Fifteenth annual report of the New York Asylum for Idiots : transmitted to the Legislature, February 9, 1866 / New York State Asylum for Idiots.

  • New York State Asylum for Idiots
Date:
1866
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Fifteenth annual report of the New York Asylum for Idiots : transmitted to the Legislature, February 9, 1866 / New York State Asylum for Idiots. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    floor in one corner of the room a piece of smooth and varnished oil cloth carpeting. Placing her in an erect position, with her back against the wall, and seating myself in a chair in front of her, 1 held her up against it with one hand, and with the other kept her knees from bending. Her whole weight was thus thrown upon her unaccustomed limbs. Then, guiding her feet with my feet, I allowed them to slip forward till her position became quite uncomfortable. After a few moments I restored her to a more comfortable position, by pushing back her feet. This was repeated for some time, till to my joy she took the hint, and, to relieve herself, slightly drew back one foot. ' In another lesson or two she learned to step backwards continu¬ ally and regularly, as I allowed her feet to slip forward. I next moved her body a little to one side, till, prompted by the discom¬ fort of the sidelong attitude, and acting upon the gentle hints fur¬ nished by my suggesting foot, she recovered an erect position by a sideways movement of her own. I need not follow these exer¬ cises further, only to sav that she was promoted to a large sized baby jumper, where for brief periods she was left with the alter¬ native of discomfort or some voluntary effort to keep on her legs. With such and similar methods she learned td.walk, to stand up and sit down, at my command, and to follow the other.pupils in I their march to and from the dining room. I now wished to bring her hand under the control of her will. Holding her wrist, I placed in her soft palm (for she made no I effort to grasp anything), various objects hot and cold, smooth and rough, light and heavy. She at last knew she had a hand. After awhile I succeeded in inducing an effort (voluntary, remember), on her part, not to grasp the object, but to drop it by a slight motion. This I encouraged till she positively dropped it. In time, I thought that she perceived a connection between the drop¬ ping of the body and the noise and jar as it fell at her feet, assisted perhaps by my simultaneous exclamation. Acting upon this, and with the impelling influence of my stronger will, which she now began to appreciate, I at last secured the end I had in view, and she held whatever I gave her. I should mention that heavy bodies are held more readily than light ones. J. F., a hoy of eleven years of age, type of quite a class of cases that have been in the asylum. He could stand and walk, but did not use his hands even to feed himself. He did not hear a sound | apparently, though we fired pistols at his ears, and tried him with [Assem. No. 79.J 2
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