instruction, they will succeed as organists, teachers of music, or piano tuners, and goes on to say " The teaching of music and playing is now the largest single field open to the blind as a means of support, and it seems to be growing larger. People are becoming more disposed to employ them ; and as they go forth from the school they have more and more ground of hope that they will find opportunities to earn their living in this way." The whole tone of mind among the musical pupils has been changed, for instead of looking forward to the future with fear and anxiety, they now feel a well-grounded confidence in them selves. It seems that in Boston, and in America generally, the blind are able to earn more as teachers of music than as tuners, which is exactly the reverse of the state of things existing in Paris, and may arise either from differences in the condition of the two countries, or from the training for teachers being more thorough at Boston than at Paris ; but their experience is identical in one respect, which is, that the blind who have the requisite amount of talent are almost cer tain to make a good income out of music ; but to attain this end they must aim high. It will not do to be equal to the average seeing teacher or tuner; they must be superior; and this involves a good musical notation with first-rate masters, instruments, and appliances, and above all, a determination
onthepartof managers and teachers toovercome all obstacles.A few paragraphs from American reports will sufficiently illustrate the enlightened views held in that country in re gard to the education of the blind.
A school for the higher education of the blind should be spe cially adapted to the condition and wants of the persons to be trained. In it the course of study should be the same as in our best colleges. All instruction should be oral, and the apparatus and modes of illustration be addressed to the touch. It should be supplied with text-books, maps, diagrams, and the like, in raised characters. It should have large collections of models of various kinds, such as weights, measures, tools, machinery, and the like ; mannikins and models showing the anatomy of plants and animals, . as well as their outward form. It should have collections of shells, crystals, minerals, and the like ; models and sections showing geological strata ; philosophical apparatus adapted to the touch ; in short, everything that can be represented by tangible forms.
It would amaze those who have not reflected upon it to know how much can be done in this way. Saunderson, the blind pro fessor of mathematics in Cambridge, not only knew ordinary money well, but he was an expert numismatist, and could detect counter feits in a collection of antique coins better than . ordinary persons could do by the sight.
Such an institute should have able professors and teachers, with special aptness for adapting their lessons to the condition of their scholars. It should furnish special facilities for the study of languages, ancient and modern, of mathematics, of pedagogy, and especially of music. It should also be well provided with every thing necessary in a good conservatory of music, and have funds for the payment of competent teachers.
It is evident that there are a large number of persons to whom such an institute would be a source of great happiness, and a means of preparation for great usefulness.
A little reflection will show what a great advantage generous culture would be to a blind man, even if he were to be only a musician. Let him be ever so accomplished in his immediate art, he is under great disadvantages as compared with his competitors who can see. But if he has generous culture in other branches of knowledge, he will have advantages which few of them possess, and of course he will be more nearly on a level with them, and more capable of earning a living and enjoying it. Human effort will in such a case be successful in counteracting the principal evil which flows from the infirmity of blindness."
"The careful observer will see a marked difference between a hundred youths in a blind institution and the same number of boys in an ordinary school. This is especially true of the male sex. He will find among the blind a larger proportion of scrofulous, narrow-chested, angular, pallid, and feeble boys, who move slug gishly and soon tire; and a smaller proportion of those full-chested, chubby, rosy, elastic creatures, whom nothing can keep still, and nothing tire out.
Now, if the blind, as a class, have a much smaller quantum of life than ordinary persons, it must be either on account of some flaw in the stock whence they sprung, or of some peculiarity in their mode of life, induced by their infirmity, such as bodily inactivity; but it probably results from both causes. At any rate, it is a matter worth considering.
The following tables have been calculated from data furnished by seven American State Institutions for the Blind namely, those of New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Missouri, Tennessee, and Massachusetts, and are the results of careful discussion of data, by far the most extensive and trustworthy, it is believed, yet published in any country.
In each of these tables the number of the blind actually sur viving in 1859 are compared with the numbers that should then be surviving, according to two different Life Tables first, the Massa chusetts Life Table, prepared by Mr Elliott, from the State Census and Registration Returns for the year 1855 ; and secondly, the English Life Table, prepared by Dr Farr of London, from the re turns for the year 1841:—
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TABLE I. Comparing the relative vitality (or ability to resist destructive influences) of the Blind, at divers ages of life, according to the combined experience of seven American Slate Institutions for the Blind, with that of the populations of Massachusetts and of England respectively. Calculated oy Mr E. B. Elliott, Consulting Actuary, Boston.
According to Elliott s Massa According to Fair s English 1> UIll UL1 chusetts Life Table. Life Table. A ,. , Ages on Admission. Admitted (known whether Surviving or De Average Age on Admis sion. Years elapsed, to middle of 1859. Deceased (before the end of 1859). Number Surviving (in 1859). Number that should be Surviving Dtficimcy of Actual Survivors, relative to the Number that should be Surviving. Number that should be Surviving Deficiency of Actual Survivors, relative to the Number that should be Surviving ceased). (in 1859). Number. Per cent. (in 1S59). Number. Per cent. 0-6 14 4-4 19-1 1 13 12-0 -i-o [1] 12-0 -i-o [1] 6-10 210 77 14-3 39 171 189-2 18-2 9-6 189-8 s-8 9-9 10-14 287 11-5 13-2 52 235 257-2 22-2 8-6 259-5 24-5 ! 9-4 14-18 209 15-5 13-3 38 171 182-0 ll O 6-1 186-6 15-6 8-4 18-22 177 19-3 14-8 50 127 149-6 22-6 15-1 154-0 27-0 1 17-5 22-26 101 23-3 14-6 19 82 84-8 2-8 3-4 86-9 4-9 5-6 26-30 47 27-4 12-6 10 37 40-3 3-3 8-1 40-8 3-8 9-4 30 and over 38 37-2 12-7 11 27 31-9 4-9 15-4 31-8 4-8 15-2 Age not ) 19 12-4 4 15 16-7[2] 1-7 10-4 17-1[2] 2-1 12-4 specified } All ages... 1102 15-4 ! 13-8 224 878 963-7 85-7 8-9 978-5 ; 100-5 10-3
Note.—This table may be read thus : Between the ages of 6 and 10 the number of persons admitted to the above-mentioned tutions, of whom it is known whether they were living in 1859 or had previously deceased, was 210 ; their average age on admission was 7 7 years ; the average period elapsed since admission, and previous to the middle of the year 1859, was 14 3 years ; the number of those who died before the end of the year 1859 was 39, the number surviving in 1859 being 171. The number that should be surviving, according to the Massachusetts Life Table, is 189 -2. Hence the number of actual survivors was 18 2 less than the number demanded by the Massachusetts Table, which deficiency is 9 6 per cent, of (189 2) the number so demanded. The number that should be surviving, according to the English Life Table, is 189 8. Hence the number of actual survivors was 18 8 less than the number demanded by the English Table, which deficiency is 9 9 per cent, of (189 8) the number so demanded.
