Idiocy : and its treatment by the physiological method / by Edward Seguin.

  • Seguin, Edward, 1812-1880.
Date:
1866
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Idiocy : and its treatment by the physiological method / by Edward Seguin. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University.

    24/476 (page 14)
    education of idiots, already published and exhausted. In 1846, Dr. Kern established a school at Leipsig; and the writings of Drs. A. Eeed, Twining, and J. Conollj, gave birth to the first English institution at Bath. In 1848, Sir S. M. Peto devoted his own mansion, Essex Hall, Colchester, to the same destination. Scotland opened her first institution in 1852; and in June, 1853, was laid by Prince Albert, the corner-stone of the school of Earlswood, Surrey. Nearly all the nations of Europe followed these examples. As early as 1842-3, Horace Mann and George Sumner had become familiar with our personal labors at Bicetre, on which they wrote approvingly, sending over the seeds which soon rose from American soil. Dr. S. B. Wood- ward, Dr. Backus, of Eochester, New York, Judge Bying- ton, Dr. S. G. Howe, Dr. E. Jarvis, and Dr. II. B. Wilbur, all of Massachusetts, were the first to move the public opinion or the Legislatures of their respective States. Indeed, Dr. Backus went so far as to report a bill to the Senate, at Albany, on the 13th of January, 1846, for the purchase of a site, and the erection of suitable buildings, for an asylum for idiots. This bill passed the Senate, and was at first concurred in by the Assembly, but subsequently rejected on political grounds. In 1847, it met with a similar fate. Massachusetts, a few days behind New York at the start, succeeded sooner. The 22d of January, 1846, the Hon. Mr. Byington offered a resolution to the Legisla- ture, for the appointment of a commission to investigate the condition of idiots in that State. The resolution passed the House; Dr. S. G. Howe, Judge Byington, and