Fifth annual report of the trustees and superintendent of the Ohio State Asylum for the Education of Idiotic and Imbecile Youth, to the governor of the state of Ohio : for the year 1861.

  • Ohio State Asylum for the Education of Idiotic and Imbecile Youth.
Date:
1862
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Fifth annual report of the trustees and superintendent of the Ohio State Asylum for the Education of Idiotic and Imbecile Youth, to the governor of the state of Ohio : for the year 1861. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT. . Ohio State Asylum for Idiotic and Imbecile Youth, ) November 1, 1861. } To the Board of Trustees : Gentlemen :—In February last, by your appointment, I entered upon the dis¬ charge of the duties of Superintendent of this Institution, Dr. Patterson, my predecessor, having resigned the position to take charge of the Lunatic Asylum of the State of Iowa. The past year has been to us one of uninterrupted prosperity. There has been comparatively little sickness, and no deaths since the date of the last report; andeed, there have been no deaths among the pupils since its organization, an immunity whica is remarkable, considering the frequent physical as well as men¬ tal feebleness which characterizes this class of persons. The Matron and teachers, with the exception of Miss Burbank, who has with¬ drawn temporarily on account of impaired health, still continue to discharge their I respective duties with marked devotion. All connected with the Institution con¬ tinue to display an untiring interest in the work assigned to them. The whole number who have been under instruction the past year is fifty-four, .J The Asylum now contains forty-seven pupils, being an increase of twelve from last f year. Under your direction, the building attached to the main structure, but ’ heretofore used for another purpose, has been raised one story, and improved in such a manner that the lower room is now used as a gymnasium, and the upper ]story as a dormitory. By this improvement we have greatly added to the con- : veoience and capacity of the building, and are able to accommodate the increased Inumber of pupils above reported. Notwithstanding the increase of pupils, the number of persons employed on wages has been diminished, in consequence of teaching the pupils to perform many duties, for which other persons were formerly required : the females being assigned to the appropriate tasks of the household, ■ and the males to suitable labors out of doors. Thus are we demonstrating within : the Institution the practical benefits of educating this class; and a two fold good is secured : the labors imposed are a very important means of physical and mental u culture, and they contribute in some degree to th ir maintenance during the pro- [i;cess of training It is true that this system imposes greater care and responsibility Jupon all the officers and attendants, but this is more than compensated by the