Written by The Reverend J. A. L. Singh
Missionary S. P. G. Mission and the Rector
The Orphanage, Midnapore
Midnapore, India.

 

Any day Kamala could not find her clothes in the heap was a bad day for her and the babies. She would throw all the clothes hither and thither, not permitting any child to pick up her own clothes till she had found hers. This actually happened on the thirteenth of September, 1926. Kamala's frocks and pajamas had been taken by Mrs. Singh direct to the ironing table without Kamala's knowing, and finding that her clothes were not in the heap, she got annoyed and behaved very angrily. On hearing this, Mrs. Singh came in and showed Kamala her frocks and she was pacified.

Kamala walking by herself

Now Kamala's habits changed a little. Whether it was cold or warm Kamala had learned to wear her frock. She would never go out to the field without her frock. She could remain at home without her frock, but she felt she needed it at the time of her stroll in the field, dressed up just like the babies.

At the time of her bath Kamala behaved better than before. She would permit water to be poured on her, in summer, but in winter she cultivated a liking for tepid water. She was not afraid of water at this period, but still she would not go near a tub or a reservoir. The water must be brought away from them to a distant place for her bath.

October 16, 1926

She permitted soap now, and the froth of the soap she used to lick up from her body and eat. This peculiarity was noticed first on the sixteenth of October, 1926. To stop this practice Mrs. Singh used to put some quinine into the water and then bath her. Kamala, finding the taste bitter, refrained from licking the soap froth.

Intellect — The Power of Understanding Progress in 1925

KAMALA'S power of understanding showed a marked progress in 1925, the fifth year after her rescue in 1920. She gained the idea of color and always preferred red. She knew some of the babies by their names. Although she could not say the name, yet when asked about someone who was named to her, if it was the child meant, she used to nod, but if it was not, she used to shake her head.

Kamala knew her plate and she used to refuse any other plate brought to her. Now Kamala had commenced drinking from a glass, and she knew her glass among all the others.

February 28, 1926

Kamala could tell whether her food had sufficient salt or not. On this day, some roasted meat was served to Kamala and the other children. Kamala did not wait for the grace to be said, and commenced to bite at the meat. A bite was enough for her to push it away and sit still. After the grace was said, and the children had begun to eat, it was found that the cook had forgotten to put salt in the meat. The children clamored for salt, but Kamala sat quiet and watched. Mrs. Singh put some salt in each plate, and when she came to Kamala, she at once lifted her plate to Mrs. Singh to receive the salt from her.

January 14, 1926

When Kamala had her bath in winter, she would first of all put her hand into the water to see whether it was sufficiently warm, before she permitted the water to be poured on her. If she found the water was not hot enough, she would move away and stand or sit apart till she saw that some hot water had been poured in. This first happened on the above date.

June 7, 1926

The dinner bell had a peculiar attraction for Kamala. She would run on all fours as quickly as she could from any distance, the moment she heard the bell. She came running like this on the seventh of June, 1926, leaving the other children and Mrs. Singh far behind. Unfortunately, when she came to the dining room, she found the meal on the table but no one to deal it out for her and the children. So she at once ran back to Mrs. Singh, and commenced pushing her and slapping her gently. Mrs. Singh feigned that she could not understand what she meant by all that. Kamala, finding that Mrs. Singh could not understand, ran back to the dining room again. This she repeated several times, and after some time Mrs. Singh exclaimed, "Oh! Kamala, you wanted me to give you your dinner," and she nodded her head and walked ahead of her on her legs, leading her to the dining room.

October 10, 1926

A baby had a fall near the gate, and her knees were bleeding. Noticing this, Kamala ran in and behaved in the same manner as has just been mentioned, inducing Mrs. Singh to come to the spot. By now Mrs. Singh could understand Kamala better than anyone else in the house, and she followed Kamala to see what had happened. She found the child who had had a severe fall and attended to her, and Kamala looked very pleased. At this period Kamala showed a remarkable attachment towards the babies, and in her own way tried to look after them in the field and at home.

In these and other instances it became clear that Kamala's power of understanding, and the consequent requirement for action, was developing gradually, though slowly. It was hoped that someday in the near future Kamala would be reclaimed as a human child.

The Power of Expression — January 23, 1926

Kamala's face brightened up on hearing that Mrs. Singh had come back from a few days change at Ranchi. The expression on her face distinctly manifested an expression of joy. She ran out on all fours to meet her with the words "Ma Elo" meaning "Mama come." She caught hold of Mrs. Singh's hand and walked very slowly on her two legs. Mrs. Singh also walked very very slowly to permit Kamala to saunter along. Kamala did not permit any other children to come so close to Mrs. Singh or to hold her hand. She went on jabbering many broken words like a prattling baby, trying to express all that had happened during her absence; most of this prattle could not be understood at all.

September 21, 1922

Before, Kamala could not weep, nor bring about the expression of sorrow in her face. On this date, when Amala died, only two drops of tears fell from Kamala's eyes, and no change of expression on the face was noticeable to make one understand that Kamala was actually weeping.

Year 1926

Time had passed, and Kamala's habits had changed since the day of her rescue. In 1926 Kamala was a different person altogether. When she talked, some expression was always visible on her face, accompanied by some movements of the limbs and body. These movements were the sure signs of all that was passing in her mind on such occasions, and which she wanted to express in words; but unfortunately her vocabulary was very limited, and hence she had unconsciously to make some signs, and nature granted her these movements in her body and limbs, and distinct expressions on her face.

It was now possible to understand her to a certain extent through these expressions on her face and the movements of her limbs and body. She could point out things of which she did not know the names, and thus could express herself in daily life. If she found that we could not understand her, she would go to the thing itself and touch it to signify what she meant.

February 9, 1926

It so happened that Mrs. Singh had sent Kamala and a child named Saraju, nine years old, to me to ask for a rupee. Saraju was distinctly told privately simply to watch Kamala and not to say anything, but to report what she did on that errand. Mrs. Singh had told Kamala to get the rupee in the presence of other children. Kamala ran on all fours and came to the office, where I was engaged in writing. Kamala came and stood there for some time. I did not know then what the children had come for, as they were accustomed to visit me often in the office. She got tired of waiting. She came very near and struck hard at the door of the table drawer. I was seated by it at the table. The sound at once drew my attention, and I looked at her; she gave another blow to the door. I asked her what she wanted. She did not say anything, but simply pointed to the keyhole of the door. I understood her and took out my key and put it in the keyhole. The door was opened. Now she again pointed to the inner keyhole of the drawer. I opened that too. After this, Kamala pointed to the moneybag in it. I asked her whether she wanted that bag. She nodded to say "yes," and I handed over the bag to her. She at once ran with it on all fours. I called Saraju and told her to watch Kamala with the bag. I followed slowly. I found Kamala with Mrs. Singh. I asked Mrs. Singh why Kamala wanted the bag. She told me everything. I did not take the bag from Mrs. Singh, but told her by a sign to send it back to me through Kamala. I left the place, and went to the garden. Kamala followed me to the garden, and came back to the office with me, put the bag on the table, and went away.

February 19, 1926

Kamala was sent to the kitchen to a grown-up girl of the Orphanage, named Khiroda, to ask her to bring the children's milk. Kamala went there and said "Doo" and touched Khiroda, pointing to the dining-room door. Khiroda understood her and brought the milk, and reported what Kamala had said and done in the kitchen to make her understand what she wanted. Kamala looked very pleased when she came with Khiroda into the dining room.

Other cases, such as asking for salt, calling Mrs. Singh to deal out the meal, calling her to the gate to see the hurt child, drawing her attention to the moon, are all the expressions of a child trying to make itself understood. Kamala as a growing child gradually came to the common human stage of infancy when she could express herself in signs, but could not do so in words.

December 6, 1926

On this date, it was clearly seen that Kamala had grown in her knowledge of "human" bashfulness. In the morning when she got up, she wore only her loincloth and was covered with a blanket at night. This day she did not wish to leave the dormitory. Mrs. Singh, thinking that she felt cold, gave her a shawl to cover her, expecting her to come out, but she did not leave her bed, and angrily threw away the shawl. Mrs. Singh could not understand her. At this time Kamala uttered the broken word "Fok" and jumped out of her bed, pulled out her red pajama and frock, and brought them to Mrs. Singh. She understood at once and put them on Kamala, who very willingly came out and mixed with the children to go out for a stroll.

Vocabulary

THE vocabulary of Kamala consisted of thirty words up to 1926. Her first vocabulary, as we have seen, was only a cry, or a howl like an animal, which was neither human nor animal but only a peculiar shrill and piercing sound.

November 27, 1922

At the time when they felt hungry or thirsty, both Kamala and Amala used to utter only the sound "Bhoo, Bhoo," and we got to understand that they were hungry or thirsty. In order to make clear to us what Kamala wanted, she used to go to the water pitcher or the milk kettle when thirsty. This was first noticed on the twenty-seventh of November, 1922. When hungry, they both used to remain where they were and utter the sound repeatedly. Beyond this they had no language to make themselves understood to us.

December 15, 1923

On this day, it was noticed that Kamala copied the sound "Hoo Hoo Hoo" which the Orphanage children used to utter on account of the severe cold which they felt when not properly covered. Kamala took this sound up and began to utter this frequently without meaning anything in particular. This went on for some time. Now Kamala used to nod for "yes" and shake her head from side to side to mean "no," but could not pronounce these two words.

December 30, 1923

When breakfast was being served and the children were asked who wanted more rice, some said "yes" and some said "no." When Mrs. Singh came to Kamala and asked her whether she wanted more rice, she at once nodded her head and uttered "Hoo," meaning "yes." This word "Hoo" is akin to "Ha," meaning "yes" in Bengali. After this, Kamala always said "Hoo" when she meant "yes."

January 6, 1924

A child had a severe cut on her leg, and when the wound was being dressed, he was crying and struggling to free himself. He produced the sound "Na, Na, Na," and so on, as he could not bear the dressing. When he got a little better, the other children began to tease him by repeating his cry "Na, Na, Na." Kamala did not join in the teasing, but in her own time and in her own way began to repeat "Na, Na, Na," to herself and got accustomed to it.

January 19, 1924

Kamala had a fall and sprained her wrist. When the sprain was being rubbed and massaged with embrocation, she commenced uttering the cry "Na, Na, Na." It was another instance of the imitation which Kamala was gradually developing in pronouncing words.

January 20, 1924

Kamala found that her bath water was very hot, and she hid herself in a corner. When Mrs. Singh approached her, she at once began to shout "Na, Na, Na." Mrs. Singh caused the bucket containing the water, which had now been made sufficiently cold, to be brought to Kamala to show her that it had been made fit for her bath, and affectionately in many loving and coaxing words made her see that the water was not as hot as she had found it at first. Kamala dipped her hand in again, smiled, and left the corner for the bath. After this, whenever she did not like anything, she would cry "Na, Na, Na," meaning "No." Thus Kamala was found to be trying to grasp at the words with their meaning to understand, and to make herself understood.

January 29, 1924

The fourth word "Bha" she produced all by herself. All on a sudden at breakfast when the rice was being served, Kamala commenced saying "Bha, Bha, Bha," and said it on and on all the while till she began to eat. "Bhat" in Bengali meants rice.

 

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