Page:Omniana 2.djvu/29

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OMNIANA.
19

tire consciousness, as to outward impressions, being confined to the sense of touch, he at length became capable of reading any book (if printed as most German books are, on coarse paper) with his fingers, in much the same manner in which the piano forte is played, and latterly with an almost incredible rapidity. Likewise by placing his hand, with the fingers all extended, at a small distance from the lips of any person that spoke slowly, and distinctly to him, he learnt to recognize each letter by its different effects on his nerves, and thus spelt the words as they were uttered: and then returned the requisite answers, either by signs of finger-language to those of his own family, or to strangers by writing. It was particularly noticed both by himself from his sensations, and by his medical attendants from observation, that the letter R, if pronounced full and strong, and recurrring once or more in the same word, produced a small