The Deaf | Page 6

to the returns of the census) became deaf before
the twentieth year; nearly three-fourths (73.7 per cent) under five; over
half (52.4 per cent) under two; and over a third (35.5 per cent) were
born deaf. Deafness thus occurs in a strongly diminishing ratio with
advancing years.[6] These facts may be indicated by the following
table,[7] which shows the percentages of those who became deaf at
different ages.
THE DEAF ACCORDING TO AGE OF OCCURRENCE OF
DEAFNESS
At birth 35.5 After birth and under two 16.9
Under two years 52.4 2 and under 4 17.1 4 and under 6 7.3 6 and under
8 4.5 8 and under 10 2.8 10 and under 12 1.8 12 and under 14 1.6 14
and under 16 1.3 16 and under 18 1.0 18 and under 20 0.8
Under five 73.7 5 and under 10 10.5 10 and under 15 4.0 15 and under
20 2.4
Under 20 90.6 20 and under 40 5.7 40 and under 60 2.4 60 and under
80 1.1 80 and over 0.2
ABILITY OF THE DEAF TO SPEAK
We have just seen that "dumbness" frequently follows upon deafness,
or that it is usually believed to be an effect of deafness. It is true that
with the majority of the deaf phonetic speech is not employed to any
large extent; but there is at the same time a fair number who can, and
do, use vocal language. This speech varies to a wide degree, in some
approximating normal speech, and in others being harsh and
understood with difficulty; and it depends in the main upon three
conditions: 1. the age at which deafness occurred, this being the most
important factor; 2. the extent to which the voice is cultivated; and 3.
the remaining power of the ear (which is found but seldom).[8]

Of the deaf persons enumerated in the census,[9] 21.5 per cent were
reported able to speak well; 15.8 per cent imperfectly; and 62.7 per cent
not at all. In other words, somewhat over a third of the deaf can speak
more or less, one-fifth being able to speak well, and one-sixth
imperfectly, while over three-fifths do not speak at all. The dependence
of the ability to speak upon the age of becoming deaf is clearly in
evidence here, the proportion of those not able to speak showing a great
decrease with the rise of this age. Thus, of those born deaf, 83.5 per
cent cannot speak at all; of those becoming deaf after birth and under
five, 74.6 per cent; of those becoming deaf after five and under twenty,
26.5 per cent; and of those becoming deaf after twenty, 3.4 per cent.
Some of the deaf are able to read the lips of the speaker, or as it is
better expressed, to read speech, or to understand what is being said by
watching the motions of the mouth. This in reality is a distinct art from
the ability to speak, though popularly they are often thought to be
co-ordinate or complementary one to the other. Like the ability to speak,
it varies in wide degree, from the ability to understand simple and easy
expressions only, to the ability to follow protracted discourse; and like
the ability to speak, it is found in increasing frequency with the rise of
the age of becoming deaf. According to the census,[10] 38.6 per cent of
the deaf are able to read the lips. Of those born deaf, 28.0 per cent have
this ability; of those becoming deaf after birth and under five, 37.1 per
cent; of those becoming deaf after five and under twenty, 64.3 per cent;
and of those becoming deaf after twenty, 43.6 per cent.[11]
MEANS OF COMMUNICATION EMPLOYED BY THE DEAF
If the larger number of the deaf do not use the speech which is used by
those who can hear, how is it that their communication is carried on?
The chief method is a certain silent tongue peculiar to the deaf, known
as the "sign language,"[12] a part of which may be said to be the
manual alphabet, or the system of finger-spelling,[13] the two usually
going hand in hand. In this way most of the deaf are enabled to
communicate with each other readily and fluently. But this language, or
at least the greater part of it, not being known to people generally, the
deaf frequently have to fall back on writing to convey their ideas in

communicating with hearing persons. This, while slow and
cumbersome, is the surest and most reliable method of all. In addition,
as we have seen, a certain number of the deaf are able to use speech,
which of course has manifold advantages. These are the several
methods, then, of communication employed by the deaf; but they are
not usually employed singly,