Notes of a visit to American institutions for idiots & imbeciles / by G.E. Shuttleworth.

  • Shuttleworth, G. E. (George Edward), 1842-1928.
Date:
[1876?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Notes of a visit to American institutions for idiots & imbeciles / by G.E. Shuttleworth. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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

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    include clothing, which is invariably provided by the friends or local authorities. At the Pennsylvannia Training School, with 225 pupils (one-fourth of whom are payment cases) the rate per head was stated to be 256 dollars (£51). It must be borne iu mind that in America wages are higher, and clothing more expensive than in this country; the cost of food is probably much the same as with us. AVith regard to the Institution Buildings, it may be stated generally, that the majority are of a less substantial character than those erected for similar purposes in Great Britain. Those of the Pennsylvania Training School, and of the New York and Ohio State Asylums, are, however, solid edifices of handsome architectural elevation; and a permanent building is now in course of erection at Lincoln, Illinois, to supersede the present framed-wood structure at Jacksonville, temporarily occupied by the Illinois Institution. For the last-named, the State Legislature has recently appropriated 175,000 dollars (£35,000) for a building designed to accommodate at least 250 children. The cost of the buildings of the New York State Asylum, including furniture, is estimated at 550 dollars (£!10) per inmate: those of the Ohio State Asylum, which are excellently appointed, cost 250,000 dolls. (£50,000) and will accommodate 425 patients. All the Institutions visited, save that at South Boston, have farm- ing land attached to them : the Ohio State Asylum farms as much as 400 acres. The Superintendents concur in their testimony to the great value of out-door labour in promoting the bodily and mental vigour of their patients. At Columbus we were much impressed by the efficient manner in which a number of imbecile lads, under the charge of a single Attendant, were engaged in reaping a field of indian-corn. The ratio of Staff to Patients, (taking a general average for the State Institutions), may be set down as 1:4 or 5 ; of Attendants to Patients as 1:10; of Teachers to Patients as 1:25. Thus, at the New York State Asylum with 215 patients, there is a Staff of 50 persons ; at the Ohio State Asylum with 408 patients, about 80 persons are employed. It must be remembered that in these Institutions there are no special arrangements for payment cases. At the Pennsylvania Training-School, where there are a few private cases, there is a staff of 85 officers, attendants, and other employes to 225 patients. This enumeration will no doubt include some persons who -work on the land as well as act as attendants. It is estimated that throughout the States there are at least 40,000 Idiots and Imbeciles. At present there is special provision for not more than 1,500 of the class. In America, as in Great Britain, the question how best to provide for unteachable and adult idiots— whether in connexion with existing Schools, or in entirely separata custodial Institutions — is the subject of considerable diversity of opinion. It was satisfactory however to note that the public utility of the several Training Institutions was regarded as a demonstrated fact wherever they had been sufficiently long in operation to produce results. AVo heard from Mr. Hayes (Governor of Ohio and ono of the candidates for tho Presidency), unqualified testimony as to the value of the State Institution at Columbus ; and in tho last published Kcport of the Commissioners of Public Charities of New York City, thcio is a record that tho School of the Idiot Asylum there, had “ abundantly vindicated tho wisdom of its