First report of the committee of the Society for the Education of Imbecile Youth in Scotland.

Date:
1862
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: First report of the committee of the Society for the Education of Imbecile Youth in Scotland. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

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    its success, it will be necessary that some funds should be collected ; and these, I am sure, will not be awanting in Glasgow. We know that when any object of benevolence or charity is laid before our citizens, they are never awanting in their contributions, and I am sure, that when other parts of Scotland are moving in this most benevolent work, there will be no difficulty as to our doing our part in this good work. I may mention, that a meeting was held in Edinburgh on Monday last, and at that meeting the Earl of Haddington agreed to be President of the Society, both of the Edinburgh and also of the Glasgow Committees. I may also mention ere sitting down, that a letter of apology has been received from Dr. Craik, and that Dr. Robertson of the High Church is detained at a meeting of Presbytery. Mr. Mii.lard then addressed the meeting as follows :—As superintendent of the Eastern Counties Asylum for Idiots, I naturally feel deep sympathy with the present undertaking, and have cheerfully come, by invitation of your committee, to narrate the history and describe the working of the English Asylums. Tt is a singular fact, that the little streamlet of thought which first set in motion English minds and English hearts upon this subject, flowed from Scotland. An article appeared in Chambers's Edinburgh Journal in January 1847, containing an account of the education of idiots, by Monsieur Seguin, at the Bicetre in Paris, and another article upon the same subject in the following month. These papers were read by a lady in London who, from affliction in her family, had special reason to be interested in the subject. She was naturally led to desire that similar efforts should be put forth in England. Being well known to the noble and large hearted Dr. Reed, who had already founded successfully three Orphan Asylums, she brought the matter earnestly before his attention. At first he discouraged her, stating that there was no need for au asylum for idiots. Undaunted by failure in the quarter where she fondly hoped for success, and where she afterwards found it, the lady applied to Mr. Gervis, a benevolent surgeon at Tiverton, who heartily took up the project. He wrote a letter to a religious newspaper, which was copied into several periodicals, and the subject was thus first brought before the British public. The lady again appealed to Dr. Reed. He said to her, “ Go out some morning and see if you can find any idiots.” She went and found twenty-eight in one morning, all of them males. Dr. Reed then agreed to take the matter into consideration, and invited a few gentlemen to form a provisional committee for conference upon the subject. During his summer holiday he visited the continent with the view of seeing what was being done for the education of idiots abroad, before committing himself to the work at home. Meanwhile my own attention had been directed to the subject by the letter of Mr. Gervis. As honorary superintendent of three ragged schools in succession, I had proved how the heart could be won, and the attention enchained, of those who had been previously untaught, undisciplined, and uncared for. An idiot boy was in one of those schools, and the thought occurred to me that, if so much could be accomplished for the rough and uncultivated youths around, poor idiots might also, in a measure, be trained and taught. I communicated the idea to Mr. Gay, who was then surgeon of the Royal Free Hospital, and who is now surgeon of the Great Northern Hospital, as well as consulting surgeon of the Earlswood Asylum for Idiots. He heartily encouraged me, and 1 determined to devote myself to the work, if opportunity offered. When inquiring about some premises, I heard of Dr. Reed’s preliminary efforts. Upon his return from the continent he and Dr. Carlile called upon me, inviting me to join their provisional committee. I accepted the invitation, and attended the meetings at the King’s Head Tavern, Poultry. That committee consisted of Dr. Reed, who was the devoted Honorary Secretary Dr. Conolly, the highly-esteemed Physician for the Insane, C. Gilpin, Esq. M.P.* Dr. Little, Dr. Carlile, the late Alderman Wire, Messrs. Gay, Monk, King, and myself. Although it was a period of monetary panic, yet, under the abie guidance of Dr. Reed, we decided to hold an Institutory Meeting at the London Tavern Bishopsgate Street, on 27th October 11347. The Lord Mayor, Sir George Carroll’ took the chair; the Rev. Canon Champneys said at the meeting, “ It may appear wrong for man’s time, but it may be right for God’s time,” and so it proved. The subscription list only reached to about 350 guineas, including 100 guineas sent by