BRACE

brace, julia (1806-1884), american blind deaf-mute, was born at newington, connecticut, on the 13th of june 1806. in her fifth year she became blind and deaf, and lost the power of speech. at the age of eighteen she entered the asylum for the deaf and dumb at hartford. the study of blind deaf-mutes and their scientific training was then in its infancy; but she learnt to sew well, was neat in her dress, and had a good memory. dr s.g. howe's experiments with her were interesting as leading to his success with laura bridgman. she died at bloomington, conn., on the 12th of august 1884. brace (through the fr. from the plural of the lat. _bracchium_, the arm), a measure of length, being the distance between the extended arms. from the original meaning of "the two arms" comes that of something which secures, connects, tightens or strengthens, found in numerous uses of the word, as a carpenter's tool with a crank handle and socket to hold a bit for boring; a beam of wood or metal used to strengthen any building or machine; the straps passing over the shoulders to support the trousers; the leathern thong which slides up and down the cord of a drum, and regulates the tension and the tone; a writing and printing sign ({) for uniting two or more lines of letterpress or music; a nautical term for a rope fastened to the yard for trimming the sails (cf. the corresponding french term _bras de vergue_). as meaning "a couple" or "pair" the term was first applied to dogs, probably from the leash by which they were coupled in coursing. in architecture "brace mould" is the term for two ressaunts or ogees united together like a brace in printing, sometimes with a small bead between them.