Bridgman, LAURA

Bridgman, LAURA. This famous blind-mute was born in Hanover, New Hampshire, U.S., on the 21st December 1829. She was a bright, intelligent child, but at two years of age was seized with a violent fever, which utterly destroyed sight, hearing, and sense of smell, while her sense of taste was also impaired. For a time this so shattered her system that there seemed no hope of recovery; but she rallied, and soon learned to find her way about the house and neighbourhood, and even learned to sew and to knit a little. At the age of eight Dr Howe of Boston undertook her care and education at the Perkins Institution for the blind. The first attempt was to give her a knowledge of arbitrary signs, by which she could interchange thoughts with others. Then she learned to read embossed letters by the touch; next, embossed words were attached to different articles, and she learned to associate each word with its corresponding object. Thus far, however, the work was only an exercise of imitation and memory; but at last the truth flashed upon her, that by this means she could communicate to others a sign of what was passing in her own mind. Her whole being seemed changed. The next step was to procure a set of metal types, with the letters cast at the ends, and a board with square holes for their insertion, so as to be read by the finger. In three months she could write down the name of most common objects, and in two years had made great bodily and mental improvement. She grew happier, and enjoyed play like other children, amusing herself with imaginary dialogues. Her touch grew in accuracy as its power increased; she learned to know people almost instantly by the touch alone. In a year or two more she was able to receive lessons in geography, algebra, and history; and learned to do needlework and various household duties. She received and answered letters from all parts of the world, and was always employed, and therefore always happy. She learned to write a fair, legible, square hand, and to read with great dexterity, and at last, even to think deeply on religious and other subjects, and to reason with good sense and discrimination. She afterwards became skillful as a teacher of the blind and deaf and dumb. Dickens gives an account of her in American Notes; and see a work on her life and education by her teacher, Miss Lamson (Boston, 1878). She died 24th May 1889.