Thirteenth annual report of the New York Asylum for Idiots : transmitted to the Legislature, January 28, 1864 / New York State Asylum for Idiots.

  • New York State Asylum for Idiots.
Date:
1864
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Thirteenth annual report of the New York Asylum for Idiots : transmitted to the Legislature, January 28, 1864 / New York State Asylum for Idiots. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    clean and be ye comfortable/7 it was conferring less than half the blessing his nature was capable of. A more intelligent examination of the evil suggested the other course I have referred to. This was based upon a recognition of the idiot7s humanity ; that he had a physical system to be exer¬ cised to some definite purpose; that he had germs of intelligence to be awakened and developed to some useful end ; that he had affections to be warmed into life, to respond to words and acts of kindness by feelings of affection and gratitude. Our institution was founded and has been managed with just this view ; and in looking back upon the experiences of the twelve years of its history, there can be no occasion to regret that an appropriate education was made the basis of the State's charity in this direction. • It may be repeated here, what has appeared in former reports, that exceptional cases do exist where all efforts at education fail of their purpose. Setting aside such exceptional cases—a small percentage of the whole number—-there can be no doubt that the institution has accomplished the end for which it was designed. The beneficiaries of the asylum have been improved by training and instruction to the full extent anticipated by the men who were instrumental in founding it. Each year sees some leaving the institution so changed by the management and teach¬ ing as to be new beings, if tried by the test of a capacity for usefulness and rational enjoyment. The education of idiots, however, from the very nature of idiocy, requires laborious and long-continued efforts; efforts not encouraging the teacher by rapid progress or kindly reception. Unimprovable cases accumulate in the asylum through the kind- heartedness of those who have the charge of selecting and dis¬ missing the pupils. It is seen that even in these cases there is a great betterment of condition in the change from home, or other public institutions, to the asylum, from various causes. Thus there are to be found in an establishment for idiots special arrangements and appliances to meet their peculiar wants, aside :from those of a positively educational character. There are ruts in which they are impelled to move by influences which they scarcely feel and yet cannot resist; and these routine movements glide into habits which they have no disposition to resist; and conformity to habit, in the absence of the pleasure derived from determinate actions in the line of the higher instincts, produces