The education of the imbecile, and the improvement of invalid youth.

Date:
1856
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The education of the imbecile, and the improvement of invalid youth. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    almost generally devised in this country, in favour of every class of un¬ fortunates. Let us confine ourselves to a single city. In Edinburgh, we have a Magdalen Asylum, a Lunatic Asylum, a Blind Asylum, an Institu¬ tion for the Deaf and Dumb, a House of Industry, and a great variety of establishments for sundry benevolent purposes. But, what is done in it— what has ever been attempted to he done in it—in behalf of that by no means small class of helpless creatures, whom the hand of nature appears to have cast around us as if to humble our pride, and to demonstrate our dependence, for much of what we deem our excellence, on the laws of the material world ? The poor-houses, it is true, usually contain some of these unfortunate beings. But many of them are allowed to wander at large; and those, again, who are lodged there, are, with few exceptions, precluded, by the very circumstances of the establishments, and by the influence of a very general opinion as to their total incapacity for education, from all chance or possibility of being ever useful to society. We are not certain, indeed, that there is a single institution in Great Britain, exclusively, pro¬ fessedly, and systematically appropriated to this class of defectives. The reason of this neglect seems to be a persuasion, that there is only one species of the disease or evil under which they labour, and that this is entirely and for ever incurable. Some inquiry at least ought to be made before allowing such a conclusion ; and even were this conclusion better founded than it is, there would, nevertheless, exist some ground for charging the practical consequences, as they are now displayed, with untenderness and impolicy. But it is contended, that the conclusion, in place of being warranted by facts, is disproved by them : that the mental defects of the individuals in question, so far from being all alike, are immensely dissimilar ; that, in many cases, there is reason for imagining the principle of substitution, by which one faculty or sense is made to answer in some degree for another, might serve as the basis of successful education: and that it is possible, the very worst cases ever met with would yield so far to science and indus¬ try, as to vindicate and reward the patience and ingenuity bestowed on them. All that is meant to be given on the subject in this place are a few observations, which, it is thought, if extended and modified by further inquiry, might lead some benevolent minds to the adoption of a plan cal¬ culated to lessen the evil complained of.”. “ Where there are many manifest indications of this imbecility, it is re¬ commended to have recourse to medical skill, for the purpose of putting into practice every means calculated to invigorate the constitution. Few persons, perhaps, are aware of the different effects produced on the state of both the intellectual and moral powers by peculiarities in diet and regimen. This is a subject on which some curious information might be obtained from those persons who are in the habit of training for sundry athletic pur¬ poses. One person, for example, who has had much experience in this way, Mr Jackson, has, positively, and we think most justly asserted, that the fa¬ culties of the mind are as distinctly improved as the condition of the bodily health, by the process now alluded to.” .... “ It is surely obvious, then, there is ground for employing medical advice in cases of general imbecility presenting in early life; and there cannot he a doubt, that cases of this kind, which are allowed by despair to become confirmed and deteriorated, might have been relieved by professional interference. Who has not wit¬ nessed the expressionless inane countenance, perfectly indicative of the in¬ ternal state, in a person just recovering from a fever, or reduced by poverty and hunger ? Is it not quite conceivable, that a condition of the system somewhat analogous to this, but dependent on causes which have operated before Birth, and continued to operate even for years afterwards, might ad¬ mit of an alteration and improvement, similar to what occurs in these cases, on the restoration of wonted health ? It would not be difficult to demon¬ strate the truth of these remarks, and to confirm the hopes they are intended