e unable to give their
children proper care. Congenital deafness is also probably greater
among the laboring classes, and is undoubtedly due to similar causes.

The methods used in the teaching of articulation form a subject of
much interest. The system has materially changed within the past few
years. The first step to be taken is to convey a knowledge of the
powers of the consonants and sounds of the vowels. Formerly, this
was done by what was called the "imitation method." The letter H was
usually the point of attack, the aspirate being the simplest of all
the powers of the letters. The teacher, holding up the hand of the
pupil, makes the aspirate by breathing upon his palm. This is soon
imitated, and thus a starting-point is gained. The feeling produced
upon the hand is the method of giving him an idea of the powers of the
consonants. A later and better system is that called "visible speech."
This is a system of symbols representing positions of the mouth and
tongue and all the organs of speech, and if the pupil does what
the symbols direct he cannot help giving the powers of the letters
correctly. By this method a more distinct and perfect articulation is
gained, with one-half the labor of the other method. As fast as
the powers of the letters are learned, the spelling of words is
undertaken. Many words are pronounced perfectly after a few trials:
others, however, often defy the most strenuous and persevering effort.

Entire mutes who undertake articulation are like hearing children
endeavoring to keep up the full curriculum of a modern school and
pursue the study of music in addition: the ordinary studies demand
all the energies of the child. Articulation consumes much time and
strength. Exceptional cases are of course to be found which are indeed
a triumph of culture, but the great mass of the deaf and dumb must
always be content with written language.

Articulation is also exceedingly trying to the unused or long-disused
throat and lungs. In this the teachers are likewise sufferers. The
tax upon the vocal organs is necessarily much greater than that in
ordinary speaking schools. But the disuse of the vocal organs in
articulate speech does not indicate that they are wholly unused. A
lady visiting an institution for the deaf and dumb a few years ago
poetically called the pupils the "children of silence." Considering
the tremendous volume of noise they are able to keep up with both
feet and throat, the title is