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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    Last June, at the yearly examination, only three hoys from the fifth grade were admitted to the higher department, and E. was one of them. He left boys and girls two and three years older than himself behind, not because he understood half as readily, as they, but because of his ambition and perseverance. His books were .always brought home and were the last things at night and the first in the morning. Spelling came hard, and he is not a good speller now, but he mastered his lesson generally. In geography he wras good, es¬ pecially in tracing upon the map. Intellectual arithmetic taxed him severely, and I had him excused from it entirely the last year. In practical arithmetic, he kept up, and understood as well as his class; he likes it very much. In grammer, he got along very well; could diagram sentences as correctly, but not as rapidly, as any in the class. He is not, of course, a fluent reader, but' he speaks more distinctly than when you knew him. For drawing and painting, he has a great taste; always comes home excited if he chances to see any one engaged in either, and wants his father to let him take drawing lessons. He became so importunate concerning music, that “to get rid of him,” his father said, “ You may take one term of lessons, then if you can learn, you may take more.” We had not the most dis¬ tant idea of his accomplishing anything, but before his term was out, he played a number of tunes, and kis teacher assures us that he bids fair to rgake an excellent musician. There is but one un¬ pleasant association connected with his stay with you, and that is his baths; lie always speaks of them with a shudder. He wants me to send his love to yourself and family, all the teachers and * others connected with the institution. What is to be the future of our boy, is still a mystery; but we shall ever feel very grateful to all connected with the institution for their kindness to him. Yours, truly. This is one of a class of cases in which the good effects of such an asylum as ours are most clearly shown. It was not proper idiocy, i It was retarded development of mind, from analogous physical conditions, only affecting the nervous system to a less degree. Without especial training and instruction by his mother, and in the institution, he would doubt¬ less have grown disheartened in the contests of boyhood, in school and out of school. Soured by the annoyances to which he was exposed, purposeless, so far as the customary objects of life were