CADMUS: Or, A Treatise on the Elements of Written Language [...] With an essay on the mode of teaching the surd or deaf, and consequently dumb, to speak

[Philadelphia]: [American Philosophical Society], 1793. Very good.. Presentation copy extract of the first US publication on the education of deaf people. A prize dissertation proposing spelling reform into 30 letters to represent English, the enduring legacy of this article is in the related essay at the rear on teaching deaf people to speak. An extract from the Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society Vol. III, this essay suggests different strategies depending on the age of the learner: just as in acquiring foreign languages, children have more practical facility than adults. But for older students, learning in conjunction with reading is important - though greatly complicated by the lack of standardized spelling (a problem that inspired the main portion of this pamphlet, and also tackled by Webster in this era). The essay also briefly mentions sign language. A friend of Thornton's, Thomas Gallaudet, would later found early educational programs for deaf students. A landmark in American engagement with disability education. Quarto. 9'' x 6.75''. Modern wrappers, disbound from larger volume. Illustrated with one table. 261-320 pages. Inscribed by Thornton on slip tipped onto the recto of first leaf (article begins on verso of leaf). Evidence of seal removal on first leaf. Leaves gently and uniformly toned, some areas of foxing.