Royal Albert Asylum for the care, education, and training of idiotic, imbecile, and weak-minded children and young persons, belonging to Lancashire, Yorkshire, Cheshire, Westmorland, Cumberland, Durham and Northumberland : twenty-first annual report.

  • Royal Albert Asylum (Lancaster, England)
Date:
1885
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Royal Albert Asylum for the care, education, and training of idiotic, imbecile, and weak-minded children and young persons, belonging to Lancashire, Yorkshire, Cheshire, Westmorland, Cumberland, Durham and Northumberland : twenty-first annual report. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    of the girls and infants. The usual statistical tables of school attainments, and examples of improvement, are appended to this Report. Much useful work continues to be done in the workshops and on the land by the older boys, of whom more than two- thirds are under some form of industrial training. Out-door employment is undoubtedly the most beneficial form in the majority of cases, so far as constitution and climate permit, tending to improve the physique, and, in consequence, the mental vigour of those so employed. But with imbecile, as with normal youths, a choice of occupations is advantageous to suit varying tastes and capabilities ; and in the Asylum workshops, stores, bakehouse, and other industrial depart¬ ments, scope is afforded for the cultivation of any capacity for usefulness that may be discovered. The baker is assisted by some half-dozen lads, several of whom are becoming proficient in the art of bread-making, and will thereby be enabled to gain their living. In the joiner’s shop four boys are engaged at bench work, and make useful articles, such as trays, knifeboxes, and step-ladders. One of them, entirely educated in this Institution, makes in a very workmanlike manner ink-stands, tables, chests of drawers, and other articles of furniture. It is true that not many im¬ becile lads are likely to attain to a profitable degree of skil¬ fulness in joinery, but this shop is also of service in helping the muscular development of those employed in chopping and sawing wood, and presents moreover a cleanly form of manual occupation not objected to by the friends of patients of a higher social class. The establishment of a printing office, very successfully carried on in a kindred Institution, is a further development of occupation for the better educated inmates which would, I think, prove useful. Passing from the subject of employment to that of recreation, I may remark that some amount of healthy excitement seems specially called for by the sluggish natures of many of the imbecile class, and on that account, as well as to vary the inherent monotony of Institution life, the frequent provision of suitable amusements is considered of much importance. Consequently, we appreciate highly the kindness of those friends who from time to time favour us with musical and other entertainments; and in this connexion I may specially mention a magic-lantern exhibition given for the fifth time by Mr. Jos. Wm. Pickard, and concerts by members of the Choir of St. John’s Church, and by Messrs. Industrial Occupations Recreation. Acknow¬ ledgments.