anomalies and curiosities of medicine-第106部分

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erimenting　with　two　little　deaf　girls　to　make　them　speak　as　hearing　children　do；　and　called　Miss　Sullivan's　attention　to　it。　Miss　Sullivan　left　for　her　charge；　and　from　time　to　time　made　reports　to　Dr。　Anagnos　the　principal　of　the　Perkins　School；　which　mentioned　the　remarkable　mind　which　she　found　this　little　Alabama　child　possessed。　The　following　year　Miss　Sullivan　brought　the　child；　then　eight　years　old；　to　Boston；　and　Mrs。　Keller　came　with　her。　They　visited　Miss　Fuller's　school。　Miss　Sullivan　had　taught　the　child　the　manual　alphabet；　and　she　had　obtained　much　information　by　means　of　it。　Miss　Fuller　noticed　how　quickly　she　appreciated　the　ideas　given　to　her　in　that　way。

〃It　is　interesting　to　note　that　before　any　attempt　had　been　made　to　teach　the　child　to　speak　or　there　had　been　any　thought　of　it；　her　own　quickness　of　thought　had　suggested　it　to　her　as　she　talked　by　hand　alphabet　to　Miss　Fuller。　Her　mother；　however；　did　not　approve　Miss　Fuller's　suggestion　that　an　attempt　should　be　made　to　teach　her　speech。　She　remained　at　the　Perkins　School；　under　Miss　Sullivan's　charge；　another　year；　when　the　matter　was　brought　up　again；　this　time　by　little　Helen　herself；　who　said　she　must　speak。　Miss　Sullivan　brought　her　to　Miss　Fuller's　school　one　day　and　she　received　her　first　lesson；　of　about　two　hours'　length。

〃The　child's　hand　was　first　passed　over　Miss　Fuller's　face；　mouth；　and　neck；　then　into　her　mouth；　touching　the　tongue；　teeth；　lips；　and　hard　palate；　to　give　her　an　idea　of　the　organs　of　speech。　Miss　Fuller　then　arranged　her　mouth；　tongue；　and　teeth　for　the　sound　of　i　as　in　it。　She　took　the　child's　finger　and　placed　it　upon　the　windpipe　so　that　she　might　feel　the　vibration　there；　put　her　finger　between　her　teeth　to　show　her　how　wide　apart　they　were；　and　one　finger　in　the　mouth　to　feel　the　tongue；　and　then　sounded　the　vowel。　The　child　grasped　the　idea　at　once。　Her　fingers　flew　to　her　own　mouth　and　throat；　and　she　produced　the　sound　so　nearly　accurate　that　it　sounded　like　an　echo。　Next　the　sound　of　ah　was　made　by　dropping　the　jaw　a　little　and　letting　the　child　feel　that　the　tongue　was　soft　and　lying　in　the　bed　of　the　jaw　with　the　teeth　more　widely　separated。　She　in　the　same　way　arranged　her　own；　but　was　not　so　successful　as　at　first；　but　soon　produced　the　sound　perfectly。〃

Eleven　such　lessons　were　given；　at　intervals　of　three　or　four　days；　until　she　had　acquired　all　the　elements　of　speech；　Miss　Sullivan　in　the　meantime　practicing　with　the　child　on　the　lessons　received。　The　first　word　spoken　was　arm；　which　was　at　once　associated　with　her　arm；　this　gave　her　great　delight。　She　soon　learned　to　pronounce　words　by　herself；　combining　the　elements　she　had　learned；　and　used　them　to　communicate　her　simple　wants。　The　first　connected　language　she　used　was　a　description　she　gave　Miss　Fuller　of　a　visit　she　had　made　to　Dr。　Oliver　Wendell　Holmes；　in　all　over　200　words。　They　were；　all　but　two　or　three；　pronounced　correctly。　She　now；　six　years　afterward；　converses　quite　fluently　with　people　who　know　nothing　of　the　manual　alphabet　by　placing　a　couple　of　fingers　on　the　speaker's　lips；　her　countenance　showing　great　intentness　and　brightening　as　she　catches　the　meaning。　Anybody　can　understand　her　answers。〃

In　a　beautiful　eulogy　of　Helen　Keller　in　a　recent　number　of　Harper's　Magazine；　Charles　Dudley　Warner　expresses　the　opinion　that　she　is　the　purest…minded　girl　of　her　age　in　the　world。

Edith　Thomas；　a　little　inmate　of　the　Perkins　Institute　for　the　Blind；　at　South　Boston；　is　not　only　deaf　and　dumb　but　also　blind。　She　was　a　fellow…pupil　with　Helen　Keller；　and　in　a　measure　duplicated　the　rapid　progress　of　her　former　playmate。　In　commenting　on　progress　in　learning　to　talk　the　Boston　Herald　says：　〃And　as　the　teacher　said　the　word　'Kitty'　once　or　twice　she　placed　the　finger…tips　of　one　hand　upon　the　teacher's　lips　and　with　the　other　hand　clasped　tightly　the　teacher's　throat；　then；　guided　by　the　muscular　action　of　the　throat　and　the　position　of　the　teeth；　tongue；　and　lips；　as　interpreted　by　that　marvelous　and　delicate　touch　of　hers；　she　said　the　word　'Kitty'　over　and　over　again　distinctly　in　a　very　pretty　way。　She　can　be　called　dumb　no　longer；　and　before　the　summer　vacation　comes　she　will　have　mastered　quite　a　number　of　words；　and　such　is　her　intelligence　and　patience；　in　spite　of　the　loss　of　three　senses；　she　may　yet　speak　quite　readily。

〃Her　history　is　very　interesting。　She　was　born　in　Maplewood；　and　up　to　the　time　of　contracting　diphtheria　and　scarlet　fever；　which　occurred　when　she　was　four　years　old；　had　been　a　very　healthy　child　of　more　than　ordinary　quickness　and　ability。　She　had　attained　a　greater　command　of　language　than　most　children　of　her　age。　What　a　contrast　between　these　'other　days；'　as　she　calls　them；　and　the　days　which　followed；　when　hearing　and　sight　were　completely　gone；　and　gradually　the　senses　of　speech　and　smell　went；　too！　After　the　varied　instruction　of　the　blind　school　the　little　girl　had　advanced　so　far　as　to　make　the　rest　of　her　study　comparatively　easy。　The　extent　of　her　vocabulary　is　not　definitely　known；　but　it　numbers　at　least　700　words。　Reading；　which　was　once　an　irksome　task；　has　become　a　pleasure　to　her。　Her　ideas　of　locality　and　the　independence　of　movement　are　remarkable；　and　her　industry　and　patience　are　more　noticeable　from　day　to　day。　She　has　great　ability；　and　is　in　every　respect　a　very　wonderful　child。〃

According　to　recent　reports；　in　the　vicinity　of　Rothesay；　on　the　Clyde；　there　resides　a　lady　totally　deaf　and　dumb；　who；　in　point　of　intelligence；　scholarship；　and　skill　in　various　ways；　far　excels　many　who　have　all　their　faculties。　Having　been　educated　partly　in　Paris；　she　is　a　good　French　scholar；　and　her　general　composition　is　really　wonderful。　She　has　a　shorthand　system　of　her　own；　and　when　writing　letters；　etc。；　she　uses　a　peculiar　machine；　somewhat　of　the　nature　of　a　typewriter。

Among　the　deaf　persons　who　have　acquired　fame　in　literature　and　the　arts　have　been　Dibil　Alkoffay；　an　Arabian　poet　of　the　eighth　century；　the　tactician；　Folard；　the　German　poet；　Engelshall；　Le　Sage；　La　Condamine；　who　composed　an　epigram　on　his　own　infirmity；　and　Beethoven；　the　famous　musician。　Fernandez；　a　Spanish　painter　of　the　sixteenth　century；　was　a　deaf…mute。

All　the　world　pities　the　blind；　but　despite　their　infirmities　many　have　achieved　the　highest　glory　in　every　profession。　Since　Homer　there　have　been　numerous　blind　poets。　Milton　lost　none　of　his　poetic　power　after　he　had　become　blind。　The　Argovienne；　Louise　Egloff；　and　Daniel　Leopold；　who　died　in　1753；　were　blind　from　infancy。　Blacklock；　Avisse；　Koslov；　and　La　Mott…Houdart　are　among　other　blind　poets。　Asconius　Pedianus；　a　grammarian　of　the　first　century；　Didyme；　the　celebrated　doctor　of　Alexandria；　the　Florentine；　Bandolini；　so　well　versed　in　Latin　poetry；　the　celebrated　Italian　grammarian；　Pontanus；　the　German；　Griesinger；　who　spoke　seven　languages；　the　philologist；　Grassi；　who　died　in　1831；　and　many　others　have　become　blind　at　an　age　more　or　less　advanced　in　their　working　lives。

Probably　the　most　remarkable　of　the　blind　scientists　was　the　Englishman；　Saunderson；　who　in　1683；　in　his　first　year；　was　deprived　of　sight　after　an　attack　of　small…pox。　In　spite　of　his　complete　blindness　he　assiduously　studied　the　sciences；　and　graduated　with　honor　at　the　University　of　Cambridge　in　mathematics　and　optics。　His　sense　of　touch　was　remarkable。　He　had　a　collection　of　old　Roman　medals；　all　of　which；　without　mistake；　he　could　distinguish　by　their　impressions。　He　also　seemed　to　have　the　ability　to　judge　distance；　and　was　said　to　have　known　how　far　he　had　walked；　and　by　the　velocity　he　could　even　tell　the　distance　traversed　in　a　vehicle。　Among　other　blind　mathematicians　was　the　Dutchman；　Borghes　（died　in　1652）；　the　French　astronomer；　the　Count　de　Pagan；　who　died　in　1655；　Galileo；　the　astronomer；　Cassini；　and　Berard；　who　became　blind　at　twenty…three　years；　and　was　for　a　long　time　Professor　of　Mathematics　at　the　College　of　Briancon。

In　the　seventeenth　century　the　sculptor；　Jean　Gonnelli；　born　in　Tuscany；　became　blind　at　twenty　years；　but　in　spite　of　his　infirmity　he　afterward　executed　what　were　regarded　as　his　masterpieces。　It　is　said　that　he　modeled　a　portrait　of　Pope　Urban　VIII；　using　as　a　guide　his　hand；　passed　from　time　to　time　over　the　features。　Lomazzo；　the　Italian　painter　of　the　eighteenth　century；　is　said　to　have　continued　his　work　after　becoming　blind。

Several　men　distinguished　for　their　bravery　and　ability　in　the　art　of　war　have　been　blind。　Jean　de　Troczow；　most　commonly　known　by　the　name　of　Ziska；　in　1420　lost　his　one　remaining　eye；　and　was　afterward　known　as　the　〃old　blind　dog；〃　but；　nevertheless；　led　his　troops　to　many　victories。　Froissart　beautifully　describes　the　glorious　death　of　the　blind　King　of　Bohemia　at　the　battle　of　Crecy　in　1346。　Louis　III；　King　of　Provence；　Boleslas　III；　Duke　of　Bohemia；　Magnus　IV；　King　of　Norway；　and　Bela　II；　King　of　Hungary；　were　blind。　Nathaniel　Price；　a　librarian　of　Norwich　in　the　last　century；　lost　his　sight　in　a　voyage　to　America；　which；　however；　did　not　interfere　in　any　degree　with　his　duties；　for　his　books　were　in　as　good　condition　and　their　location　as　directly　under　his　knowledge；　during　his　blindness　as　they　were　in　his　earlier　days。　At　the　present　day　in　New　York　there　is　a　blind　billiard　expert　who　occasionally　gives　exhibitions　of　his　prowess。

Feats　of　Memory。From　time　to　time　there　have　been　individuals；　principally　children；　who　gave　wonderful　exhibitions　of　memory；　some　for　dates；　others　for　names；　and　some　for　rapid　mental　calculation。　Before　the　Anthropological　Society　in　1880　Broca　exhibited　a　lad　of　eleven；　a　Piedmontese；　named　Jacques　Inaudi。　This　boy；　with　a　trick　monkey；　had　been　found　earning　his　livelihood　by　begging　and　by　solving　mentally　in　a　few　minutes　the　most　difficult　problems　in　arithmetic。　A　gentleman　residing　in　Marseilles　had　seen　him　while　soliciting　alms　perform　most　astonishing　feats　of　memory；　and　brought　him　to　Paris。　In　the　presence　of　the　Society　Broca　gave　him　verbally　a　task　in　multiplication；　composed　of　some　trillions　to　be　multiplied　by　billions。　In　the　presence　of　all　the　members　he　accomplished　his　task　in　less　than　ten　minutes；　and　without　the　aid　of　pencil　and　paper；　solving　the　whole