THE "TALKING BOOK"

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22345, 8 March 1938, Page 11

THE "TALKING BOOK"

USE IN LECTURE BY N.Z. SURGEON LT2.OU OUB OWH COBEESP<JI»DI»T.) LONDON. February 9. When Sir Harold Gillies, the eminent New Zealand plastic surgeon, lectures this week to the Berlin Medical Society, he will be assisted by the blind man's "talking book." Sir Harold, who is to speak on "Plastic Surgery in England," has learned his opening speech by heart, and will deliver it in German, but the greater part of the lecture will be given by another voice. A German-speaking surgeon has translated the lecture and recorded it on one of the "talking books'* recently perfected by the National Institute for the Blind. Only one record is needed for about an hour's talk. Sir Harold is taking a special mac&ine with him which will enable him to stop the talk temporarily if anything goes wrong with the showing of his films or lantern slides. The "talking book" was the idea of Sir lan Fraser, blind former member of Parliament, and chairman of S'. Dunstan's. It is a great boon to blir.d people, especially those who cannot learn to read Braille easily or whose sense of touch has been made too course by manual labour. About a dozen records go to a whole book. The National Institute for the Blind distributes a large library free to blind persons. The scheme is made possible by Lord Nuffield's gift of £SOOO a year for seven years.