[Sixth annual] report of the trustees of the State Idiot Asylum : Feb. 4, 1857 / New York State Asylum for Idiots.

  • New York State Asylum for Idiots.
Date:
[1857?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: [Sixth annual] report of the trustees of the State Idiot Asylum : Feb. 4, 1857 / New York State Asylum for Idiots. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    1851. Their appearance, as described by persons who saw them at that time, must have been painful and disgusting in the ex¬ treme. Both had been idiots from birth, both were partially paralyzed, and both entirely dumb, and not capable of under¬ standing more than a dozen words. So hopeless was their con¬ dition that the physician at Randall’s island, who was absent when Dr. Wilbur selected them, on his return, wrote to Dr. W., expressing his regret at his selection, as he feared that it would only bring disgrace upon the effort to instruct idiots, to attempt the instruction of those who were so evidently beyond the reach of improvement. u Both now exhibit as much intelligence as ordinary children of their age. Neither speaks very fluently, in consequence of some paralysis still existing, but both are improving rapidly in this respect. Both write well on the blackboard. In thorough knowledge of grammar and geography very few children of their age are their equals. In a very severe and protracted examina¬ tion in geography, embracing minute details in regard to the topography of most of the countries on the globe, and many par¬ ticulars in regard to physical geography, and drawing maps upon the blackboard, neither they nor the other members of a class of six or seven missed a single question. In grammar, both supplied adjectives, nouns, verbs, or adverbs, to given verbs and nouns, with remarkable promptness and to an extent which would have severely tasked my vocabulary. In arithmetic both exhibited perfect familiarity with the ground rules, and Nattie gave at once any and all multiples of numbers as high as 132, and added, multiplied, and divided fractions with great readiness, u In Bible history they related, partly in pantomime, but in a most graphic way, any required Bible incident. The extremely amiable and affectionate manners of these two interesting chil¬ dren, and the intense activity of their newly developed intel¬ lects, render them particularly attractive to the visitor. u J. C., a girl of fifteen years of age, has been under Dr. Wil¬ bur’s care a little more than four years. When received, she was mischievous and vicious, very nervous, and could not speak distinctly. She could not be left alone with other children,