The present public and charitable provision for imbeciles, compared with the existing legislation respecting them.

Date:
[1880]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The present public and charitable provision for imbeciles, compared with the existing legislation respecting them. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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

    1/8
    Price One Penny. CHARITY REFORM PAPERS. No. 2. 7/he present Public and Charitable Pro- vision for IMBECILES, compared with the existing Legislation respecting the?n. In January, 1877, the number of imbeciles requiring the benefits of public administration was calculated to be 28,348, of whom 10,599 were under 20 years, and 17,749 were above that age—the equality of the sexes being remarkable. Of these only 1,210, or 3 per cent, of the whole, are in charitable institutions. Of the rest there were at that date in the Metropolitan District Asylums 4,205, all excellently cared for, and the young separated from adults, and educated, trained and improved, whilst the country cases were neglected in workhouses, misplaced in lunatic asylums, or living as out-door paupers weighing down the energies of poor families, and merely kept alive without teaching or training of any kind. It is only within the last few years that the distinction between the feeble-minded and lunatics has been appreciated, but their cases really are totally different. The latter is suffering under disease of the brain—the former only under want of development, or from loss of mental power, arising from illness or accident. When properly cared for, educated and trained, the feeble-minded are capable of great and continued improvement. Imbeciles who were unmanageable, mis- chievous and self-willed at home, become orderly and obedient in the asylum, but from their peculiar propensities, their excitability, or their inertness, they require constant supervision and intelligent companionship to guide and control them. Many are dumb or have very imperfect speech—some are of uncleanly habits—many cannot dress themselves, but the improvement effected by instruction and industrial training is marked and encouraging. Elementary school lessons are given, and the more advanced cases are taught trades. There are large numbers of the adult imbeciles, and of adult harm- less lunatics, who are proper to be taken care of together in custodial mstitutions, and these combined classes of adults in the Metropolitan area form the residents in the great asylums provided by the Metro- politan Asylum Board at Leavesden and Caterham. The cost of the buildings and staff is paid for out of the common fund of the Metro- polis, the cost of the buildings being thrown over 60 years, and the maintenance charges are paid by the Guardians of the respective These custodial asylums are built each to accommodate l|0 mmates, which is found to be the number to be most cheaply 8411 Wlth as to staff and management. One very beneficial effect is