General took a special interest in that institution, so the decision cannot but be considered appropriate and satisfactory.

THE MAHARAJAH OF VIZIANAGARAM'S SCHOOLS,

MADRAS.

The annual distribution of prizes to the children of the five Girls' Schools of H.H. the Maharajah of Vizianagaram, in Pacheappahs Hall, Madras, took place early in February. These Schools, which are under the management of a SubCommittee of the Madras Branch of the National Indian Association, and superintended by Miss Eddes, are making excellent progress. Mrs. Grant Duff presided, H.E. the Governor being also present. The address of Mrs. Grant Duff was listened to with great interest; and the announcement of H.H. the Maharajah as to a scholarship grant was enthusiastically received.

The Report was first read by M. R. Ry. P. Vijiarungum Moodeliar, and of this we give the following abstract. One of the original five schools-that at Egmore-has been transferred to the Government, and now forms the Practising Department of the Government Female Normal School. In place of it a Caste Girls' School at Muthyalpet, which has existed for some years for the benefit of families of the Chetti caste, was taken over on September 1st, 1884. Thus the Committee have still five schools in their charge. There were 583 girls on the rolls of the five schools on January 1st, 1884; but during the year the number of pupils rose to 674, an increase of 91, including a few infant boys who had previously attended the Muthyalpet School. There are: 1. The Town School, which is the most important. It has been removed into the premises formerly occupied by the Government Female Normal School, now located at Egmore. Miss Shunmugum, the Head Mistress, holds a 1st Class Normal Certificate, and is assisted by 7 male and 4 female teachers. At the recommendation of Miss Eddes, the Lady Superintendent, the Committee have sanctioned the formation of a separate Infant School, as a Kindergarten-for 100 little girls and boys under 7 yearsopposite the present Town school house. (The Kindergarten was opened on February 2nd, of this year.) 2. Chintradripet School. 3. Mailapur School. 4. Triplicane School. 5. Muthyalpet School. The Report of Mrs. Brander, Inspectress of Girls' Schools, on her Examination in December, 1883, was as follows: "The Schools are much improved in all external matters since last year; the buildings are cleaner and tidier, the furniture and apparatus better, the children are neater, and their books and work much neater and cleaner." The Director of Public Instruction concluded his review of Mrs. Brander's Report by stating that as a whole it showed that the Schools had made satisfactory progress. Mrs. Brander examined four of the Schools again last November. 18 girls were presented for the Upper Primary and 52 for the Lower Primary Examination; 15 passed the former and 36 the latter. The Director remarks: "Taking the four schools together, the advance made is shown by the fact that, whilst the number of girls presented for the Upper Primary was about the same as last year, the number of girls presented for the Lower Primary rose from 35 to 50, whilst in both Examinations the percentage of success was much higher."