376 INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF EDUCATION. 
bands of a dull gray color, bowing or wavy at their free margins ; or they 
were so thin and narrow as to be unusually obscured by the ventricular 
bands. Efforts at phonation showed the adducent muscles to be weak 
ind inefficient. 
One ought not to undervalue the way of rational teaching in oral lan- 
guage on account of real sanitary causes. Teaching may even be danger- 
ous for the health of the deaf-mute child. Schmalz says: ““In cases 
where speaking has been neglected in early childhood, it must certainly 
be done with greatest cautiousness, that the inactive lungs be not sud- 
lenly fatigued.” 
In bis first development of speech the hearing child shows us how the 
-eaching of speech is to be done. He learns the language while walking 
and running, leaping and jumping, and nearly unconsciously in playing. 
Therefore the deaf-mute children ought to practice speaking under quite 
free conditions. Instruction in speaking must not turn into training and 
drilling. When the sounds and the utterance of them are developed, the 
child should practice them first under guidance of the teacher, and later 
without him. The activity of breathing is the base for the voice as well 
as for articulation. 
* Much movement during the time of formation of oral language is the 
law of nature.” This law should be carefully observed in the instruction 
of the deaf-mutes in oral language. 
Also in the further instruction of the deaf-mutes in school, besides the 
systematic gymnastics, there should be frequent interrupiion of work 
done in sitting by work done in standing or walking during the lessons, 
and likewise more out-door exercise, as is usual with hearing children. 
Lessons in object teaching, geography of the surrounding country, and 
aatural history could be given in the open air. Besides the proper gym- 
aastic games, suitable youthful games should be used in the physical edu- 
cation of the deaf-mutes. The German school gymnastics are best for 
deaf-mutes. The Swedish gymnastics are simply mechanical exercises 
of the muscles, and the least suitable for deaf-mutes. German gymnas- 
fics are not only gymnastics of the muscles but of the nerves too, and 
produce not only strength of the muscles but skill of the muscles, and 
secure a thoroughly harmonious physical education: 
Looking at that adjusting question, we find in the first school years the 
physical training of our deaf-mute pupils must be kept in the foreground 
of the plan of education, while the mental and moral-religious education 
and the appropriating of knowledge may be left to the later life. There- 
fore the physical exercise in the first school years must have an essentially 
different plan of instruction for the deaf-mutes than that for later years. 
During the first years of instruction we have to do with a more or less 
spoiled and neglected organism, that must be prepared by systematic 
exercise of usual life in childhood for the purpose of education.