Crétins and idiots : a short account of the progress of the institutions for their relief and cure.

Date:
1853
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Crétins and idiots : a short account of the progress of the institutions for their relief and cure. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by King’s College London. The original may be consulted at King’s College London.

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    trying to learn. After a time the muscles acquired strength, and the face a fresher tint. Some signs of intellect appeared, as if waking out of a magnetic sleep. One day when the setting sun gilded the sky most brilliantly, the attention of all the children in the Institution was attracted to the splendid sight. Admiration and astonishment were visible in all of them; even little F. called out suddenly, “ the sun ! ” The strong chain that bound the mind was broken ; by means of speech he could now communicate with those around him. Yet the power of observation was still very limited ; he could not distinguish between the parts of objects ; for example, he did not know the fingers from the hand. Memory seemed wholly to be wanting ; it required incredible patience in this first period of instruction. To instil knowledge by means of visible objects is the best method of awakening a dormant mind. After three months of exertion, the capacities of F. began to be developed, his knowledge of things increased, his mind gradually strengthened. An attempt was next made to teach him the method of reckoning in the head, to prepare the way for arithmetic by figures. It is a remarkable circum- stance that Cretins show much aptitude for this branch of learning. He now began to advance in reading very satisfactorily ; but, like most Cretins, made very slow progress with writing ; for music he showed a decided inclination. After a time the efforts used were so successful that F. was enabled to surpass many of his healthy cotem- poraries in knowledge and capability of learning. “ E was a little girl of only six months, when taken into the Institution of the Abendberg. For the first mouth of her life she appeared to be healthy, though weak. Then a distressing cough came on, which left her after a short time, but had caused a crisis in her development. The parents are healthy and well-formed. The state of the child was truly dreadful ; the bodily organization was that of a stunted, withered skeleton, covered with a lived, wrinkled, cold skin. Where there were some traces of muscles, elasticity was wanting ; the extremities were very small, the countenance deadly pale, the cheeks and forehead wrinkled, the eyes small and dark, and the whole expression of the face that of an old woman. In the spring, when fine weather adds to the favourable effect of the pure mountain air in the cure of these miserable children, she was brought to the Abendberg. The natural advantages of the situation were aided by the most careful medical treatment and diet. Although this poor creature had been gradually becoming more dwarf-like and deformed ever since her birth, she now advanced rapidly towards a perfect development. Three months worked a visible improve- ment ; the muscles strengthened with her growth, the skin became n