Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume II.djvu/740

The following is the alphabet in the system of tangible point printing which was introduced about the year 1839 at the imperial institution for the blind in Paris by the lute M. Braille :

This system is used in the schools in France, at Lausanne in Switzerland, at some of the schools in Belgium and Holland, and at Rio Janeiro. The modification of this alphabet by the abbé Carton consists principally in changing the points so as to make the characters have some resemblance to the Roman letter, but it has never been adopted except at the school in Bruges, where it was introduced by its author. Printing in relief for the blind in the United States was begun at Boston by Dr. Howe in 1834, and at Philadelphia by Mr. Friedlander in 1835. Dr. Howe's alphabet consists of tie following alteration of the lower case Roman type:

The Acts of the Apostles was printed in this type in 1834, and in 1836 the New Testament was printed in four volumes and sold for one dollar a volume. This was the first New Testament printed for the blind in any language. The Old Testament was completed in 1842. In all, there have been about 50 different works printed in this type at the Perkins institute, among which are Lardner's " Universal History, of the Islands," Peirce's "Geometry" with diagrams, "Astronomical Dictionary," Guyot's Geography," "Pilgrim's Progress," "Milton's Poetical Works," "The Old Curiosity Shop," &c. The alphabet introduced into the Pennsylvania institution by Mr. Friedlander is similar to those of Fry and Alston, and to the Roman used in many of the schools on the continent of Europe, nearly like the black type called Gothic A, B, C, D, 1, 2, 3, 4, &c. In this type the Pennsylvania institution has published portions of the Bible; "Dictionary of the English Language," 3 vols.; "Select Library," 5 vols.; "Student's Magazine," 4 vols.; "Church Music, with Hymns," the musical characters in relief, 3 vols.; Die Ostereier (German); and several other hooks. It has lately been decided, however, to adopt the type of Dr. Howe, which is the principal reading type now in use in all the institutions in the United States. A system of tangible point writing and printing has lately been devised by Mr. William B. Wait, the superintendent of the New York institution for the blind, in which the letters that occur oftenest are represented by the fewest points. The following is the alphabet :

An alphabet of capital letters is formed from these, but it is not proposed to use it much, except in cases where it would he obviously preferable. There are signs for words and combinations which occur often, as the, and, of, &c.

An instrument called a guide, similar to the one used by M. Braille, but differing in some important respects, is used in the formation of the letters, which are made by pressing the pointof a blunt style upon paper which is held upon a frame between the two parts of the guide. The upper part of the guide is represented in the subjoined cut, in which the word

"justice" is spelled, as will be observed, from 'right to left, in which manner all relief printing must be done. When the paper is turned over and the ends reversed, the raised points which are made by the style will appear as follows:

The lower part of the guide, which is placed beneath the paper, has six parallel grooves, two for each row of cells, for the purpose of forming the upper and lower lines of points. The cells and bars in the upper part of the guide are made of such dimensions that when a style of the proper size is used, the points formed in each of the angles of the cells will be equidistant; therefore spaces of any desired length may be left between the letters, any letter being formed entirely in one cell, or partly in one and partly in the next; the bars not being intended for separating the letters, but for locating the points. In regard to the respective merits of the systems of printing tor the blind, there has been considerable controversy. Mr. Levy, the blind author, says: "In considering the best means for enabling tint blind to read, it is necessary to fully comprehend the powers of touch as enjoyed by the person for whom the means of reading are especially intended. . . . The great error that has prevailed ever since the invention of raised letters is the supposition that the sense of touch exists with equal intensity in all blind persons, and that