A Race of Deaf Mutes.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 372, 29 May 1889, Page 6

A Race of Deaf Mutes.

The increase of intellectual activity ; the spread of culture, so called ; the engrossing demands of business and professional life ; the intensified, nervous strain caused by our rapid way of living, have (remarks Frank Leslie's ' Illustrated Newspaper ' of' 23rd March, a journal published in New York) been frequently set forth as probable causes ot a deterioration among civilised races. We are fond of felicitating ourselves upon our progress, but pessimists tell us that our development is purchased at a heavy cost. The humoi-ists have taken up the refrain, ani represented the coming man as a vast brain over-shadowing a puny chest and weakly legs. The future man is to have poor eyesight and an impaired digestion, and now, in addition to other dismal vaticinations, it is hinted that he may be deaf. At least this conclusion might be drawn from Professor Bell's'recent letter to Senator Hale upon the collection of statistics for the next censu>s regarding the defective classes. This letter presents some surprising facts. Although we claim to have made real progress in the treatment of deaf mutes, the blind, the idiotic and the insane, yet their number is increasing more rapidly in proportion than the population. The census returns of 1880 showed an increase in 30 years of 400 per cent., while the increase of population was only a little over 100 per cent. In the case of deaf mutes this is declared to be due to a real increase, and not to more accurate enumeration. There is a larger proportion of deaf mutes among the younger persons than among the older, and, indeed, there is a steady proportionate increase, going down the scale of age, until quite young children are reached. In 1850 there were reported 9,803 deaf mutes out of a population of 23,000,000, while in 1880 there were reported 33,878 out of a population of 50,000,000, an increase more than double the rate ot growth of the population. Of those born deaf who were living in 1880 nearly one-third were under 20 years of age and one-half under 31. The increase in recent years in the number of deaf mutes who were not born deaf is assigned to an epidemic of cerebro-spinal meningitis, which is expected to be transient. The increase among congenital deaf mutes is considered to bo due to intermarriage. These began about 70 years ago, and have increased until Professor Bell believes that not less than 90 per cent, of the marriages of deaf mutes are with deaf mute 3. The professor has collected statistics of 1,443 marriages of which only 5 per cent, were with persons who could hear. The proportion of deafness among the offspring of such marriages is increasing, and the deaf mute children* of deaf mute parents are numbered by hundreds. There are cases where deafness has been handed down through three, or even live, geneiations. The conclusion reached is one of ourious interest. Students of heredity, like Dr. Bowditch and Professor Simon Neivcomb, E. D. Cope, Alpheus Hyatt and W. B. Brewer agree with Professor Bell that if this custom is maintained it may result ' in the formation of a deaf variety of the human race in America in which all or most of the children will be born deaf.' Fortunately for our peace of mind, it is not asserted that deafness is to be a probable general result of civilisation and culture. It might be argued that the din of elevated railways and'of traffic on wretched stone pavements would be likely to deafen the metropolitan resident, and that this would 'be continued in his children. But we are not yet asked to believe that the typical coming man will be deaf as well as short-sighted. The conclusion of the3e scientists, however, is sufficiently novel and striking. They add another bo the lisfc of problems which neither science nor legislation can solve. We are powerless to prevent the marriage of those who inherit an appetite for liquor, or incurablediseases, or strongly marked criminal instincts. These are cases which legislation cannot reach. In the same way argument is powerless to prevent the intermarriage of deaf mutes, and so wo have a new race growing up among us, yeb isolated by infirmities which they themselves perpetuate.

Easterner (in Western town) : *' I don't see any school in thiß town." Westerner : "You don't? Guess you must be nearsighted. Don't you see the sign over that there door, ' Teechin Dun Heer ?' "