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 SENATE....NO. 38. 
 
 MESSAGE, 
 
 Council Chamber, February 20, 1850. 
 To the Senate : 
 
 I herewith communicate, for the use of the Legislature, the 
 Report of Dr. S. G. Howe, on " Training and Teaching Idiots," 
 under the Resolves of May 8, 1848. 
 
 GEO. N. BRIGGS. 
 
 BOSTON cou,., ,,,^^^^ 
 CHESTNUT HfLL. MASS. 
 
 S7510" 
 
\ \i.<f 
 
 
 2 ' , ' TRAINING IDIOTS. FFeb. 
 
 u ; ^ommontoeetlttj of M^uu^itt^ximiin. 
 
 Perkins Institution, and Mass. Asylum ) 
 FOR THE Blind, Boston, Feb., 1850, \ 
 
 To His Excellency, George N. Briggs, Governor of the Com- 
 monwealth of Massachusetts : — 
 
 Sir, — I have the honor to lay before you a 
 
 REPORT 
 
 of what has been done, during the past year, towards carrying 
 out the benevolent intentions of the Legislature of Massachu- 
 setts, as set forth in the Resolves, approved May 8, 1848, enti- 
 tled " Resolves concerning Training and Teaching Idiots," with 
 such remarks as the subject naturally suggests. 
 
 It may be well, in this first report, to put upon record, a brief 
 history of this interesting movement in behalf of a class of un- 
 fortunate creatures, who have hitherto been thought to be beyond 
 the reach even of the most earnest hand of charity. 
 
 In the winter of 1845-6, several gentlemen became interested 
 in the sad condition of the idiots in the State, and, without any 
 precise knowledge of what had been done for such persons else- 
 where, or what could be done, determined that a fair trial should 
 be made of the capacity of this unhappy class for improvement. 
 The State had most readily and generously seconded the efforts 
 of humane men for the relief of the insane, the deaf-mutes, 
 and the blind ; and made ample provision for their care and in- 
 struction. While, like a wise parent, she left all her other chil- 
 dren to wholesome liberty, and strengthening self control, she 
 gathered these feeble ones under the wings of her motherly love, 
 and nursed and nurtured them with unsparing pains and care. 
 Nothing had been done for the most wretched and helpless of 
 all, — the idiots, but this was only because their case seemed 
 hopeless. Their bodies were fed and clad. As for minds, they 
 
1850.] SENATE— No. 38. 3 
 
 seemed to have none. They were therefore kept out of sight 
 of the pubHc, as beings, the presence of whom, seemed only to 
 do harm to the beholders. It was thought desirable to ignore 
 their very existence, as much as possible; and little was known 
 of their number and condition. If it had been certain, that 
 nothing could be done to improve them, this course would have 
 been, in some respects, wise ; for the sight of any human 
 being in a state of brutishness, is demoralizing to unreflecting 
 beholders. 
 
 The first thing to be done, in the plan for their improvement, 
 was to gather together the necessary knowledge concerning 
 their number and condition, in a form that could be depended 
 upon ; and the Legislature was persuaded to pass a Resolve, on 
 the llth day of April, 184G, appointing commissioners, "to in- 
 quire into the condition of the Idiots of the Commonwealth, — 
 to ascertain their number, and whether anything can be done 
 in their behalf" 
 
 The commissioners,* so appointed, made a report, "in part," 
 to the governor, in the winter of 1847; but, not having finished 
 their labors, they asked to be continued, and their request was 
 granted. 
 
 They made a final and full report in the winter of 1847-8 ; 
 which, with its statistical tables, and minute details, was pub- 
 lished, by order of the Legislature.! 
 
 A few short extracts, from this report, of painfully interesting 
 facts, will show what was the number and condition of the 
 wretched creatures, who had been the subjects of examination. 
 
 The commissioners begin by saying: — "We did not look 
 upon idiocy as a thing which concerned only the hundred or 
 thousand unfortunate creatures, in this generation, who are 
 stunted or blighted by it; for even if means could be found, of 
 raising all the idiots, now within our borders, from their brutish- 
 ness, and alleviating their suffering, the work would have to 
 be done over again, because the next generation would be 
 burdened with an equal number of them. Such means would 
 only cut off the outward cancer, and leave the vicious sources 
 of it in the system. We regarded idiocy as a diseased excres- 
 cence of society; as an outward sign of an inward malady. It 
 
 * The commissioners were S. G. Howe, Horatio Byington, and Gilman Kimball. 
 
 t Report to the Governor, Feb. 26, 1848, by S. G. Howe, Chairman of the Commission. 
 
4 TRAINING IDIOTS. [Feb. 
 
 was hard to believe it to be in the order of Providence, that the 
 earth should always be cumbered with so many creatures in the 
 human shape, but without the light of human reason. It 
 seemed impious, to attribute to the Creator any such glaring 
 imperfection in his handiwork. It appeared to us certain, that 
 the existence of so many idiots, in every generation, must be 
 the consequence of some violation of the naturallaws ; that, 
 where there was so much suffering, there must have been sin. 
 We resolved, therefore, to seek for the sources of the evil, as 
 well as to gauge the depth and extent of the misery. It was to 
 be expected, that the search would oblige us to witness painful 
 scenes, not only of misfortunes and sufferings, but of deformi- 
 ties and infirmities, the consequences of ignorance, vice, and 
 depravity. The subjects of them, however, were brethren of 
 the human family ; the end proposed, was not only to relieve 
 their sufferings, and improve their condition, but, if possible, to 
 lessen such evils in coming generations; the task, therefore, was 
 not to be shrunk from, however repulsive and painful was its 
 contemplation." 
 
 " It must be confessed, however, that we have been painfully 
 disappointed by the sad reality, for the numbers of beings ori- 
 ginally made in God's image, but now sunk in utter brutishness, 
 is fearfully great, even beyond any thing that had been antici- 
 pated." 
 
 " The examination of their physical condition forces one into 
 scenes, from the contemplation of which, the mind and the 
 senses instinctively revolt." 
 
 "In searching for the causes of this wretchedness in the con- 
 dition and habits of the progenitors of the sufferers, there is 
 found a degree of physical deterioration, and of mental and 
 moral darkness, which will hardly be credited." 
 
 " We would fain be spared any relation of what has been wit- 
 nessed, as well for our own sake, as for the tastes and feelings 
 of others, which must be shocked by the recital of it. It would 
 be pleasanter simply to recommend such measures as would 
 tend to remove the present evils, and prevent their recurrence ; 
 but this may not be." 
 
 " Evils, however, cannot be grappled with and overcome, un- 
 less their nature and extent are fully known. Besides, our duty 
 
1850.] SENATE— No. 38. 5 
 
 was not only to examine into, but to report upon, the condition 
 o( the idiots in our Commonwealth ; and that duty must be done." 
 
 With regard to the number, the report says : — 
 
 " By dihgent and careful inquiries, in nearly one hundred 
 towns in different pans of the State, we have ascertained -the 
 existence, and examined the condition, of Jive hundred and 
 seventy-Jive human beings who are condemned to hopeless 
 idiocy, who are considered and treated as idiots by their neigh- 
 bors, and left to their own brutishness. They are also idiotic 
 in a legal sense ; that is, they are regarded as incapable of 
 enteripg into contracts, and are .irresponsible for their actions, 
 although some of- them would not be considered as idiots 
 according-to the definition of idiocy by medical writers." 
 
 " There are a few cases where insanity has terminated in total 
 dementia. There are others, where the sufferers seemed to 
 have had all their faculties in youth, and to have gradually lost 
 them, not by insanity, but by unknown causes. Excluding such 
 cases, there are four hundred and twenty persons who are to 
 be regarded as truly idiots. These are found in 77 towns. 
 But of these towns only G3 were thoroughly examined. They 
 contain an aggregate population of 185,942 ; among which, 
 were found 361 idiots, exclusive of insane persons. Now, if 
 the other parts of the State contain the same proportion of idiots 
 to their whole population, the total number in the Common- 
 wealth is between Jourtccn and Jijteen hundred I'''' 
 
 After given the reasons for supposing this calculation not too 
 high, the report continues, — 
 
 " Over four hundred idiots have been minutely inspected by us 
 personally, or by an agent upon whom we can rely. Upon the 
 bodily and mental condition of these, will be based our remarks 
 and conclusions. In an Appendix will be found their names 
 ages, physical condition, and mental and moral character. It 
 may seem to some, who inspect the Tables, that they contain 
 many trivial details with regard to the physical condition of the 
 persons named, but it is hard to be too minute in these state- 
 ments. The whole subject of idiocy is new. Science has not 
 yet thrown her certain light upon its remote, or even its proxi- 
 mate causes." 
 
 "There is little doubt, however, that they are to be foundjn 
 the CONDITION OF THE BODILY ORGANIZATION, The sizc and shape 
 
6 TRAINING IDIOTS. [Feb. 
 
 of the head, therefore ; the proportionate development of its 
 different parts; the condition of tlie nervous system ; the tem- 
 perament; the activity of the various functions; the develop- 
 ment of the great cavities ; the chest and abdomen ; the stature ; 
 the weight ; — every peculiarity, in short, that can be noted in a 
 great number of individuals, may be valuable to future ob- 
 servers. We contribute our own observations to the store of 
 facts, out of which science may, by and by, deduce general 
 laws. If any bodily peculiarities, however minute, always 
 accompany peculiar mental conditions, they become important ; 
 they are the tinger-marks of the Creator, by which we learn to 
 read his works." 
 
 "There are yet more subtle causes of idiocy existing in the 
 bodily organization, and derived from the action of that mys- 
 terious, but inevitable law, by which nature, outraged in the 
 persons of the parents, exacts her penalty from the persons of 
 their children. We have endeavored to throw some light upon 
 this also ; or rather, to give a number of detached luminous 
 points ; trusting that more accurate observers will furnish many 
 others, until all the dark surface shall be made bright, and the 
 whole subject become clear." 
 
 Speaking of the condition of idiots, the report says. — 
 
 "One of the greatest difllculties in the consideration of this 
 subject, is to distinguish between demented persons and idiots. 
 In our lunatic asylums are found some, who are reduced to a 
 state of complete idiocy, but who are not, strictly speaking, 
 idiots- their minds have once been in the normal condition ; 
 they have lost their understanding; they are demented. It is 
 not necessary, however, in a report like this, intended merely to 
 promote a work of humanity, to be very precise about the defini- 
 tion of terms. It was probably the intention of the legislature to 
 use the word " idiot" in the popular and common sense." 
 
 "We have considered, therefore, all persons whose understand- 
 ing is undeveloped, or developed only in a partial and very 
 feeble degree, or who have lost their understanding, without 
 becoming insane, to be proper objects for examination. Of the 
 575 persons reported to us as idiotic, 420 may be considered as 
 properly idiotic, for their feebleness of intellect is connate ; while 
 155 have become idiotic after birth." 
 
1850.] SENATE— No. 38. 
 
 The Condition and Capacities of the Idiots in Massa- 
 chusetts. ' 
 
 " Confining our attention to the cases of real idiots, above- 
 mentioned, viz. : — 420 out of 575, — it is found that 187 are under 
 25 years of age. Of these, 174 seem capable of improvement; 
 they present proper cases for attempts at instruction, and the 
 formation of regular, industrious, and cleanly habits. Only 13 
 seem incapable of improvement. Of those over 25 years of 
 age, there are 73 who seem capable of little or no improvement 
 in mental condition." 
 
 "Of the 420 idiots proper, 19 can now earn their board and 
 clothing, under the management of discreet persons; 141 do 
 earn their board, when properly managed ; 110 can do trifling 
 work, if carefully watched and directed; 73 are as helpless 
 as children of 7 years old ; 43 are as helpless as children of 2 
 years old; and 33 are as utterly helpless as infants." 
 
 " With regard to pecuniary circumstances, of the 420 who 
 were particularly examined, 20 have property of their own. 
 held by guardians; 26 belong to wealthy families; 196 belong 
 to indigent families, but are not public paupers, though some 
 of them receive occasional aid from the public; 148 are town 
 or state paupers. Of the whole number, — namely 574, — there 
 are 220 at town or state charge." 
 
 " Of the 420 idiots proper, 218 are insatiable gluttons ; and 102 
 are known to be given to self abuse in a frightful degree. For 
 further information, we refer to the cases in the Appendix, and 
 to the Tables, and proceed to consider the actual 
 
 Condition and Treatment of Idiots. 
 
 " In order to form a just idea upon this subject, we purposely 
 made our examination of idiots in nearly one hundred towns, 
 situated in various parts of the Commonwealth, from the sea- 
 shore to the western line. Of the whole number examined, 220 
 were (own or stale paupers, and mostly kept in ihe alms-houses. 
 These will be first spoken of." 
 
 " They are of all sorts and grades of idiocy, from the mere 
 simpleton, who has speech and some intelligence, though not 
 quite enough to take entire care of himself, or his own aflairs, 
 
8 TRAINING IDIOTS. [Feb. 
 
 down to the speechless and driveling idiot, who has no thought, 
 no affection, and no care about any thing. They are of all ages, 
 from the child, who is entering upon his dark and cheerless 
 pilgrimage of life, without more thought of his relations with 
 man, or his duty to God, than a young animal, up to the old 
 man, who is closing his career without a knowledge of the joys 
 and sorrows of the world which he leaves behind him, and 
 without a thought about his lot in that before him." 
 
 "Some being comparatively free from the dominion of animal 
 lust and appetite, are mild, affectionate, and docile, while 
 others arc a helpless prey to dreadful passions, depraved appe- 
 tites, and disgusting propensities. Some are evidently sus- 
 ceptible of great improvement; they desire instruction, and 
 might, with care, be saved from the terrible fate before them ; 
 while others are so cruelly blasted in the very bud, are so 
 utterly destitute of human capacities, — are such complete abor- 
 tions, — that little can be done except to render their animal 
 existence as decent and comfortable as possible." 
 
 " But greatly as the bodily and mental condition of these poor 
 creatures varies, and whatever may be their capacity for im- 
 provement, their treatment and their fate are, for the most part, 
 the same. They need more careful treatment, more judicious 
 associates, and more skilful training, than any other persons; 
 for, even with all these advantages, their chance for develop- 
 ment of their human faculties, and their restoration to human 
 society, is small; what then can it be, when, deprived of them, 
 and thrust into the almshouses, they are left without any 
 special care and instruction, to associate with ignorant paupers 
 and broken down drunkards?" 
 
 Treatment of Idiots in the Almshouses. 
 
 " With very few exceptions, they are kindly treated in the 
 almshouses. There is reason to believe that a great change has 
 been made for the better, in this respect, within a few years. 
 The interest that has been manifested in lunatics, and the sub- 
 stitution of kindness and moral influence, for the hard treatment 
 and blows, which were formerly so common, have been of 
 benefit to idiots also. Thus we see that good is contagious as 
 well as evil; and kindness and love, extended to one class of 
 
1850.] SENATE— No. 38. 9 
 
 men, is sure to benefit others. Tu many places, it was found, 
 that the partial report made by your commissioners, the last 
 year, had been received and read by keepers of almshouses ; 
 and that they had changed their views with regard to the best 
 mode of treating idiocy, in consequence of the statements there 
 put forth. It is gratifying to be able to state, that no instance 
 of cruel or wilfully unkind treatment of idiots, by the keepers 
 of any almshouses were met with. In most cases, the over- 
 seers of the poor have given orders for the idiots to be treated 
 with kindness. In a few instances, men of strong, natural 
 sense and of humanity, reflecting that idiots of the lowest grade 
 do not differ materially in intelligence from the higher animals, 
 have ceased to blame or punish them, for waywardness or mis- 
 behavior, any more than they would punish animals for the 
 like causes, and they have substituted kindness of treatment 
 and constant employment for the old modes of punishment and 
 confinement. But though there is little or no in(en((0?ial cruc\ty 
 or unkindness practised towards idiots in our almshouses, there 
 is, in many cases, a most deplorable ignorance of their true 
 condition and wants, which leads to serious consequences." 
 
 Many a child who was only simple, and whom kind and 
 wise parents might have trairted up to intelligent manhood, on 
 becoming an orphan, has been thrown into the almshouse, and 
 there neglected and mismanaged, until the feeble light of reason 
 has gone out, and left him in the darkness and hopelessness of 
 idiocy. A great many half-witted persons, when first sent to 
 the almshouses, have vicious and debasing habits, which might 
 be cured, but which are generally neglected and allowed to 
 grow rampant, until all moral sense and all decency are gone, 
 and the poor victims become driveling idiots. In some alms- 
 houses, from want of sufficient force of character on the part of 
 the keepers, or from want of sufficient help to enforce the dis- 
 cipline, the unfortunate idiots are the butts of the rest of the 
 inmates. In some such cases, they are not only grossly mis- 
 managed, but terribly abused by the pauper inmates. 
 
 Sometimes, for want of proper buildings, the separation of 
 the sexes cannot be strictly maintained, and, of course, the 
 whole moral atmosphere of the house is tainted. 
 
 What hope can there be, in such cases, for the poor youth 
 who is partially idiotic ; what prospect is there for him, but 
 2 
 
10 TRAINING IDIOTS. [Feb. 
 
 that of gradually sinking down to the level of the brutes 7 Is 
 such the manner in which the public should discharge the 
 sacred responsibility which devolves upon it, when it assumes 
 the place and the duties of parent and guardian to the orphan 
 and destitute 1 
 
 The report goes on to a consideration of the various ways 
 in which the condition of idiots is made worse by the inju- 
 dicious treatment they receive in the almshouses ; under the 
 head of cleanliness, it is said : — 
 
 "Some keepers of almshouses seem to think that a man need 
 be washed only twice in this world, — once by the nurse before 
 she puts on his swaddling-clothes, and once again before she 
 puts on his grave-clothes. They are confirmed, perhaps, in 
 this, by the flippant wise-acres, who, wrapped complacently in 
 a year's coating of scurf, say that a man must be a dirty fellow 
 who needs bathing every day." 
 
 "If the almshouse is far removed from any pond or river, in 
 which the inmates bathe for pleasure during the hot weather, 
 the only ablutions required of them are performed by dipping 
 ,the hands daily in cold water, and rubbing them over the face; 
 and on Sunday, perhaps, by working down with a httle soap, to 
 4he white skin about the neck and ears." 
 
 "Now cleanliness is of especial importance to idiots. Like 
 other persons, they need it as one of the minor virtues of mo- 
 rality; as a virtue which is essential to decent self-respect, and 
 as a means of preserving and restoring health. Moreover, they, 
 in an especial manner, require the frequent shock of cold water 
 upon the surface of the body, as a direct aid to other attempts 
 which should be constantly made for increasing their command 
 over the action of the voluntary muscles. The want of power 
 over the nerves and muscles is often one of the most striking 
 features of idiocy. It is sometimes so great that idiots cannot 
 hold themselves erect. The restoration of the increase of this 
 power should always be kept in view in their hygienic treat- 
 ment. The total neglect of all these considerations, and the 
 filthy condition of body in which these orphans are kept by the 
 public, who is their guardian, is one of the many indications of 
 the necessity of a change in their condition." 
 
 Another is found in gross errors which are so common with 
 respectto the 
 
1850.] SENATE— No. 38. 11 
 
 Alimentation, or Feeding of Idiots. 
 
 Every one who is at all conversant with physiology, knows 
 the importance of adapting the diet to the nature and condition 
 of the bodily organization. What is good for one man may be 
 very bad for another. A quantity which one man can consume 
 with benefit to himself, during a year spent in the open air and 
 in constant exercise, may, if consumed in a year of sedentary 
 and idle life, be laying the foundations of fatal disease. 
 
 The man whose brain and nervous system are in a high 
 state of activity, should use animal food very differently from 
 the man whose brain is sluggish, and whose muscular system 
 is largely developed. Now, the farther a man's system is from 
 the normal standard of health, the more caution is required in 
 regard to his diet. An error or an excess, which a healthy man 
 hardly feels, affects a feeble one severely. 
 
 Idiots are almost always in an abnormal condition of health. 
 Their diet may be such as to amend this condition, — to increase 
 the tone and vigor of the nervous centres, — or it may be such as 
 to produce exactly the opposite effect, and to aggravate all their 
 troubles. 
 
 Unfortunately, the considerations named above, are seldom, 
 if ever, regarded in our almshouses, and the idiots are fed just 
 as the other paupers are. 
 
 "A weak, nervous, and idle idiot, to whom gross animal food 
 is like poison, is fed upon fat pork, whenever pork is cooked for 
 the hearty laborers who have been working out in the fields. 
 Moreover, idiots are apt to have morbid appetites, which lead 
 them to devour any thing that they can lay hands upon. 
 Instead of treating these morbid appetites as diseases, the 
 keepers sometimes punish the idiots, with about as much reason 
 as they would beat a man who had the jaundice, for seeing 
 things yellow. More often, however, no thought is bestowed 
 about their diet, and the unfortunate creatures sometimes fill 
 their stomachs with the most injurious substances." 
 
 But the greatest injury arises from gross ignorance of those 
 principles of physiology which should be observed, with regard 
 to the quantity of food consumed by idiots. The animal pro- 
 pensities are very active in these half developed beings. They 
 are exceedingly prone to gluttony, and if allowed to eat as 
 
12 TRAINING IDIOTS. [Feb. 
 
 much as they choose, they will so gorge themselves, that the 
 whole nervous energy will be expended in digesting, and none 
 be left to stimulate the brain to activity. 
 
 " By reference to the Tables in the Appendix, it will be seen 
 that, out of 444 idiots, who were examined upon this point, 280 
 were ravenous in their appetites, and gluttonous in their habits." 
 
 "Representing the average consumption of food by adults by 
 ten, it is found that, among these idiots, the consumption must 
 be represented by 14|." 
 
 "Our idiots, then, are overfed ; they are generally allowed to 
 eat as much as they choose at the table, and then, in many 
 cases, they prowl about, and pick up what they can, cheating 
 even the pigs by stealing the apple-parings, crusts, and the like, 
 from the swill-pail." 
 
 Under the head of Exercise the report says : — 
 
 "Another striking defect in the treatment of idiots, is the 
 neglect of regular and severe exercise. It is beginning to be 
 seen, in a few almshouses, that if a man is kept hard at work 
 all day, he is not only less mischievous, but he lies down tired 
 at night, and sleeps soundly till morning. Some of the keepers 
 of the houses having the ability to address the proper motives to 
 their half-witted inmates, contrive to keep them constantly em- 
 ployed, and the effect is soon seen in their improved bodily and 
 mental condition. But, as in common schools, some masters of 
 superior ability and tact can preserve order and promote dihgent 
 study, by appeals to high motives, while others can only do so 
 by blows upon the soul and blows upon the body; so some 
 masters of almshouses are followed round to any work, and 
 fawned upon, by idiots, as dogs fawn upon a beloved master, 
 while others can extort from them only a scanty task, by scold- 
 ing and by stripes." 
 
 " It is beginning to be so well understood, that beating, and 
 punishment of any kind, inflicted upon idiots with the view to 
 making them work, is bad policy, that the Overseers of the Poor, 
 in most towns, have forbidden the keepers of almshouses to 
 resort to them. Some have done so, doubtless, from feelings of 
 humanity, but others from considerations of economy; for they 
 say, the time and pains necessary to be expended by keepers 
 and overseers, are not paid for by the reluctant labor performed 
 by the idiots. The consequence is, that the poor creatures are 
 
1850.] SENATE— No. 38. 13 
 
 left in the house, or yard, while the keepers and the able-bodied 
 men are away, at work upon the " poor's farm." Of course, the 
 idiots are called upon by the women to do small chores, which 
 they perform in a slip-shod manner ; or they are made game 
 of by the lazy lubbers, who are found in every poor-house ; or 
 they bask in the sun, and indulge in unseemly habits." 
 
 "As for instruction, there is not a single almshouse within our 
 knowledge, we believe there is not one in the Sate, or country, 
 in which any systematic attempts are made to develop the 
 feeble mental and moral faculties of idiots; in a word, there is 
 no school for those who, more than all others, need one." 
 
 " On the whole, then, after excepting five or six almshouses, 
 in which the idiots are treated both kindly and wisely, the 
 general condition of those at the public charge is most deplora- 
 ble. They are filthy, gluttonous, lazy, and given up to abomi- 
 nations of various kinds. They not only do not improve, but 
 they sink deeper and deeper, — while under the public care. — 
 into bodily depravity and mental degradation. It is true that 
 this is the result of ignorance, rather than of any unkindness; 
 but the plea of ignorance can no longer save us from the sin and 
 disgrace." 
 
 The report then proceeds to notice the Condition of Idiots in 
 Private Families, and says : — 
 
 " Bad, however, as is the condition of the idiots who are at 
 public charge, and gross as is the ignorance of those who take 
 the charge of them, about their real wants and capacities, we are 
 constrained to say, that the condition of those in private houses 
 is, generally speaking, still worse, and the ignorance of the 
 relatives and friends who support them, is still more pro- 
 found." 
 
 " This is not to be wondered at, when we consider that idiots 
 are generally born of a very poor stock, — of parents who are 
 subject to some disorders of the brain, or who are themselves 
 scrofulous and puny, to the last degree. Such persons are, 
 generally, very feeble in intellect, poor in purse, and intemperate 
 in habits. A great many of them are hardly able to take care 
 of themselves. They are unfit to teach or train common chil- 
 dren; how much less idiots, whose education is the most diffi- 
 cult of all ! On the other hand, the masters of almshouses, and 
 their wives, are, generally, intelligent and responsible persons ; 
 
14 TRAINING IDIOTS. [Feb. 
 
 and, though they are, of course, ignorant of the art of training 
 idiots, they will not permit such gross errors as are common 
 among the parents of idiotic children." 
 
 " We have ascertained (mainly by personal observation) the 
 condition of 355 idiotic persons, who are not town or state pau- 
 pers. Of these, there may be, at the most, five who are treated 
 very judiciously, are taught by wise and discreet persons, 
 and whose faculties and capacities are developed to their fullest 
 extent." 
 
 "The rest are, generally, in a most deplorable condition, as it 
 respects their bodily, mental, and moral treatment. One would 
 hardly be credited, if he should put down half the instances of 
 gross ignorance manifested by parents, in this enlightened com- 
 munity, in the treatment of idiotic children. Sometimes they 
 find that the children seem to comprehend what they hear, but 
 soon forget it ; hence they conclude that the brain is soft, and 
 cannot retain impressions, and then they cover the head with 
 cold poultices of oak-bark, in order to tan, or harden the fibres. 
 Others, finding that it is exceedingly difllcult to make any im- 
 pression upon the mind, conclude that the brain is too hard, 
 and they torture the poor child with hot and softening poultices 
 of bread and milk; or they plaster tar over the whole skull, and 
 keep it on for a long time." 
 
 " These are innocent applications compared with some, which, 
 doubtless, render weak-minded children perfectly idiotic. In 
 the Appendix will be found ten cases, where children were sup- 
 posed to have had their minds enfeebled by excessive use of 
 strong medicines, especially calomel. This is sometimes given 
 with the view oi mending the condition of the brain, and some- 
 times with the view of healing scrofulous ulcers. They say, 
 that mercury administered plentifully within, will act as a 
 solder, and ^solder uji the ojpenings.^ " 
 
 "Worse still, are the numerous cases where the parents en- 
 courage the ravenous gluttony of their children, by all sorts of 
 stimulants to the appetite. They say, "the poor creatures have 
 few things which they can enjoy in this world, — that food is 
 one of these, and that they shall have as much as they can eat 
 of it." 
 
 In some families which are degraded by drunkenness and 
 vice, there is a degree of combined ignorance and depravity 
 which disgraces humanity. It is not wonderful that feeble- 
 
1850.] SENATE— No. 38. 15 
 
 minded children arc born in such famihes ; or, being born, that 
 many of them become idiotic. Out of this class, domestics 
 are sometimes taken by thpse in better circumstances, and they 
 make their employers feel the consequences of suffering igno- 
 rance and vice to exist in the community. 
 
 " Nothing-can afford a stronger argument in favor of an insti- 
 tion for the proper training and teaching of idiots, and the 
 dissemination of information upon the subject, than the striking 
 difference manifested in jthe condition of the few children who 
 are properly cared for, and judiciously treated, and those who 
 are neglected or abused. There are cases in our community, of 
 youths who are idiotic from birth, but who, under proper care 
 and training, have become cleanly in person, quiet in deport- 
 ment, industrious in habits, and who would ahuost pass in soci- 
 ety for persons of common intelligence, and yet, their natural 
 capacity was no greater than that of others, who, from ignorance, 
 or neglect of their parents, have become filthy, gluttonous, lazy, 
 vicious, depraved, and are rapidly sinking into driveling idiocy. 
 This fact alone should be enough to encourage the State to take 
 measures, at once, for the establishment of a school or institu- 
 tion for teaching and training idiots, if it were but a matter of 
 experiment." 
 
 Some of the causes of idiocy are set forth in the report, of 
 which we shall quote but two; the first is the low condition 
 OF THE PHYSICAL ORGANIZATION of ouc Or botli parents ; induced 
 often by intemperance; the second is, the intermarriage of 
 
 RELATIVES 
 
 "It is said by physiologists, that among certain classes of 
 miserably paid and poorly fed workmen, the physical system 
 degenerates so rapidly, that the children are feeble and puny, 
 and but few live to maturity; that the grand-children are still 
 more puny; until, in the third or fourth generation, the indi- 
 viduals are no longer able to perpetuate their species, and the 
 ranks must be filled up by tresh subjects from other walks of 
 life, to run. perhaps, the same round of deterioration. It would 
 seem, that startled nature, having given warning, by the degen- 
 erated condition of three or four generations, at last refuses to 
 continue a race so monstrous upon the earth. We see here 
 another of those checks and balances which the exhaustless 
 wisdom of God preestablished in the very nature of man, to 
 
16 TRAINING IDIOTS. [Feb. 
 
 prevent his utler degeneration. As the comet, rushing headlong 
 towards the sun, is, by the very velocity which it gains, and 
 which seems hurhng it into the burning mass, carried safely 
 beyond, — so a race of men, abusing the power of procreation, 
 may rush on to the patli of deterioration, until, arrived at a 
 certain point, a new principle develops itself, the procreating 
 power is exhausted, and that part of the human familjr must 
 perish, or regain its power by admixture with a less degenerate 
 race." 
 
 " It will be seen by the Tables that by far the greater part of 
 idiots are children of parents, one or both of whom were of 
 scrofulous temperament, and poor^ flabby organization. It is 
 difficult to describe exactly the marks which characterize this 
 low organization, but the eye of a physiologist detects it at 
 once." 
 
 Regarding it as a matter relating to the mere animal man, if 
 a farmer had swine, cattle, or horses, as inferior to others of 
 their kind, as many of these people are inferior to other men and 
 women, he would pronounce them unfit to breed from; such 
 persons are indeed unfit to continue the species, for while they 
 multiply its number, they lessen its aggregate power." 
 
 The report states, that out of 420 cases of congenital idiocy, 
 which was examined, some information was obtained respect- 
 ing the condition of the progenitors of 359. Now, in all these 
 359 cases, save only four, it is found that one or the other, or 
 both, of the immediate progenitors of the unfortunate sufl!erer 
 had, in some way, widely departed from the normal condition 
 of health, and violated the natural laws. That is to say, one 
 or the other, or both of them, had been very unhealthy or scrofu- 
 lous ; or hereditarily predisposed to affections of the brain, 
 causing occasional insanity; or had intermarried with blood 
 relatives; or had been intemperate; or had been guilty of sen- 
 sual excesses which impair the constitution. 
 
 This subject of the hereditary transmission of diseased ten- 
 dency is of vast importance, but it is a difficult one to treat, 
 because a squeamish delicacy makes people avoid it; but if 
 ever the race is to be relieved of a tithe of the bodily ills which 
 flesh is now heir to, it must be by a clear understanding of, and 
 a willing obedience to the law which makes the parents the 
 blessing or the curse of the children ; the givers of strength 
 
1850.] SENATE— No. 38. 17 
 
 and vigor, and beauty, or the dispensers of debility, and disease, 
 and deformity. It is by the lever of enlightened parental love, 
 more than by any other power, that mankind is to be raised to 
 the highest attainable point of bodily perfection. 
 
 Seeking for the cause of the low condition of the bodily 
 organization, the report shows that a fertile one may be found 
 
 in 
 
 Intemperance. 
 
 "Probably, the habitual use of alcoholic drinks, does a great 
 deal to bring families into that low and feeble condition of body 
 alluded to as a prolific cause of idiocy. By inspection of the 
 Tables, it will be seen that out of three hundred and fifty-nine 
 idiots, the condition of whose progenitors was ascertained, — 
 ninety-nine were the children of drunkards. But this does not 
 tell the whole story, by any means. By drunkard, is meant a 
 person who is a notorious and habitual sot. Many persons who 
 are habitually intemperate do not get this name, even now, 
 much less would they have done so twenty-five or thirty years 
 ago; and many of the parents of the persons named in the 
 Tables have been dead longer than that time. A quarter of a 
 century ago, a man might go to his bed every night muddled 
 and sleepy with the effects of alcohol, and still not be called an 
 intemperate man. The men who, in that day, abstained from 
 alcoholic drinks, were remarkable exceptions to the general rule ; 
 they would be known; we shall come nearer to a true estimate, 
 therefore, by ascertaining how many such there were. By 
 pretty careful inquiry, with an especial view of ascertaining 
 the number of idiots of the lowest class, whose parents were 
 known to be temperate persons, it is found that Jiot one quarter 
 can be so considered." 
 
 " The effect of habitual use of alcohol, even in moderate quan- 
 tities, seems to be to lymphatise the whole bodily organization ; 
 that is, to diminish the proportion of the fibrous part of the body 
 — that which gives enduring strength, and to make the lym- 
 phatic or the watery particles to abound in all the tissues. The 
 children of persons, so lymphatised, are apt to be of the scrofu- 
 lous character, above described ; and their children again are 
 very apt to be feeble in body and weak in mind. Idiots, fools, 
 and simpletons, are common among the progeny of such persons, 
 
 either in the first or second generation. Thus, directly, and indi- 
 o 
 
18 TRAINING IDIOTS. [Feb. 
 
 reclly, alcohol is productive of a great proportion of the idiocy 
 which now burdens the Commonwealth. If, moreover, one 
 considers how many children of intemperate parents there are, 
 who, without being idiots, are deficient in bodily and mental 
 energy, and predisposed, by their very organization, to have 
 cravings for alcoholic stimulants, it will be seen what an im- 
 mense burden the drinkers of one generation throw upon the 
 succeeding one. Many a parent, by habitual stimulus ap- 
 plied to his own nervous system, forms and fashions his child in 
 such wise, that he is more liable, much more, to be made a drunk- 
 ard, by the ordinary temptations of life, than the child of a tem- 
 perate man would be, even if living from his youth upward 
 within the extraordinary temptations of a bar-room." 
 
 " It is probable that the habitual use of alcoholic drinks, does a 
 great deal towards bringing families into that low and feeble 
 condition of body alluded to, in the foregoing section, as a pro- 
 lific cause of idiocy, or feebleness of mind, among children." 
 
 Another cause, set down in the report, as fertile in the pro- 
 duction of idiocy, or, of a tendency towards it, is 
 
 Intermarriage of Relatives. 
 
 "By giving this as one of the remote causes of idiocy, it is 
 not meant that even in a majority of cases, the ofispring of 
 marriage between cousins, or other near relations, will be idiotic. 
 The cases are very numerous where nothing extraordinary is 
 observable in the immediate offspring of such unions. On the 
 other hand, there are so many cases where blindness, deafness, 
 insanity, idiocy, or some peculiar bodily or mental deficiency, 
 or a manifest tendency and liability to them, is seen in such off- 
 spring, that one is forced to believe they cannot be fortuitous. 
 Indeed, the inference seems to be inevitable, that such inter- 
 marriages are violations of the natural law, though not such 
 flagrant ones as always to be followed by obvious and severe 
 punishment." 
 
 "If two full cousins, who are both in good health, and free 
 from any predisposition or tendency to any particular disease 
 or infirmity, should marry, the probabibility is, that their im- 
 mediate offspring will have tolerably good constitutions, — 
 though no one can say how much less vigorous in body and 
 
1850.] SENATE— No. 38. 19 
 
 mind they will be, than offspring born to either parent from mar- 
 riage with some one of a healthy family not related by blood." 
 
 " But, on the other hand, if a man in whose constitution there 
 lurks a predisposition to any particular disease of body or mind 
 inherited from his father's family, should marry a daughter of 
 his /a^/ier'5 brother or sister, there would be a strong probability 
 that the disease or infirmity would appear in the offspring ; 
 while the probability of such reappearance would be less, if he 
 married a healthy cousin by his mother's side, and still less if 
 he married a person free from all unheathy predispositions, 
 who was not related to him at all." 
 
 " It is seen by the Tables, that, out of 359 cases, in which 
 the parentage was ascertained, seventeen were known to be the 
 children of parents nearly related by blood. But as many of 
 these cases were adults, it was impossible to ascertain, in some 
 cases, whether their parents, who are dead, were related or not 
 before marriage. From some collateral evidence we conclude, 
 that at least three more cases should be added to the seventeen. 
 This would shovv that more than one-twentieth of the idiots 
 examined, are offspring of the marriage of relations. Now, as 
 marriages between near relations are by no means in the ratio 
 of one to twenty, nor are even, perhaps, as one to a thousand 
 to the marriages between persons not related, it follows that the 
 proportion of idiotic progeny is vastly greater in the former than 
 in the latter case — (that is, taking this limited number of 400 
 for what little it is worth, as data for calculation.) Then it 
 should be considered, that idiocy is only ojie form in which 
 nature manifests that she has been offended by such intermar- 
 riages. It is probable that blindness, deafness, imbecility, and 
 other infirmities, are more likely to be the lot of the children 
 of parents related by blood than of others. The probability, 
 therefore, of unhealthy or infirm issue from such marriages, 
 becomes fearfully great, and the existence of the law against 
 them is made out as clearly as though it were written on tables 
 of stone. The statistics of the seventeen families, the heads of 
 which, being blood relatives, intermarried, tells a fearful tale." 
 
 " Most of the parents were intemperate or scrofulous ; some 
 were both the one and the other; of course, there were other 
 causes to increase chances of infirm offspring, besides that of 
 the intermarriage. There were born imto them ninety-Jive 
 
20 TRAINING IDIOTS. [Feb. 
 
 children, of whom forty four were idiotic, twelve others were 
 scrofulous and puny, one was deaf, and one was a dwarf! In 
 some cases, all the children were either idiotic or very scrofu- 
 lous and puny. In one family of eight children, five were 
 idiotic." 
 
 The report then goes on to speak at great length of the gene- 
 ral subject of idiocy, and to give many statistical tables ; and 
 concludes in these words : — 
 
 " We have thus alluded to some of the most obvious and fer- 
 tile causes of the existence of such a great number of idiots as 
 are found in this, and all other countries, called civilized. It 
 would swell this report to volumes, to examine these causes 
 pathologically and minutely. Scientific research has not been 
 our object, but we have sought diligently for every item and 
 scrap of knowledge upon the subject of idiocy, v^^hich could be 
 of practical use to the Legislature. In so doing, we have been 
 obliged, in some cases, to drag, as with a net, the lowest depths 
 of society, seeking for the pearls of truth. With these pearls 
 there may be much worthless trash, but this will all perish, 
 while the gems will remain indestructible; and if they are of 
 value enough to redeem only one human being from the brutish- 
 ness of idiocy, our labors will not be in vain." 
 
 This report was not without its effect. Many persons became 
 interested in the subject; and the Legislature, ever ready to lend 
 its aid to any national plan for promoting the cause of humanity, 
 passed the following resolutions. 
 
 Resolved, That there be paid out of the treasury of the Com- 
 monwealth, a sum, not exceeding twenty-five hundred dollars, 
 annually, for the term of three years, for the purpose of training 
 and teaching ten idiotic children, to be selected by the Governor 
 and Council, from those at public charge, or from the families 
 of indigent persons in different parts of the Commonwealth, pro- 
 vided that an arrangement can be made by the Governor and 
 Council with any suitable in^itution now patronized by the 
 Commonwealth for charitable purposes; and, provided, that 
 said appropriation shall not be made a charge upon the school 
 fund. 
 
 Resolved^ That the trustees of the institution undertaking the 
 instruction and training of said idiots, shall, at the end of each 
 and every year, render to the Governor and Council an accouot 
 
1850.] SENATE— No. 38. 21 
 
 of the actual expense incurred on account of said idiots ; and if the 
 amount expended shall be less than the sum received from the 
 public treasury, the unexpended balance shall be deducted from 
 the amount of the next annual appropriation. 
 
 Resolved, That the said trustees shall be authorized to require 
 that the authorities of any town which may send any idiot 
 pauper to them for instruction, be required to keep them sup- 
 plied with comfortable and decent clothing. 
 
 Approved by the Governor May 8th, 1848. 
 
 Agreeably to the spirit of these resolutions, arrangements 
 were made by the Governor with the Trustees of the Institu- 
 tion for the Blind, to assume the responsibility for the proper 
 expenditure of the money appropriated by the State. 
 
 As the plan was conceived in the spirit of humanity, and in 
 view of the good of a most unhappy class of men, the trustees 
 were willing that every aid which their Institution could afford, 
 without injustice to the Blind, should be given freely ; and, for 
 my part, as head of the Institution, I was glad to devote to this 
 kindred work, all the time and attention that could be spared 
 from other duties. 
 
 There was more fitness, perhaps, in the selection than was 
 apparent at first sight. The enterprise was new. None of the 
 Common Schools of the State could undertake the task of teach- 
 ing idiots, because they had not the means of proper trainings 
 which must precede such teaching. The State Asylum for 
 Lunatics had no proper accommodation for a separate class of 
 youth, and no school for their instruction. 
 
 There had been, in this Institution, rare opportunities for 
 teaching persons whose peculiar infirmities cut them off from 
 access to common modes of instruction. There had been also 
 several cases were blindness was accompanied with feebleness 
 of intellect approaching to idiocy; and the degree of success 
 which had crowned the effort to instruct the sufferers, gave a 
 portion of the knowledge and faith necessary, to those who 
 would have the management of the new experiment. To this, 
 perhaps, should be added, what, even without any considera- 
 tion, would show the fitness of the measure, that it did not seem 
 to be the duty of any one in particular to undertake what was 
 generally deemed a hopeless task ; and that none coveted it for 
 themselves. 
 
22 TRAINING IDIOTS. [Feb. 
 
 The enterprise was began with an understanding of its diffi- 
 culties, and with a consciousness that it might be considered, by 
 many, a failure, even if were really successful, because the 
 progress and improvement of a class of idiots, would be so very 
 slow and small, when compared with that of a class of ordinary 
 children, as to be overlooked by common observers. 
 
 Some objected to the plan on account of the little good that 
 could be effected; but they were not more fully aware of the 
 limited nature of the idiot's powers, than those who thus un- 
 dertook to improve to the utmost his poor single talent, simply 
 because it is poor and single, rather than bury it, and defraud 
 Him, who lent it, of a penny of the usury which is strictly His 
 due. 
 
 Some of the objectors were persons of intelligence and wealth ; 
 but if there .^hould be born to them an idiotic child, though ever 
 so infirm of body, and feeble in mind, they would spare no 
 money, and no pains to strengthen its weakness, to prolong its 
 flickering life to the utmost span, and to kindle its faint spark of 
 intelligence into a flame, though ever so feeble. But these 
 wretched creatures, who were to be taken from the almshouses, 
 are the children of the State; and is not Massachusetts as 
 rich, as intelligent, and as humane, as any parent within her 
 borders? 
 
 She has manifested her disposition to do something by insti- 
 tuting this experimental school ; and it may be well to state 
 here what is expected as the result of it, if it should succeed 
 according to the hopes of its friends, and be the means of 
 bringing the whole class of idiots under observation and care. 
 
 In the first placQ. the process of deterioration and degradation 
 which they undergo, in almost all cases, will be arrested. 
 
 This is a very important matter, and should demand the 
 attention of humane men. It may be well then to consider 
 
 The Tendency of Idiocy to Grow Worse if Neglected. 
 
 Idiots are now, for the most part, left to vegetate in idleness 
 and ignorance. Nothing being done, in a systematic and scien- 
 tific manner, to improve their condition, it almost certainly 
 grows worse. Their animal appetites and propensities become 
 developed, and grow terribly strong, because no other part of 
 their nature is developed to counterbalance them. They are apt 
 
1850.] SENATE— No. 38. 23 
 
 to become filthy in person and habit; depraved in their tastes, 
 mischievous in their dispositions. They sink lower and lower 
 in the slough of degradation, presenting a painful and demoral- 
 izing spectacle during the short and wretched lives which they 
 live. 
 
 This will be clear enough from the consideration, that in 
 ordinary persons the indulgence of the appetites of the body, 
 unless restrained by the development of the moral sentiments 
 within the man, leads, inevitably, to degradation; but the poor 
 idiot, if left to himself, will never develop those sentiments; 
 the fires of passion will rage, until they have burned out every 
 vestige of humanity there ever was within him. In the case of 
 ordinary youth, we may perhaps counteract this downward ten- 
 dency, by moral means, — by appeals to the moral sense; but the 
 poor idiot has no moral sense; he once had moral capacities^ per- 
 haps he still has them, but they have never been developed. We 
 must consider his case then, and all cases of the kind where the 
 propensities are ungovernable, physiologically ; and the physi- 
 ological explanation of this tendency to deterioration seem to be 
 this :— 
 
 In all healthy bodies, there is generated everyday, (especially 
 during the hours of sleep,) a certain amount of nervous stimulus, 
 — animal spirit, — animal magnetism, — or call it what we may. 
 This stock of nervous stimulus, the quantity of which varies 
 greatly in various individuals, and in the same individual in vari- 
 ous conditions of health, is to the body , what steam is to the engine, 
 and it ought to be expended in stimulating the various organs 
 of the body, to the performance of their various functions; the 
 due share being applied to each one, — the stomach, — the mus- 
 cles, the brain, &c. Nature allows a certain margin of oscilla- 
 tion in this as in other things, but excess is always followed by 
 evil ; if too much of this nervous stimulus has been expended 
 upon the muscular system, as in long and violent exercise, there 
 is not enough left for the stomach to digest a full meal ; the 
 system must rest until more nervous stimulus is generated, or 
 else an indigestion follows. 
 
 Again, if the stomach is using up an undue share of this 
 nervous stimulus to digest a heavy meal, there is not enough 
 left to stimulate the brain to action ; we cannot think, we can- 
 not labor, — we nod. If, by violent efibrt, we divert the cur- 
 
24 TRAINING IDIOTS. [Feb. 
 
 rent from the stomach to the brain, the stomach suffers, and the 
 digestion is impaired. 
 
 The expenditure of this stock of nervous stimulus is placed, 
 in a great measure, at the individual's discretion ; and if a man 
 habitually expends an undue proportion of it in the performance 
 or any particular function, he may strengthen that, but he 
 weakens all the others, and the longer the habit is continued, 
 the less able they become to resume the performance of their 
 functions. The gladiator starves his brain to feed his muscles ; 
 the student starves his muscles to feed his brain ; until, by and 
 by, the one cannot think, and the other cannot strike harder 
 than a little child. 
 
 Now the same doctrine is true of the dlvisiotis of the brain, 
 and of their functions ; some are the organs of the animal ap- 
 petites and propensities, — some, of the moral sentiment, — some, 
 of the intellectual faculties. If the nervous stimulus is expended 
 mainly upon the functions of the first, then the intellect and the 
 moral sentiment get stinted ; they have not enough exercise ; and 
 they cannot grow. Further, however, than this; habits of rest 
 beget desire of rest, and finally inability to act. Habits of over- 
 activity beget desire of further activity, and, at last, craving, 
 which cannot be resisted. The long over-worked brain will not 
 be quiet ; it will not go to sleep, — it becomes deranged. The 
 long gratified propensities become clamorous for more gratifica- 
 tion long after the means of giving it are exhausted ; they bay 
 at the heels of him who was their master ; and, at last, like the 
 hounds of Actseon, devour him alive. In this sense it is, that 
 the activity of the animal part of his nature, during the abey- 
 ance to the higher parts of his nature, is continually rendering 
 the uninstructed idiot more and more violent in his appetites 
 and propensities, and less and less capable of any development 
 of his intellect or of his sentiments. The exercise of the former 
 is ever giving to them greater activity and strength, at the ex- 
 pense of the latter, which grow less and less capable of action, 
 until, at last, all possibility of their being brought into ac- 
 tivity is gone. The balance is lost entirely, so that nothing 
 remains of the man. What were capacities iri youth, have ceased 
 to be so, and only the animal remains. 
 
 It would seem that the preservation of the true balance in 
 this expenditure of nervous stimulus is important to health ; at 
 
1850.] SENATE— No. 3S. 26 
 
 anv rate, the loss of it to the idiots is a very serious loss, even if 
 it be not the cause that a great majority of them die so young. 
 Those, however, who grow to manhood, especially those in 
 our almshouses, sink lower and lower in degradation as they 
 advance in years. This, surely, should not be ; if no one else 
 will prevent it the State should. They were born with capaci- 
 ties for improvement, — let not these be extinguished ; they were 
 born tdiols only, — let them not die hnites ! This doctrine, that 
 the natural tendency of great and unrestrained activity of the 
 appetites and propensities is to increase their powers more and 
 more, and to hinder the development of the higher nature, may 
 be objected to by saying, that what is true of the individual, must 
 be true of the race, and that, as these appetites and propensities 
 are strong, and unrestrained in the early and savage state, there 
 should be deterioration of the whole race, — whereas, in truth, 
 there is progress. But there is this difference, that the develop- 
 ment and character of the individuals in question is dependent 
 mainly npon others immediately around him, whereas, the 
 development and progress of the race is dependent upon princi- 
 ples planted within it by God, and maybe hastened or hindered, 
 but not stopped by human action. 
 
 In the barbarous state of society, the appetites and propen- 
 sities are strong, and are freely indulged, but the race does 
 not recede into the savage, and then into the animal con- 
 dition, as the brutish person and the idiot do, because of 
 the progressive and upward tendency innate in the race, as a 
 whole. The efforts necessary for subsistence, — the strife with 
 the elements, the struggle for property and for power, call into 
 play faculties, which are higher than the sensual appetites, and 
 which are found to bring even higher gratification ; these 
 faculties, in their turn, lead insensibly to the development of 
 the social affections, which bring still higher gratifications; and 
 these affections again, to the exercise of the moral sentiments 
 and the crowning virtues of humanity, which, once tasted, 
 give the highest pleasure of all, and make men look back, 
 with loathing, upon sensual excesses. 
 
 Thus God leads the race gently forward by a series of re- 
 wards which increase in value with every step of progress, and 
 which work as a check to any backward-going of the whole ; 
 while He leaves the condition of each man to himself and to those 
 4 
 
26 TRAliNING IDIOTS. [Feb. 
 
 immediately around him. A man may, of himself, plunge down- 
 wards, and pollute his own soul, — but he cannot drag his race 
 down with him, nor even stop its upward flight. The idiot has 
 no 'self;' — and God will not save him, except through our 
 efforts. This subject has been thus dwelt upon, because it is 
 important to show that, by a proper system, there may be, at 
 least, prevention of great evil. In the course of this report 
 it will be shown how much has already been done in one year 
 for the individuals who have been taken in hand. 
 
 But, it may be asked, besides arresting the downward career 
 of this unhappy class, what can and what cannot be reasonably 
 hoped for, as the result of this interference with their condition? 
 —or 
 
 What Objects are to be Aimed at in Training Idiots ? 
 
 It is not expected that those who are below the grade of 
 simpletons will ever gain such acquaintance with the com- 
 mon branches of learning, as will be of much ornament or direct 
 use to them. It is not expected that they will be raised to a 
 level with ordinary persons, or play an independent part in the 
 world and take care of themselves. Great pains are taken, 
 indeed, to teach them to read simple sentences, — to count, to 
 write, to sing; but this is not with the expectation that they 
 will ever be able to do these things well, or have any direct 
 benefit from them, but mainly with a view to training and 
 strengthening their intellectual faculties by exercise in the at- 
 tempt to learn them. 
 
 If, then, it is not expected that they will gain any truly 
 profitable knowledge, even of the elementary branches of learn- 
 ing, or become men, even of the most ordinary abilities, — what 
 is expected, and what is the object of establishing a school for 
 them ; and what is l.he end and aim of all this labor and expense ? 
 Much ; much every way is expected ; — the end and aim are 
 highly important. 
 
 Our theory is, that these poor creatures possess not only the 
 instinct and propensities which man has in common with the 
 brutes, but that, moreover, they possess the feeble germs of those 
 intellectual faculties, moral sentiments, and social affections 
 which in man are superadded to his animal nature, and which 
 -make the crowning glory of humanity. 
 
1850.] SENATE— No. 38. 27 
 
 A few of the idiots have really feebler perceptive faculties 
 than dogs and monkies; it may be, that with ever so much 
 instruction, they will remain inferior to those brutes, in mere 
 knowledge ; but then they have a feeble portion of that light of 
 the soul, not one ray of which could ever be discovered in the 
 nature of dogs and monkies, were they trained and taught, gen- 
 eration after generation to the end of time. 
 
 Now, it is proposed not only to train and develop, as much 
 as possible, the feeble intellectual powers of the idiot, -but also, 
 to call out and strengthen, as much as may be, the dormant, or 
 feeble capacities of every part of his nature. The most of them 
 are now left in ignorance and in idleness. Nothing being done 
 to improve their condition, of course it must grow worse. 
 
 It is proposed, therefore, to show our reverence for God's 
 plain will, and to acknowledge the common brotherhood of man, 
 by taking these, the most unfortunate of His children, and at- 
 tempting to lift them up to a place, humble though it be, upon 
 the common platform of humanity. 
 
 It is hoped to train them up to cleanliness and decency ; to 
 prevent, or root out vicious and debasing habits ; to moderate 
 their gluttonous appetites; and to lessen the strength of the 
 animal nature, generally,;Xby calling into some activity the 
 higher feelings and desires, and by substituting constant oc- 
 cupation for idleness. 
 
 It is proposed to train all the senses and perceptive facul- 
 ties by constant and varied exercise; to strengthen the power 
 of attention ; to teach, as much as possible, the rudiments of 
 knowledge; to develop the muscular system; and to give some 
 degree of dexterity in simple handicraft. Efforts will be made 
 to call out their social affections, and to lessen their inordinate 
 selfishness, by awakening some feeling of regard for others, in 
 return for kindness and love manifested towards them. 
 
 The still harder task will be attempted of appealing to the 
 moral sense, and drawing out what little capacity there may 
 exist for comprehending right for exercising conscience, and 
 for developing the religious sentiment. 
 
 It is hoped that part of them will gain some really useful 
 knowledge ; that most of them will become cleanly, decent, 
 temperate, and industrious; and that all of them will be better 
 and happier from the efforts made in their behalf 
 
28 TRAINING IDIOTS. [Feb. 
 
 If the experiment should succeed, the good done to the ten 
 individuals, who are the subjects of it, compared to the good 
 that must follow to others, will be as the grain of mustard seed, 
 to the goodly tree, in whose branches the fowls of the air find 
 rest. The capacity of idiots for culture once shown, Massachu- 
 setts will gather them from the almshouses and the by-places, 
 and give them careful nurture and instruction : and when Mas- 
 sachusetts shall show to her sister States these redeemed ones, 
 snatched from the slough of brutishness, and made tidy, and 
 decent, and industrious, and happy, — then her example of true 
 and practical Christianity will be followed by others; and thou- 
 sands, who are now groveling in filth, and depravity, and 
 wretchedness, — the parias of civilization, will be brought back 
 to the bosom of society, and treated with that kindly regard to 
 which their terrible calamity entitles them. 
 
 Commencement OF the School. 
 
 Three years was the period fixed upon for this experiment, 
 not as the time that is sufficient for training and teaching idiots, 
 to the extent of their capacity, but as the shortest time in which 
 much manifest and satisfactory improvement can be made in 
 their bodily and mental condition. 
 
 One year of the three years has already been spent in the trial, 
 and the result, thus far, is most encouraging, as will presently 
 be shown. 
 
 The first thing, was to procure a competent instructor, who 
 should devote all his time and energies to the new and difficult 
 task : for this purpose, Mr. James B. Richards was engaged. 
 He had been employed for many years as a teacher in Boston, 
 and possessed many of the necessary qualities in an eminent 
 degree. In order to start with every advantage that could 
 be had from the experience of others, Mr. Richards went to 
 Europe to learn, by personal observation, the method of instruc- 
 tion pursued in the new school at Paris. It proved, indeed, 
 that there was little or nothing to be learnt there about the prac- 
 tical part of the work, that ^vould not have been arrived at 
 here, by any intelligent person, who started with correct views 
 of the principle which underlies the whole subject. It was 
 something, however, to know even that. 
 
 ;v' Preparations were made during the summer of 1848, for 
 organizing the school upon the plan of a family. Mrs. McDon- 
 
1850.] 
 
 SENATE— No. 38. 
 
 29 
 
 aid a kind and motherly person, and most efficient house- 
 keeper, was engaged as matron, and she, with intelhgent do- 
 mestics, made arrangements for receiving the children into a 
 clean, comfortable, and pleasant home. 
 
 Mr. Richards having returned in the autumn, the first 
 scholars were received in October, and he began the work of 
 instruction with zeal and vigor. The whole number received 
 has been thirteen, and the following are their names and 
 ages : — 
 
 Albert Fitz, Aged 12, Idiot of the second class. ^ 
 
 Sylvanus W. Walker, 
 George S. Clapp, 
 Warren C. Mantur, 
 Oilman Clough, 
 George T. Rowell, 
 Daniel H. Peatfield, 
 Edmund S. Field, 
 Charles Davis, 
 Wm. F. Soule, 
 James Winchester, 
 Michael Mahers, 
 James W. Smith, 
 
 Besides these beneficiar 
 
 5, Idiot " " third " 
 
 8, Idiot " " first " 
 14, Idiot and deranged. 
 
 9, Simpleton. 
 9, Idiot of the third " 
 7, Idiot " " " " 
 7, Idiot " " second " 
 
 14, Idiot and insane. 
 
 6, Idiot and hydrocephalic. 
 9, Idiot of the third class. 
 
 12, Idiot and deranged. 
 11, Idiot of the third class. 
 
 ies of the State, three private pupils 
 have been received ; but of these it is not necessary to render 
 an account here. 
 
 One of the State pupils, W. F. Soule, was found to be hy- 
 drocephalic, and hopelessly diseased ; another, Charles Davis, 
 proved to be insane, and incapable of instruction in a class ; and 
 another, possessed of too much intellect to be fairly included 
 among idiots ; they were, therefore, all discharged soon after 
 admission. 
 
 The pupils did not all arrive at the same time ; in fact, 
 there was so much delay, that the school could not be said 
 fairly to have got into operation for sometime after its nominal 
 commencement. 
 
 The selection was not made with sufficient care, as was 
 apparent soon after the boys arrived. Too much reliance was 
 placed upon the description given of them by othe'rs. By the 
 endeavors to have such as would present a fair sample of 
 the capacity of the class for improvement, the error had been 
 
30 TRAINING IDIOTS. [Feb. 
 
 committed in having an unfavorable sample. The pupils hardly 
 do justice to the class they are intended to represent. The 
 selection was not indeed an easy matter. It was required by 
 the Resolves, that the subjects of the experiment should all be 
 paupers, or children of indigent parents, as they were to be paid 
 for by the State. This made it less likely that the children 
 would have received a judicious kind of treatment at home, and 
 such advantages as can be commanded by pecuniary means. 
 
 It was required that they should be from different parts of 
 the State. No other restriction was laid upon the choice; although 
 it was expected, of course, that each child should come fairly 
 within the class for whose benefit the experiment was made, 
 viz. : those, who by reason of mental deficiency, cannot be 
 taught in the common way. This class, however, is a very 
 large one, and comprehends persons who differ widely from 
 each other in capacity for improvement. It was desirable to 
 have some of the best and some of the worst specimens of the 
 class; and those selected, as it has proved, are, for the most part, 
 of the worst kind. 
 
 This diversity among idiots in capacity for improvement, is 
 a matter which is little known, although it is very important, 
 and ought to be understood ; it leads to a consideration of the 
 
 Importance of a Proper Classification of Idiotic Persons. 
 
 Many a child is neglected as being hopelessly idiotic, who, 
 with a little attention, and wise treatment, might be greatly 
 improved, trained up to associate with common children, and, 
 finally, enabled to take care of himself; while others, who are, 
 from their very organization, necessarily idiotic for life, have 
 great care and pains expended upon them, which, proving vain, 
 leads to the belief of the incapacity of any of the class for 
 improvement. 
 
 One of the most eminent teachers in Massachusetts lately 
 expressed his incredulity about the improvement of idiots, be- 
 cause he had known a person, grown to man's estate, who 
 plunged his hand into a vessel of hot mush, or pudding, and, 
 though severely burned, did not learn enough to dread the heat, 
 but would repeat the experiment upon the very next oppor- 
 tunity. The case is not so bad as that of an adult idiot, in a 
 neighboring town, who, sometimes, in cramming food into his 
 
1850.] SENATE.— No. 38. 31 
 
 mouth, caught his fingers between his teeth, and, not knowing 
 what pained him, used to howl and bite harder and harder, until 
 he was severely hurt. Some of our pupils, were, in certain re- 
 spects, even lower than these, for they had not knowledge, or 
 muscular energy enough, to bite any thing when placed between 
 their jaws, — they could only suck. Even these have greatly im- 
 proved ; but, granting such cases to be nearly hopeless, it 
 is very unwise to argue from them, the incapacity of the class 
 of idiots for improvement, especially, as in that class are usually 
 comprehended many who do not belong there, and, who, if the 
 subject were better understood by the public, would be provided 
 with instruction suitable to their condition. Our common school 
 system is so liberal in its principles, so excellent, and so widely 
 extended in its operation, that we are apt to suppose it suffices 
 for the wants of all the community ; but, when we come to 
 examine closely, we find a great many children to whose 
 wants we cannot minister. 
 
 Besides the blind, the mutes, and the idiots, there are many, 
 who, by reason of some mental peculiarity, or infirmity, cannot 
 be classed with other children, and taught by the common 
 methods. They need some peculiar care, and a course of in- 
 struction adapted expressly to their condition. Some children 
 have been offered here for admission, who were not idiotic, but 
 who could not be taught in common schools, and for whom no 
 school is provided.*" 
 
 It was not easy to collect ten boys who should all be mani- 
 festly deficient in intellect, and some of whom should be of each 
 grade of idiocy ; because there is no classification that is gener- 
 ally known and received. To form a good one is difficult, as all 
 attempts to classify exceptional cases must be. If a classifica- 
 tion were based upon the causes of idiocy, it might be, that of 
 idiots whose brains cannot act naturally for want of size ; and 
 idiots whose brains cannot act naturally, owing to various 
 other physical causes. This would, perhaps, be a more scien- 
 
 * Schools, for such exceptional cases, are much needed ; and it is gratifying, to be able 
 to announce, that one has already been opened in Barre, by Dr. Wilbur. It seems to be 
 conducted with skill and judgment, by kind and intelligent persons. It will be sought by 
 tliose whose pecuniary means enable them to bring all the aid and appliances of science to 
 supply the menial deficiencies, or correct the menial irregularities of their children. It gives 
 promise of great good. 
 
32 TRAINING IDIOTS. [Feb. 
 
 tific classification than the one adopted in this report. It would 
 give one very small class of pure idiots, resembling each other 
 as closely as ordinary men do; and a second, very much larger, 
 comprehending a vast variety of persons, resembling each other 
 only in the lack of sufficient mind for the common purposes of 
 life. This class might be subdivided, according to the physical 
 causes of the mental infirmity, or derangement. Indeed, the 
 word deranged, might be well applied to this whole class, were 
 it not, that, by popular usage, it denotes persons whose minds 
 have once been sound, but have become disordered, or deranged. 
 In the case of those who are idiotic from birth, the physical 
 cause, whatever it may be, prevents the brain from developing 
 itself, and performing its functions harmoniously ; it never gets 
 to be in order ; it does not become attuned to concert pitch 
 with others, therefore, cannot properly be said to become de- 
 ranged ; although, compared with the greater harmony of action 
 existing among ordinary men, it is deranged. 
 
 The functions of the brain being very various ; some serv- 
 ing to direct and promote the general functions of the body, 
 and others serving as a medium for the manifestation of mind, 
 and the latter, of course, being as various as are the faculties, ca- 
 pacities, and affections of the mind ; the possible combinations 
 among them are, apparently, exhaustless ; — hence the endless 
 variety of individual character. In order to have a normal 
 development of character, each one of these functions must be 
 normally performed, or at least, must not vary widely from the 
 common standard. The lack of certain functions will cause cor- 
 responding infirmity in the resulting character; undue action of 
 any one function will produce undue activity or violence even 
 in the corresponding development of character ; and the chances 
 for perfect harmony among the whole is very small indeed, not 
 one, perhaps, in a million. The chance for this perfect harmony 
 existing at the same time with the greatest possible power in 
 the intellectual or in the moral nature, is, of course, very small ; 
 and for its existence, with the greatest power in both these, the 
 chance is so small, that, in the countless generations that have 
 been evolved, it may be, that not one individual, so endowed, 
 has yet appeared. When, by reason of infirmity, or defect of 
 any part of the brain, or undue performance of its functions, 
 its harmonious development and action is so far disturbed that 
 
1850.] SENATE— No. 38. 33 
 
 there cannot result sufficient mental development for self- 
 guidance, the individual is considered idiotic. 
 
 The degree, and the kind of idiocy, resulting from the im- 
 perfect and inharmonious performance of the functions of the 
 brain, must be as various as the various possible combination? 
 in the actions of these functions, which we have seen to be 
 exhaustless. Hence, in the second great class of idiots, would 
 be embraced individuals differing more widely with each other 
 than those of the first class ; and much more than ordinary men 
 differ with each other. There would be the moping idiot, who 
 sits and drivels his life away, in stupid inattention, and listless 
 inaction ; the wild and ungovernable idiot, who cannot be at 
 rest at all, but seems driven, by inward disturbing force, to 
 strange and violent actions, like those of a mad-man ; — and 
 every variety between these two extremes. 
 
 The classification proposed in the report of the Massachnsctt? 
 Commissioners, divides the subjects of it into three classes, 
 founded upon the degree o{ their idiocy, or privation of intellect. 
 Simpletons being the highest, Fools the next, and Idiots proper, 
 the lowest. If this classification were intended for scientific 
 purposes, it could be expressed in scientific language; but being 
 intended not for professional but general readers, and designed 
 to enable them to understand better the condition of the unhap- 
 py persons in whom they may happen to be interested, terms 
 are used in their common and popular sense, whether it be the 
 most scientific or not. 
 
 This classification assumes that the subjects of it are not per- 
 sons absolutely devoid of mind, but merely persons of feeble 
 mind ; that the idiot proper is the most feeble, the simpleton 
 the least so. It is important that this principle should be kept 
 in view, so that the great advantages of classification may be had, 
 without the disadvantages that sometimes attend it. Nature pro- 
 duces individual men and not classes. Putting men into a class, 
 is too apt to put them into a caste; sometimes even it puts them 
 out of the pale of humanity. This is seen in the case of our 
 artificial class of convicts or criminals ; — they suffer by being 
 considered as a class or caste, differing from other men not in 
 degree of guiltiness only, (as is in truth the case) but differing 
 absolutely and essentially, — being cri7ni?ials, while other men 
 are 7iot criminals. Such classification may give undue pride to 
 5 
 
34 TRAINING IDIOTS. [Feb. 
 
 the one, and despair to the other. Similar effects may follow 
 the classification of men into Christians and heathens; and the 
 petty subdivision into saints and world's people. Evil may arise 
 from the misuse of tlie term Idiot^ as the name of a class, if 
 it causes them to be considered as a distinct order of persons, 
 and different from other men in being utterly devoid of mind, for 
 it will be considered useless to try to teach those who have no 
 mind at all ; but if they are considered as differing from others 
 not in kind, but in degree only, — as merely having/eeWe minds, 
 then their very feebleness, like that of little children, will com- 
 mend them to our hearts. Whatever classification of meu is 
 made, the mantle of humanity should be thrown over the whole, 
 that its ample folds may cover every one, and that none be lost 
 to the human family. 
 
 It is impossible, of course, to determine exactly the degree of 
 intelligence which a person must manifest in order to escape the 
 category of simpleton, and maintain a place among men of com- 
 mon sense. There is neutral ground on either side of the divid- 
 ing line, and a person may sometimes be upon the one and 
 sometimes upon the other, according to the standard of compar- 
 ison by which he is tried. The same difficulty arises in some 
 cases about deciding whether a person is a fool, or an idiot of 
 the next lowest degree ; but an approximation can always be 
 made; and in order to do this we may consider the 
 
 Use of Language as a Basis of Classification of Idiots. 
 
 There arc various things to be taken into the consideration 
 when making a classification of idiots, but the simplest and surest 
 of any single test is that of speech, or the power of using and 
 understanding some kind of language as signs of thought. 
 If a child, having no physical imperfection in the organs of 
 speech, can hear perfectly, and yet does not learn to speak in 
 the usual time and manner, it may be attributed almost cer- 
 tainly to some mental defect arising from physical infirmity of 
 the brain or nervous system. If the infirmity be (as is usually 
 the case) congenital and organic, it will, in all probability, be 
 permanent ; if it be only functional, it may be cured. It is very 
 important that the nature of the infirmity or imperfection be as- 
 certained early, in order to avoid errors in treatment. 
 
 The simpleton is very backward about learning to talk. 
 
1850.] SENATE— No. 38. 35 
 
 During a long time he uses only nouns and verbs; but at last 
 he learns to make simple sentences; he comes to use all the 
 principal parts of speech, and to express himself with tolerable 
 correctness about simple matters of fact; but he caruiot make 
 or understand involved sentences, or those expressive of abstract 
 ideas. Spoken words, the audible signs of thought, become 
 tolerably familiar to him; but printed words, the visible repre- 
 sentations of the audible signs of thought, being a remove far- 
 ther off, are understood with greater difficulty ; and tJiough he 
 may read simple sentences, he cannot comprehend the more 
 abstruse ones, or such as relate to things v;hich are not the 
 immediate object of sense; much less can he find pleasure in 
 the graces of style. 
 
 The idiot of the second class, or tlie fool, learns to speak still 
 more tardily and imperfectly. While a child, he uses only the 
 names of things. When a youth, he may perhaps master the 
 two principal parts of speech, nouns and verbs; the latter 
 however, in their simplest forms only. Pronouns, conditional 
 verbs, adverbs, ttc, are incomprehensible signs to him. If he 
 uses a short sentence containing them, it is as a complex sign of 
 a single thing. — a long noun ; or else he repeats them as a par- 
 rot does, without understanding them. 
 
 The idiot of the lowest class utters only a few simple sounds, 
 or interjections which are expressive of his appetites, or strong 
 emotions; and which are not peculiarly parts of human speech, 
 for animals also use interjections. The oh ! and ah ! of the 
 idiot are hardly to be considered parts of speech, any more than 
 the bark or growl of a dog. 
 
 Such is the condition of different classes of uninstructed idiots 
 vv'ith regard to the use of language so far as I have been able 
 to observe them. I know not whether any observations have 
 been made by others, upon this means of testing the degree of 
 idiocy by the capacity for using language as signs of thouqht: 
 but it seems to be more valuable than any other. The faculty 
 of speech is improved of course with the mental improvement. 
 Great care must be used in testing the degree of intellect by the 
 faculty of speech, not to overlook any malformation that may 
 exist in the structure of the organs, or any physical inability to 
 use them. A child may lisp so badly as hardly to be under- 
 stood ; or he may be unable to pronounce certain words; but, 
 
36 TRAINING IDIOTS. [Feb. 
 
 no matter, if he only tinder stands your speech — if he can express 
 by ever so rude a sound, or by any sign whatever, his sense of 
 the meaning and value of words, the defect is not in his intellect. 
 The power of understanding language, and not the use of the 
 vocal organs is the true test. It is easy to conceive that a child 
 having the sense of iiearing, but unable to articulate, may under- 
 stand perfectly a grammatical sentence, and frame a grammatical 
 answer in some kind of signs; but a dumb child who is not 
 deaf or idiotic, would be a rare phenomenon, notwithstanding 
 that almost all parents of deaf-mutes persist for many years in 
 thinking their children can hear. 
 
 There is another precaution to be used in testing the degree of 
 intellect by the knowledge of language, and that is, not to con- 
 found garridity with copiousness of language. Some loqua- 
 cious people who have really a very limited knowledge of lan- 
 guage, and cannot understand its more intricate and delicate 
 play, ring incessant changes upon tlieir scanty stocli of words, 
 zw^talk more than others who thoroughly understand their own 
 and foreign tongues in their most subtle forms, just as a person 
 may make more noise upon an instrument with a few keys, than 
 a good musician creates upon an instrument of greater com- 
 pass by whole octaves. So it is with the class here treated of; 
 a garrulous person of the class of fools, may talk more with his 
 few and simple words, than a taciturn simpleton does ; though 
 the latter can form and understand sentences, which would 
 be entirely incomprehensible by the former. 
 
 These remarks, may perhaps help parents and others who 
 arc perplexed about the backwardness of children of feeble in- 
 tellect to understand them better. If a child can really compre- 
 hend words, expressive of abstract qualities, he is not an idiot 
 of the lowest class, and must not be treated as such. If he can 
 form a correct sentence containing different parts of speech, he is 
 not even an idiot of the second class; if he can construct, in- 
 volved sentences, containing abstract terms, and verbs in the 
 conditional sense, he is hardly a simpleton. 
 
 Chu-dren, not really idiotic, are sometimes classed with Idiots. 
 
 Perplexity sometimes arises about children, who seem to be 
 
 sensible in some respects, and altogether foolish in others; and 
 
 ithe perplexity cannot well be removed by any other explanatioL 
 
1850.] SENATE— No. 38. 37 
 
 than that given by ihe doctrine of the plurality of faculties, and 
 their comparative independence of each other. 
 
 A man may be utterly wanting in what is called a musical 
 ear, so as not to be able to distinguish tunes ; or an eye for 
 colors, so as not to be able to distinguish shades of marked dif- 
 ference; and, as this may depend not upon the construction of 
 the eye or ear, since such persons can hear very feeble sounds, 
 and see very keenly, so as to distinguish the minutest difference 
 m forms, but upon some peculiarity or imperfection in the brain 
 or nervous system; — so from some similar peculiarity or imper- 
 fection, a person may be unable to distinguish the outlines and 
 forms of letters, so that he cannot combine them into words and 
 read ; that is, he cannot understand the visible sig72^ of words, 
 though he may understand their audible sig?is, and can com- 
 prehend a spoken sentence, which lie cannot be made to learn 
 from a book. 
 
 It would be easy to ascend from such material perceptions to 
 those of a more abstract nature, as for instance in the relations 
 of numbers. One man sees with dilFiculfy the relation between 
 seven and fifteen, while another by the flash of intuition, sees 
 every possible relation among millions of units, and runs over 
 the cubes and squares of high numbers as we run over the mul- 
 tiplication table. In mathematics he has extraordinary skill, 
 while in other respects, he is hardly our equal. Now no con- 
 ceivable difference in training can pyplain this dilTerence in 
 power; nothing can do it but the supposition of an independp.nt 
 faculty, \vlio.se office is tliR perception of the relations of num- 
 bers. The power and condition of this faculty must depend 
 beyond question, upon the nature and condition of some part of 
 the bodily organization ; and probably upon some part especially 
 devoted to it. The material, or bodily instrumentality through 
 which the mind of Zerah Colburn, saw the manifold relations 
 and combinations of high numbers, was as much superior in 
 power and accuracy to that enjoyed by ordinary minds, as the 
 great Rosse telescope is to an opera glass ; yet Colburn's mind 
 enjoyed no uncommon instrument for bringing ol/ier relations 
 besides those of numbers, — moral relations, for instance, within 
 its ken. His faculty for seeing relations of numbers was hardly 
 of more use to him in writing his very poor sermons, than a tel- 
 escope would be for ploughing a corn field. 
 
38 TRAINING IDIOTS. [Feb. 
 
 From the relations of numbers there is but a step to other ab- 
 stract relations; and if this were the place, it would be easy to 
 apply the same reasoning to moral relations, but it is not, and 
 what has been said, must suffice for explanation of what has 
 gone before, and what will follow. 
 
 It is commonly concluded that if a boy cannot learn to read, 
 as other boys do, he is therefore stupid ; but this does not neces- 
 sarily follow, by any means. As inability to distinguish relations 
 in musical sounds, or difference of shades in color, may arise 
 from some unimportant imperfection in the cerebral structure or 
 functions, so may an inability to distinguish the/orm of letters. 
 The same doctrine explains many peculiarities which appear in 
 the more purely intellectual faculties. Some youth are consid- 
 ered as foolish, because while they perceive readily the exist- 
 ence and relations of facts and things about them, they fail to 
 reason correctly, or to draw the proper inferences from them; 
 on the other hand, the same is true of those who seem blind 
 to most of the things and relations about them, but contrive to 
 generalize well and act wisely. 
 
 May it not be that imperfections and peculiarities in the moral 
 sense, and even in the affections, arise from similar causes ; and 
 may not one child be as truly unable to perceive moral relations 
 and duties, as another is to perceive the difference between /a 
 and sol, or between green and blue? If it be so, then surely 
 blame and punishment are as little deserved in the one case as 
 in the other. 
 
 The object of these remarks is to sliuw, that great care and 
 discrimination should be used, in judging and treating those per- 
 sons, especially children, who seem to differ widely from the 
 common standard of intellect or morals. 
 
 Indirect Benefits of a School for Idiots. 
 It will, doubtless, be one of the indirect benefits of a school for 
 idiots, that it will spread greater knowledge upon the subject of 
 idiocy in the community, and thus will save many children, 
 who really have mental capacity, from being condemned as m- 
 capable of improvement. It will probaby do even more than 
 this, for there is no doubt that children of feeble intellect are 
 sometimes made worse, perhaps, rendered imbecile, by unwise 
 and harsh treatment. 1; It sometimes happens, that the child of 
 
1850.] SENATE— No. 38. 39 
 
 an irritable parent cannot, or docs not readily understand and 
 obey a command, upon which the parent becomes vexed, and 
 scolds ; and, thinking the child's dulncss to be wilful obstinacy, 
 he becomes excited and angry, and beats it, in some cases very 
 severely." These outbreaks of the parent, if very frequent, do 
 not leave time for the child to recover his natural tone of mind ; 
 his habitual state becomes that of fear; and not having cunning 
 enough to find refuge in deceit, he submits, in despair, to a 
 course of treatment, which, little by little, breaks down his 
 spirit, completely cows him, and makes him a simpleton, or 
 worse. The parent, perhaps, does nut suspect, all this while, 
 that he is, himself, cruelly wrong; he does not think at all 
 about it; but vents his anger upon the child, as often as its 
 stupidity, which he calls obstinacy, is manifested. 
 
 A case which illustrates the effect of this kind of treatment 
 may be mentioned here, though a little out of place. My atten- 
 tion being called, a short time ago, to a boy, said to be idiotic 
 and unmanageable, I went to his father's house to see him. It 
 was a dilapidated and dirty room, dimly lighted, and intensely 
 heated by a cooking-stove. There were several children, all 
 of them dirty, but all decently clad, except one, a boy of thir- 
 teen, who was literally covered with rags. On opening the 
 door, this boy ran skulking away, and hid himself behind the 
 cooking-stove. He soon peered out, with a look of great terror, 
 as if in fear for his life, or of a severe whipping By degrees, 
 and with great care, I got near him, though he trembled greatly, 
 and would, occasionally, dart away from one corner of the room 
 to another. When not running, he moved about with the 
 stealthy tread of a cat, putting down his foot as carefully as if 
 treading on ice, which he feared would break under him, and 
 keeping his eyes fixed upon me. After long attempts to quiet 
 him, and assure him, he was induced to take from my hand an 
 apple, which he ran away with, and began to devour most vo- 
 raciously. It was very unusual for him to show even so much 
 confidence in a stranger. He commonly ran from any one 
 who came in ; and, if approached, he would scream aloud, and 
 be convulsed with terror. It was considered remarkable, that 
 he, at last, very timidly, gave me the tip of his finger to 
 shake hands at my departure. The following description of 
 him is by a very intelligent and humane gentleman, who first 
 drew my attention to him : — 
 
40 TRAINING IDIOTS. [Feb. 
 
 Dr. S. G. Howe: 
 
 Dear Sir. — My attention was directed to this boy, in the 
 first place, by his father, being the occupant of one of our 
 tenements. When I approached him, he stealthily moved away, 
 as if he had been doing something wrong; I followed him to 
 ascertain what, when his speed increased so much, as still more 
 to excite my curiosity ; he ran into the house, and got under 
 the bed; on my approaching him, his agony of fear appeared so 
 intense, that, to give him relief, I went away. I then learnt 
 from his father that he was an iiuiocent^ as he was called, — or 
 idiotic. Since then, I have, many times, endeavored to approach 
 him, and coax him; — but never with success. His fear of me 
 was so great, that I gave him up. I have, however, frequently 
 observed him ; he would mingle with his playmates, but not 
 partake of their plays. He appeared to be dull, and with an 
 idiotic expression; but, under the influence of fear, might be 
 violent, and, perhaps, dangerous. It was his entirely dependent 
 condition, and melancholy appearance, that excited my interest 
 to solicit for him the benefit of the charity of the State, and the 
 humanity of yourself, 
 
 I remain, very respectfully, yours, 
 
 SAM'L. DOWNER, Jk. 
 
 This boy was quite unmanageable, by any means within 
 reach of his father, or friends. They knew no way to make 
 him obey, but that of force and blows. He was formerly a tol- 
 erably bright boy, but he had been in this sad condition for 
 years, and was rapidly growing worse. He seemed to live in 
 continual terror, and seldom spoke a word. The first time that 
 I heard him utter a word, was, one day, when his father took 
 hold of him, to make him obey some command, upon which, 
 with his knees fairly knocking, and his body trembling all over, 
 he screamed convulsively — 'will -good boy' — 'will-good boy!' 
 This was enough to show, that whatever might have been the 
 first caiise of his strange condition, the daily treatment he was 
 receiving, was gradually crushing his feeble intellect, and would 
 tend to drive him into hopeless idiocy, or insanity. And yet, 
 his father was a sober, well-meaning man, and not a cruel 
 
1850.] SENATE— No. 38. 41 
 
 parent. He simply did not know how to govern liis own 
 feelings, and to iraiii those of this unfortunate child. The boy 
 was therefore taken into our school at once. He has been 
 there but a few weeks, and the change in him is already 
 most remarkable. He is still a little shy, but he has lost all 
 appearance of terror; he not only comes readily when called, 
 but often goes up to those belonging to the house, and puts 
 his arms aflectionately about them, and returns their caresses. 
 He takes his place in the class, and strives to imitate all the mo- 
 tions of the scholars, and obey the signs of the teacher. He can 
 select the letters of the alphabet, and understands a iew words. 
 He is obedient and docile, and tries hard to learn with the 
 others. He is affectionate, and much gratified by any mark of 
 praise or approval. He begins to talk, and is rapidly improv- 
 ing in every respect. 
 
 The following letter, from Mr. Downer, will show how 
 muchj^in the opinion of that gentleman, he has improved, under 
 the treatment he has received, in his new home. The improve- 
 ment is mainly attributable to the spirit of gentleness, which 
 pervades the household. This has quieted all his terrors, and 
 soothed his spirit, so that he is able to give attention to the 
 judicious instruction which Mr. Richards imparts to him. 
 
 Boston, February 14, 1850. 
 Dr. S. G. Howe : 
 
 "Dear Sir, — I availed myself, to day. of your invitation, to 
 visit the Institution for the benefit of the Feeble-minded, that 1 
 might have an opportunity of witnessing the improvement, 
 (if any.) of the boy, Michael Mali, who has been enjoying its 
 privileges ; but 1 hardly know how to comply with j^our request 
 to communicate how his present appearance struck me, as com- 
 pared to that which he exhibited, before being placed there. 
 When I remember his former wild, and almost frantic demeanor, 
 when approached by any one, and the apparent impossibility 
 of communicating with him, and now see him standing in his 
 class, playing with his fellows, and willingly and familiarly 
 approaching me, examining what I gave him; and when 1 
 see him, already, selecting articles, named by his teacher, and 
 even correctly pronouncing some words printed on cards, — im- 
 provement, does not convey the idea presented to my mind; — it 
 is creation ; it is making him anew. 
 6 
 
42 TRAINING IDIOTS. [Feb. 
 
 I also noticed an entire change in his manner of moving his 
 Iiands, and whole body. In trntli, as he stood in his class, 
 it was with difficulty I recognized him, so changed was 
 his appearance. I was struck, particularly, by the fresh and 
 iiealthy appearance of his skin and complexion, which, for- 
 merly, was pale and haggard. 
 
 If, sir, he is a fair sample of what training, and education 
 can do, for idiots, I can only say, God speed you in your 
 endeavors to build up such an institution; it has but to be 
 known, to be appreciated, and to have the views of its founders 
 carried into successful operation. 
 
 ~ I remain, very truly, yours, 
 
 SAM'L. DOWNER, Jr. 
 
 Advantage of having Pupils of Different Grades of Idiocy. 
 
 In choosing idiotic persons for the experiment, it was neces- 
 sary, that they should ail be young; it was desirable that the 
 greatest number should be of tite lowest class; but, that 
 there should be some representing each class, — from the speech- 
 less idiot, to the simpleton. 
 
 This was not merely to test the capacity of each class for 
 instruction and improvement, but likewise to profit by that 
 beautiful law of nature, in virtue of which, children of different 
 ages, are made mutual instructors. 
 
 In a brood of birds, the little nestlings have nothing to teach 
 each other ; there are, therefore, no elder and younger chicks. 
 In the race of animals, the young of one year become perfect 
 and independent, before those of the next appear ; and they 
 know not the brothers and sisters that come after them. 
 
 There is no true home, but the human home ; there is no 
 true family, but the human family. In it, the elder child is 
 the teacher of the younger. Daily and hourly he is giving 
 lessons, such as no hireling, — no, not even the parent can give; 
 and in return, he himself finds both pleasure and profit in every 
 effort that he makes^i' The lisping girl, in repeating over, as she 
 loves dearly to do, the new words she has learned, and the new 
 things she has seen, to the wondering listener in the nursery, 
 is not only giving him a lesson in language, but reciting 
 
1850.] SENATE— No. 38. 43 
 
 her own, and fastening it more firmly in her memory. She 
 makes good the maxim, that the best way to learn a thing, is 
 to try to teach it. 
 
 The same principle holds good as they grow older, save that 
 it increases in importance, for now the moral natnres are 
 more fully at work, and act, and react npon each other with 
 great power. The elder loves to revive the pleasant thoughts 
 — the kindly emotions she has experienced, by relating them to 
 the younger, who strives to tune his heart to sweet accord with 
 hers; and thus she sirengihens her own good feeh'ngs, while 
 she is calling forth his. But, on the other hand, she revives 
 and strengthens her unkind feeHngs, and her unlovely dispo- 
 sitions, by every show which she makes of them to him, who, 
 in his turn, has the like feelings called to life, in his own breast. 
 And so they go on, — through childhood and youth ; the die, 
 itself, growing harder by every impress it gives to the mould. 
 
 The effect of this principle, for good, or for evil, according as 
 it is improved, or neglected, may be seen in every family of 
 children. The greatest advantage may be derived from it, when 
 the difference of age is two, or three years ; a wide departure 
 from this, either way, is not desirable. Its importance may be 
 learned, by witnessing the effects of bringing up children 
 alone, or without the society of those somewhere near them in 
 age. To be fatherless, or motherless, is a great misfortune to 
 a child ; to be brotherless or sisterless, is not a small one. 
 
 Now in a school of idiots like ours, where boys are about 
 the same age, this principle would be violated, if they were 
 all of the same class ; but when they are of different degrees 
 of idiocy, they are to each other, as elder and younger children, 
 though they may be of the same age ; the simpleton of ten 
 years of age, is to the fool of ten or twelve, as a youth is 
 to a child; the fool is to the idiot, as a child is to an infant. 
 Some advantage was hoped from this arrangement, nor has 
 that hope been disappointed. 
 
 It was necessary to receive some pupils without having seen 
 them, upon the strength of descriptions given by those who 
 had the care of them ; and it proved that in some cases, such 
 persons were mistaken in their views. For instance, a boy was 
 sent from the almshouse, in Roxbury, as an idiot, and received 
 as such. He was at once subjected to a regular course of cold 
 
44 TRAINING IDIOTS. [Feb. 
 
 batliing, exercise, diet, and discipline, the good effects of which 
 were very apparent in a few weeks. His system was aroused, 
 and he manifested considerable mental activity, and capacity 
 for improvement. In a short time it became clear, that he 
 had intellect enongh to be taught ^by the common methods, 
 and that he could hardly be called a simpleton. It would not 
 have been fair, therefore, to exhibit him as a proof of what 
 could be done for idiotic childi^en, and he was, accordingly, dis- 
 missed, as lacking the qualifications, or rather, disqualifications 
 necessary for our school. 
 
 Physical, or Bodily Training aids the Development of 
 Mental Power. 
 
 The first, and most important object aimed at, during the 
 year, has been the improvement of the bodily condition of the 
 scholars by physical training, that is, by regular and systematic 
 exercises, for invigorating the body, generally; for increasing 
 the muscular strength, and activity ; for giving more ready and 
 perfect command over all the motions of the body and limbs; 
 and for quickening all the senses. 
 
 Whatever system is adopted for the instruction of idiots, the 
 foundation of it must be laid in physical education, that is, 
 thorough bodily training. When a common boy first comes 
 under the teacher's care, tliis training has generally been 
 accomplished ; his body has been broken in, as it were, to the 
 service of his will; he has learned, in the games and sports of 
 childhood, and in various ways, to have prompt and entire 
 command of all his muscles. It is not so with the idiot. 
 
 Of the whole number received in our school, not one had the 
 usual degree of activity and command of muscular motion ; in 
 other words, quickness of eye and hand. Some could walk 
 about, and use their hands and limbs in simple motions; Avhile 
 the others were very deficient in the use of their muscles; and 
 two were without any power of locomotion, and without 
 command of the voluntary muscles. 
 
 The first thing then was to invigorate their bodies, and to 
 give them more complete command over all the muscles. This 
 has been done by diet, by bathing, by walking, and run- 
 ning in the open air, and by various gymnastic exercises, such 
 
1850.] SENATE— No. 38. 45 
 
 as standing erect, raising first one foot then the olher, one 
 arm, and then the other; by marching; by climbing on ladders; 
 by swinging dumb-bells; by holding out objects at arm's length ; 
 by tossing and catching balls ; and by various movements of the 
 body and limbs, at the word of command. This has been followed 
 up with such variations as occurred to the teacher, in order to 
 prevent monotony ; — and with the most marked effect. Some 
 of these will be noticed in the history of particular cases, suffice 
 it to say here, generally, that a manifest improvement has taken 
 place, not only in the health and appearance of the boys, but in 
 their capacity for taking care of themselves. 
 
 But this is not all, by any means. Bodily training is an impor- 
 tant agent in the development of the mental and moral powers, 
 though it seems only to promote muscular strength, and manual 
 dexterity. When a child is learning to balance himself on liis feet, 
 he is doing something for his mind as well as for his body; he is 
 training his mental faculties, as well as his muscular fibres; and 
 when he first toddles from the supporting corner to his mother's 
 arms, he brings into play enterprise and courage, as well as 
 arms and legs. And so it is through childhood, boyhood, and 
 youth. Every new effort, every new triumph over difficul- 
 ties, every new game, every new undertaking, be it ever so. 
 simple, which gives dexterity and hardihood of body, gives 
 also quickness, and vigor of mind. The marble, the top, and 
 the hoop; the sledge, the skates, and the ball; the boat, the 
 gun, and the horse, may, each and all of them, be of priceless 
 value to the mind. Exercises with them need not be mere 
 idle sports and useless pastimes; they are, when well timed, 
 better both for body and mind, than ill-timed tasks, and lessons. 
 
 The idiotic child seldom shows a taste for any toys, ex- 
 cept the very simplest ; — sometimes not even for these. 
 What little taste, however, he may have, should be culti- 
 vated. If he leaves the rattle, and comes to blow a tin 
 whistle, or drag a wooden horse, it is a sign of pi'of^ress ; he 
 must be encouraged in it ; and his teacher must not lose hope 
 if he creeps when he would have him run. The poor boy 
 must ever be behind ordinary boys. Before he can trundle a 
 hoop, a bright lad may learn to drive a locomotive engine; 
 before he can fly a kite, the other may learn to soar in a balloon ; 
 before he can cross a pond upon skates, the other may be ex- 
 
46 TRAINING IDIOTS. [Feb. 
 
 ploring the arctic regions. But this very helplessness should 
 appeal to our hearts ; and because the poor creature, shorn of 
 the wings of intellect, and crippled in all his faculties, is lagging 
 far behind in the general race of progress, we should lend him 
 a helping hand, lest he be entirely lost. 
 
 It is not merely desirable, but it is sometimes absolutely 
 necessary to commence the instruction of idiots with physical 
 training, for some of them have never had their muscular system 
 developed at all. A description of one of our pupils will show 
 this. 
 
 Sylvanus Walker, aged six years; height, or rather length, 
 for he had never learned to stand upright, was three feet four 
 inches; weight, thirty-one pounds; depth of chest, six inches 
 and three-quarters ; breadth of chest, seven and one-half inches. 
 
 His temperament is lymphatic-nervous; skin, fair; hair, 
 dark; eyes, dark brown. Dimensions of cranium, from ear to 
 ear, over the top of skull, 10.44 inches; from root of nose to 
 occipital spine, 10.13 inches. 
 
 The cause of his idiocy, according to his mother's account, 
 was mismanagement. Soon after his birth, a neighbor, who was 
 kindly acting as nurse and assistant, took the poor babe close to a 
 hot stove, and began to rub its head with strong rum^ Avarming 
 his head by the stove, in order to make it soak in the rum the 
 better, and rubbing with her hand, diligently, for a long time, 
 until a whole tea- cup full had been used. Of course, a con- 
 siderable portion must have been absorbed, and the effect upon 
 the nervous system very powerful. The babe slept profoundly, 
 and could not be aroused until the third day ! 
 
 When brought to our school, his senses were very inactive and 
 dull ; his eyes were languid in their expression. — almost vacant 
 indeed, and very slow in their motions ; his hearing was, ap- 
 parently more active than his sight, for, while he rarely noticed 
 visible objects, he showed some liveliness and interest in musical 
 sounds. Touch, or rather tactile sensibility, was almost want- 
 ing in his hands, and other parts of his body. 
 
 He had no power of locomotion, whatever ; he could not 
 stand upon his feet, nor sit up alone in a chair, nor even creep on 
 his hands and knees. He lay quietly upon the floor, or wherever 
 they placed him, by the hour together, or even all day long ; 
 and made no other movement than, once in a while, to raise his 
 
1850.] SENATE -No. 38. 47 
 
 head upon his liand, with his elbow resting on the floor. In 
 this posture, he sometimes played with any bright thing that 
 came within the reach of his other hand. This was the extent 
 of his amusement. He had no other occupation, save that of 
 eating, or rather drinking, for he could not chew solid food, and 
 was nourished mainly upon milk, of which he consumed large 
 quantities; his mother said, sometimes nearly a gallon a day. He 
 had not learned to feed himself at all. He had no more sense 
 of decency, when brought to us, than an infant. 
 
 In respect to intellect, he was an idiot. He could not speak a 
 dozen words, and not even those distinctly. He had no knowl- 
 edge, no desires, no affections. 
 
 At an age when other boys were at school, or at their sports, 
 this poor little fellow lay motionless upon the floor, or bed, or 
 wherever they placed him, without amusement, and without 
 occupation ; and so he would probably have lain during all the 
 years of his youth. H.e would not have learned to creep, or to 
 talk, had he lived to the age of manhood, for his limbs were 
 powerless, and his parents did not know how to strengthen 
 them, or how to teach him language. 
 
 The change and improvement caused in this boy's condition, 
 by one year's training, has been most gratifying. He has been 
 bathed daily in cold water ; his limbs have been rubbed ; he 
 has been dragged about in the open air, in a little waggon, by 
 the other boys; his muscles have been exercised; he has been 
 made to grasp with his hands, and gradually to raise himself 
 up by them. He was held up, and made to bear a little of his 
 weight upon his lower limbs, — then a little more, until, at last, 
 to his great delight, he was able to go about alone, by holding 
 on the wall, or to one's finger, even to go up stairs, by clinging 
 to the balusters. He can go around a large table, by merely 
 resting one hand on the edge of it. The like improvement has 
 taken place in his habits; he is observant of decency ; he calls, 
 when he wants any assistance ; he can sit at the table, and 
 chew his food, and even feed himself pretty well. 
 
 His cheeks begin to glow with color ; his eye is much brighter ; 
 he gives attention to what is passing around him ; and his 
 whole countenance is more expressive of thought. His improve- 
 ment in language is equally great; he has learned many words, 
 and can construct many simple sentences. His affections begin 
 
48 TRAINING IDIOTS. [Feb. 
 
 to be developed, and he manifests his attachment to persons by- 
 unmistakable signs. During an absence of several weeks, he 
 did not forget his teacher, and used to show to his mother, that 
 he wanted to see Mr. Richards. Such is the effect of a year's 
 training; and it is but the beginning, for (his boy will doubtless 
 go on improving, and advancing more rapidly for every step 
 heretofore gained. He was put down on the list as an idiot of the 
 lowest kind, for he was quite in an idiotic condition, nor was 
 there any means of knowing his latent capacities ; it will not be 
 surprising, however, if he should be raised, not only to the 
 highest grade of idiots, or simpletons, but even lifted quite above 
 that class. His case may prove to be one of those mentioned 
 under the head of Classification, which are neglected, be- 
 cause, by mistake, they are included in a class, generally 
 deemed beyond the reach of the teacher's art. 
 
 Another boy, Warren Mantur, aged fourteen years, had very 
 little command of muscular motion, when he entered. He 
 could not, or would not mount up stairs, two steps, without 
 creeping on his hands and knees. He now walks about firmly ; 
 he can go up a long flight of stairs, climb on a ladder, and per- 
 form various gymnastic exercises quite freely. 
 
 It is probable that, in both these cases the inability to walk 
 depended partly upon the condition of certain mental faculties, 
 as will be mentioned hereafter. 
 
 These cases are mentioned in order to show the effect of 
 bodily training, without dwelling upon the important effect 
 of direct instruction, as shown in mental improvement. 
 
 Effect of Physical Training upon the Power of Attention. 
 
 Bodily training, as has been already said, must not only be the 
 first but almost the last step in the course of instruction of some 
 idiots. Important as it is in the education of all youth, it is 
 especially so to all of this class. It not only invigorates the 
 general health, and induces sound sleep, thereby indirectly pro- 
 moting mental vigor, but it has, moreover, an immediate and 
 direct influence in calling out the attention^ and giving command 
 of it. This is a very important matter, and requires particular 
 notice. 
 
 One of the greatest difficulties in teaching idiots arises from 
 
1850.] SENATE— No. 38. 49 
 
 their listlessiiess, and their dishke to any mental effort. They 
 are, or seem to be, unable to give continued attention to im- 
 pressions made by external objects. There is hardly more 
 difference between the hide of a rhinoceros and the skin of a 
 man, than between the sensibility to outward objects, as mani- 
 fested by a low idiot, and that manifested by a person of deli- 
 cate organization. The thunder is not so loud to the former, as 
 the buzz of an insect to the latter ; the lightning is not so 
 sharp to the eye of the idiot, as the glow of a diamond to another 
 person ; nor does a pungent odor affect the one, so much as the 
 faintest perfume does the other. The idiot of the lowest kind 
 gives but little attention to the impressions upon his senses ; eyes 
 has he, but he sees not ; ears has he, but he hears not. Even 
 hunger calls not his taste into action ; he cares not for flavors 
 or savors, — he only wants to fill up an aching void, — no matter 
 whether it be with cunningly cooked dishes, or crude garbage. 
 
 To mental impressions he is, of course, less attentive than to 
 sensuous ones. So unused is he to any mental effort, that he not 
 only dislikes to think, but he really seems uneasy and pained 
 when he is compelled to think. If his attention is forcibly 
 aroused, it flags again in a moment. It must have a new fillip 
 at every instant. His teacher has the greatest difficulty to keep 
 his eye fixed upon his own. It sidles off continually, and 
 drops downward. He must be spoken to loudly and earnestly. 
 Visible objects must be presented continually, to illustrate the 
 subject of the lesson. They must be of bright colors, and 
 striking forms ; they must be presented in various positions, and 
 his attention must be drawn to them by earnest speech, and 
 fervid gesticulation. When, by these means, his listlessness 
 has been overcome, and he begins to give attention more rea- 
 dily, and to keep it up longer, he has really gained a great deal. 
 The amount of actual knowledge acquired, is comparatively 
 unimportant. M^ny of the exercises of our school, though re- 
 peated again and again, may seem to give nothing more than a 
 little increase of manual dexterity; a little more ready com- 
 mand of some of the muscles of the body. The principle, 
 however, is this, and it is an important one : — that every movc- 
 w.ent of the muscles requires the exercise of the ivill, and of 
 the attention, and by this exercise some of the mental powers 
 are really strengthened, and their activity promoted. It matters 
 7 
 
50 TRAINING IDIOTS. [Feb. 
 
 not much by what particular kind of exercises this effect upon 
 the will and upon attention, is gained. 
 
 This principle has been steadily kept in view during the first 
 year's training of our boys, and its good effects are already de- 
 monstrated. The constant call upon volition and attention in 
 gymnastic exercises, has not only given more tone and vigor to 
 the system, — more strength and de«terity of body, but more 
 ready command of attention^ and therefore, more real mental 
 power. 
 
 The boy who, when he came here, could not, or dared not, 
 go up a flight of stairs, can now climb up the under side of 
 an inclined ladder, and perform various feats, requiring some 
 strength, dexterity and courage; now if any one should esti- 
 mate the value of this power to him solely by the direct benefit 
 which it might be to him, such as increasing his bodily dexter- 
 ity, or improving his health, he would overlook some of its 
 greatest advantages. 
 
 Difficulty of finding Good Teachers for Idiots. 
 
 The necessity of constantly acting upon the principle stated 
 and explained above, must always increase the difficulties in the 
 way of the education of idiots, because there are comparatively 
 few persons who have the gift of commanding their attention, 
 by perfectly unobjectionable means ; — by earnestness without 
 temper ; warmth without anger. Perhaps one cause of the ex- 
 traordinary success which certain teachers in common schools, 
 have from the beginning of their career, is their faculty 
 of arousing and holding fast the attention of their scholars. 
 They may not be men of talent, in the ordinary sense of the 
 word ; they may not have learning, or system, or even expe- 
 rience ; but they are live men, — earnest men; — they throw 
 themselves with enthusiasm into the subject; they fascinate 
 their scholars ; they heat their minds, until they become mallea- 
 ble, and then stamp in the impression deeply. It is hard to 
 express this peculiarity of certain men, otherwise than by call- 
 ing it a magnetic, or magnetizing power ; they magnetize their 
 scholars ; they force their minds to come into relation with 
 their own, whether they will or not. By their mere manner 
 of giving a lesson, or explaining a subject, they create and keep 
 up in the minds of the scholars, a degree of attention and inter- 
 est, which ordinary teachers cannot do by scolding and whip- 
 
1850.] SENATE— No. 38. 51 
 
 ping, — by black marks and by white, — by rewards and prizes, 
 or by any of the usual aids and appliances necessary to those 
 who have not this gift. 
 
 Such persons were horn to he teachers. Nature meant that 
 instruction should be given; and, as in every thing else, where 
 she gives something to be done, she gives also the requisite 
 number of agents, with a particular faculty of doing it well; so 
 also for teaching, she supplies to every generation, persons spe- 
 cially fitted to be teachers. Such persons are ever teaching and 
 leading others, and if they will not make it their especial calHng 
 to do so, or, if people will choose into their places, persons fitted 
 for mere handi-craft men, or for mere literary drudges, then so 
 much the worse for the scholars, — for the persons who are in 
 places that do not fit them, and for all concerned. A misfitting 
 boot or garment, is a trifle compared with a misfitting place for 
 a man. If it be too big for his dimensions, he cuts a sorry figure; 
 it cannot honor him, but he dishonors it; if it be too small and 
 rigid, like a Chinese shoe, woe be to him, for he cannot grow, or 
 he grows distortedly; but if it be pliant, like a school, then woe 
 be to the scholars' minds, — he will stretch them out of all come- 
 liness of shape. 
 
 It is said to have caused surprise in England, after the estab- 
 lishment of infant schools, by Wilberforce and other horn teach- 
 ers, that women, who are so admirably fitted to teach children, 
 could not teach infant schools, as well as the energetic men 
 first engaged in them. May not the case of the idiots explain 
 this? Infants are lively enough; their senses are all wide 
 awake; but if you put them into a class, and require them to 
 give their united attention to any thing, then comes the tug of 
 war. Heads, arms, legs, bodies, and tongues, are all in motion. 
 An ordinary person cannot make them sit still, or look still, or 
 give two minute's continuous attention to any thing he says ; 
 but as soon as there comes before (hem, a man of strong and 
 earnest nature, — a horn teacher^ he hushes them into silence at 
 once, by a gesture ; he fascinates every eye by his earnest 
 gaze; he presents his subject vividly, and simply; — he throws 
 his soul into it; and the little ones hang on his looks, and listen 
 to his words, and partake of the enthusiasm which he feels and 
 shows, and communicates to them. If an ordinary man, not a 
 horn teacher, attempt to imitate this, he fails. There is not 
 about his natural manner, — his natural language, (so to speak) 
 
52 ' TRAINING IDIOTS. [Feb. 
 
 enough of earnestness and power, to arrest and control the 
 minds of his class, he cannot mafrneiize them, he cannot hold 
 their attention, and so he has to resort to other modes. For 
 earnestness, he is very apt to substitute anger ; and he calls in 
 artificial appliances, promises and rewards, or more commonly, 
 threats and punishment, to supply his own short comings. 
 
 I have said, that in teaching idiots, the instructor must speak 
 loudly and earnestly, in order to strike the senses forcibly, and 
 to arouse and sustain the attention, but he must never speak 
 sternly and ill naturedly; he must have the fervid speech, and 
 the earnest gesticulation, but let him beware of the slightest 
 feeling of impatience or anger ; it will surely do harm, and per- 
 vert his lesson into a lesson of evil. 
 
 A teacher of idiots should possess a rare combination of 
 intellectual and moral qualities. He should have enthusiasm 
 of spirit, love for his scholars, zeal for his \vork, and faith in its 
 final accomplishment; for which he must labor during many 
 years with untiring patience, — with earnestness of manner, — 
 with gentleness of temper, — and with exhaustless fertility of 
 invention. 
 
 It is comparatively easy to direct what is to be done, but 
 when it comes to the execution, every thing depends upon the 
 teacher ; his office is as important as that of the director. It 
 may seem paradoxical, but it is probably true, that it requires 
 a rarer and higher kind of talent to teach an idiot, than a 
 youth of superior talent. When the time comes, that schools 
 for idiots are estabHshed over the country, it will be found 
 more difficult to get good teachers for them than to get good 
 professors for our colleges. 
 
 Influence of the Size of the Brain upon Idiocy. 
 
 Owing to causes mentioned in other parts of this report, 
 the variety, not only in mental capacity, but in mental idi- 
 ■osyncracy is very great among our pupils; not merely as 
 great as among ordinary boys, but far greater. They are, 
 or were, at the time of their admission, all of them idiotic; 
 they would have been pronounced so by any person con- 
 versant with such cases. Indications of idiocy in all the 
 cases, except those two in which it was complicated with 
 insanity, were so plain as not to be mistaken. Out of the 
 
1850.] SENATE— No. 38. 53 
 
 whole number, however, there were only two who would have 
 been recognized as idiots, by mere examination of their heads. 
 Taking the whole thirteen together, the average size of their 
 heads is larger than the ordinary size of the heads of per- 
 sons of their age; but it is to be observed, that one was 
 hydrocephalic ; leaving him out, the average of the others 
 would be about the orduiary size. 
 
 The two with small heads, would be selected by any one, at 
 sight, as not having brains enough for the manifestation of com- 
 mon sense, first, because their heads are so much smaller than 
 common heads. If their lungs were as much dwarfed in com- 
 parison with the other organs of the body, as their brains are, 
 the functions of respiration could not be carried on with any 
 degree of perfection ; the blood could not be oxygenated fast 
 enough for the purposes of health. 
 
 These cases naturally suggest some physiological remarks 
 upon the effects of size of the brain upon idiocy. 
 
 Idiocy is sometimes caused by the smallness of the brain ; 
 indeed, the true tyjie of the lowest class of idiots, is a person 
 whose brain is too small to perform its functions, normally. The 
 common notion, however, that this is generally the cause of 
 idiocy, is incorrect. Out of 338 cases, the measurement of 
 which is given by the Massachusetts commissioners, only 99 
 had diminutive brains. Among our boys, only two have very 
 diminutive brains. 
 
 The size of the brain which is necessary for a normal manifes- 
 tation of intellect, varies according to the quality and condition 
 of the bodily organization, as will be shown presently. 
 
 When the idiocy arises, as it probably does in the majority 
 of cases, from some congenital imperfection in the organization 
 of the brain, or from some inherited tendency to deranged action, 
 then the variety in the appearance and in the condition of the 
 sufferers, is almost as great as is their number. They have 
 heads of the ordinary size, or, perhaps, even larger than usual. 
 They are uncouth in their appearance, and strange in their ways; 
 they are often deformed, or distorted ; they appear to have the 
 rudiments of all the parts, or attributes of man, but these are so 
 disproportioned, and so ill adapted to each other, that it seems a 
 hopeless task to make out of them a harmonious whole. Idiots 
 of this class, however, preserve the human appearance. Dis- 
 
54 TRAINING IDIOTS. [Feb. 
 
 figured and even distorted, as they are, they still seem human; 
 they are like men, and not animals, in their looks. 
 
 When, however, the idiocy arises from insufiicient size of 
 brain, the idiot generally loses the peculiarly human appearance, 
 and sinks to the likeness of the higher animals, in his looks and 
 actions. 
 
 My observations have not yet, perhaps, been sufficiently 
 extensive, to give much importance to this suggestion, but it 
 seems to be made more probable, by a priori reasoning. Or- 
 ganic defect, or functional derangement, may affect any part of 
 the brain, and the idiocy that follows may be from want of 
 harmonious action among the faculties, and this want of har- 
 mony will manifest itself in a thousand different ways, for 
 there are thousands and tens of thousands of possible inhar- 
 monious actions among so many functions and faculties, and 
 only one perfectly harmonious action. 
 
 When the brain is merely too small, then, if it is dwarfed 
 equally in all its parts, we should expect to see a very feeble but 
 a harmonious development of character; the feebleness might 
 be so great as to amount to idiocy, — but we should have a man 
 in miniature. This, however, is not the case ; at least, it is not, 
 so far as my observations have gone. Where the brain is 
 too small, it is not dwarfed, equally, in all its parts, but it is 
 especially so in the upper and forward region; — in the parts 
 which are considered, by many physiologists, as the seat of the 
 organs of the peculiarly human faculties and sentiments; while 
 the hinder and lower parts of the brain, or those supposed to be 
 the seat of the organs of the appetites and propensities common 
 to men and animals, are far less affected. Nature first makes 
 sure of those parts necessary to the continuance of the indi- 
 vidual, and of the race, as the foundations, without which there 
 can be no superstructure. The lower, or animal region of the 
 brain, predominating in size, not only renders the person more 
 active in his animal nature, but gives to him a peculiarly ani- 
 mal look. 
 
 It should ever be remembered, that this disproportion be- 
 tween the different parts of the brain, though small, at first, will 
 constantly increase, not only in the idiot, but in every one, if 
 left unchecked by proper means. That which is, by nature, a 
 little the strongest, becomes, by exercise o( its fimc(io7is, and by 
 
1850.] SENATE— No. 38. 55 
 
 7ieglect of exercise of the functions of other parts, very much the 
 strongest, until it utterly prostrates and masters them. Hence, 
 the high duty and responsibihty of the more gifted to the less 
 gifted ; — hence the claim of the idiot and of the youth|]of low 
 organization, upon the men of high organization ; a claim 
 stronger even than that of ordinary youth ; for these are they 
 who liave terrible wars in their members, and who are not, and 
 cannot be a law unto themselves. 
 
 May not the organic peculiarities, the instincts, habits, and 
 appearances of idiots, — true idiots, — give us some clue to the 
 process of development of the race of mankind ? 
 
 In all the early steps of the great progress hitherto made by 
 the human race, the lower, or animal parts of our nature have 
 been more active than the higher ones, except in the rare cases 
 of richly gifted men, who have risen up from time to time, and 
 stood like prophets, showing the capacity, and foretelling the 
 elevation of man. During all this time, the improvement of the 
 bodily organization, has preceded and influenced the improve- 
 ment in character. The farther we go back towards the 
 barbarous condition, the lower we find the organic condition 
 of the people to be. Those tribes which still linger behind 
 in savagedom, show us the race not yet emerged from its youth 
 by reason of the great comparative activity of the animal pro- 
 pensities. 
 
 Now it seems as if the dwarfed brain of the idiot, shows us 
 a still earlier and lower condition ; it exhibits the animal man 
 still more clearly, and shows him to resemble the monkey 
 most closely in his looks. It is not merely the up-looking and 
 twinkling eye, the flattened forehead, the projecting jaws, and 
 the other anatomical peculiarities that give him this likeness 
 but sometimes, moreover, the likeness is seen in habits and 
 actions. One of our pupils, besides all the marks just men- 
 tioned, which give him a strong likeness to the monkey, has 
 moreover, the long arms of the ape ; he moves about with 
 his head and shoulders stooping, and his arms hanging for- 
 ward, as though he were going to drop upon all fours. One of 
 his pleasures is, to climb upon a desk or high place, and leap 
 through the air, with out-stretched limbs, npon some one's 
 neck, and to cling around him, not as a common child does 
 
56 TRAINING IDIOTS. [Feb. 
 
 with his arms alone, but twining his legs about him as though 
 he were one of the quadrumana. 
 
 There are many remarkable instances on record of idiotic 
 persons manifesting a striking likeness, in their habits, to the 
 habits of the higher animals; and if it be found, as T think it 
 will, tliat this likeness is strongest in those who have very small 
 brains, then we may suspect not only that their idiocy is 
 caused by diminutive size of the brain, but that there has been 
 a progressive development of that organ in the progress of the 
 race. Some of these habits seem to show the reappearance of in- 
 stincts which could only have belonged to man in a low animal 
 condition, and which have entirely died out in the race long ago, 
 — even before it arrived at savagedom. Such, for instance, is 
 the gnawing off the umbilical cord of the infant, by an idiotic 
 mother, in the manner of animals. 
 
 Some of the cases in our school furnish interesting evi- 
 dence in support, not only of the doctrine, that diminutive 
 size of brain may cause idiocy, but, moreover, that the tex- 
 ture, or quality of its organic tissue, may modify very ma- 
 terially, the manifestations of mind made through it. There 
 is a certain point as to bulk, below which, if the brain 
 falls, the person must, necessarily, be idiotic, but that point 
 varies very much in different individuals, as was said just 
 now, and depends upon, or is connected with those con- 
 ditions of the bodily organization, comprehended under the 
 term temperament. The most important of these conditions 
 seem to be, that of the tissue of the fibres of the body, 
 especially that of the brain and nervous system. This may 
 be recognized by external marks, by the hair, features, skin, 
 proportion of the limbs, and appearance oijineness or coarseness 
 in the texture of the body generally. It is easily known when 
 once observed. It is the true standard of beauty. The per- 
 fection of it is best expressed by the single word — bloody or high 
 blood. There is very great difference among men in this re- 
 spect ; the vessel of fine porcelain excels not more in beauty, and 
 especially in fineness of grain, the coarse earthen jug, than does 
 a man of blood, or high temperament, excel one of low and 
 coarse organization ; — no matter though the first be a North 
 American Indian, the second a prince whose 
 
 " * * ancient but ignoble blood 
 
 Has crept through scoundrels ever since the flood." 
 
1850.] SENATE— No. 38. 57 
 
 As the arabian steed is to the cart-horse, so is the man of fine 
 toniperament to the man of coarse temperament. 
 
 This difference in temperament, and the effects of it are seen 
 in two of the idiot boys mentioned above. The cranium of the 
 first, G. Rowell, measures 14.91 inches in its greatest circumfer- 
 ence ; 10.44 inches from ear to ear, over the top of the head ; 
 and 10.13 inches from the root, of the nose to the occipital spine. 
 
 The head of the second, Edmund, measures 17.06 inches in 
 its greatest circumference; 11.07 from ear to ear, and 11.75 
 from the root of the nose to the occipital spine .It is fair to con- 
 clude then, that in both these cases the idiocy arises from want of 
 snfRcient bulk of brain; indeed, the first falls short of the size 
 supposed to be necessary for manifestation of any intellect, by 
 physiologists who have written upon the subject. 
 
 The first named boy, whose head is so much smaller than the 
 second, and indeed than any boy in the school, and who has 
 such a striking resemblance to the ape tribe, manifests much 
 more vivacity, activity, and intelligence than the second, 
 and indeed, than several of the others. He is very active, very 
 resolute, and very passionate. He masters all the boys v/ho 
 are any where near his own age; and sometimes strives for the 
 mastery over the bigger ones. 
 
 Now, why is it that of these boys whose idiocy is caused by 
 want of bulk of brain, the one with the smallest brain should 
 manifest the most intelligence, and the most character ? Pre- 
 cisely for the reason, that the man of "blood," or fine tempera- 
 ment is superior in these respects to the man of coarse organi- 
 zation,— though his brain may be smaller; for the same reason, 
 that the arabian steed is superior to the cart horse, net only in 
 fleeiness, but also in sagacity. This boy's body is of a much 
 finer organization, and his brain, doubtless, is so likewise. In 
 his bodily structure generally, the nervous system has a greater 
 comparative development than in the second, who is rather of 
 the lymphatic temperament. His features are more cleanly cut 
 and chi^■selled, liis skin is softer and more delicate, his liair is 
 finer, his eyes are more lively and fiery, his limbs are more 
 delicately shaped, his fingers are longer, and difler more from 
 each other in length. As compared with the other, he is more of 
 what may be called the poetic temperament ; he is an idiot, — but 
 an idiot madeof^/ier duy, and in a fin^ r mould. 
 8 
 
58 TRAINING IDIOTS. [Feb. 
 
 As a small machine, say a mill, if made of fine material, and 
 well constructed, may turn out more meal than a larger one of 
 coarse materials, rudely put together, so a small and fine brain 
 may do more thinkbig than a bulky and coarse one. But let not 
 the sceptic lose sight of the rest of the figure, — there can be no 
 mill built without a builder, — and it can turn out no meal at all 
 without a miller ! 
 
 It is interesting to examine these boys with a view to the 
 faculty which they manifest for speech. They were both 
 in good health when they entered ; they were pretty free 
 .and active in their motions, and had, for idiots, very good 
 command of most of the voluntary muscles. The senses, 
 especially those of sight, and hearing, were tolerably active; 
 but they could not speak a word. That part of natural lan- 
 guage which we call the language of signs, which expresses 
 certain emotions, and which men have in common with the 
 higher animals, was possessed by these boys, in about as much 
 perfection as it is by trained monkies and dogs; but the pecu- 
 liarly human attribute, speech, was utterly wanting. Neverthe- 
 iless, the difference between the man, even in his low^est, or 
 animal state, and the brute, was clearly visible in these boys; 
 and seemed to be a difference, not in degree hut in kind. 
 They had no speech ; they could not make the simplest sen- 
 tence, but they had the germs of the capacity, and of the dis- 
 position^ to speak ; not as the parrot speaks, not to imitate 
 sounds merely, but to attach names or vocal sounds to things, 
 and to use these sounds as tJie signs of the things. They have 
 .therefore, the natural disposition and capacity to form language; 
 — attributes which are utterly wanting, even in the highest 
 animals, and for lack of which none of them ever can be made 
 to use it. 
 
 Both these boys have learned a number of words, and take 
 great pleasure in using them. It is a most touching sight to see 
 the efforts which poor little Edmund makes to repeat over the 
 words that he has learned, and to show to every one whom he 
 meets, that he understands them. There seems to be a human 
 soul struggling to free itself from a brutish form, into which, 
 by some magic, it had been metamorphosed. He goes about 
 holding up a nail, a stick, a ball, or any object of which he has 
 learned the name, and presenting it before the eyes of every one 
 
1850.] SENATE— No. 38. 59 
 
 whom he meets, he strives to pronounce the name clearly, and 
 repeat it over, as if he would challenge attention, and proclaim 
 his title to a share of human nature. He has not, perhaps, 
 learned as many words as a parrot might have learned in the 
 same time, but his words are to him names of things, — -signs 
 by which his unfledged spirit may interchange signals with the 
 strong-winged spirits about him; for, idiot as he is, he is a 
 human being, and language is already to him, what it never can 
 be to the most loquacious parrot that ever lived, — it is a medium 
 for the conveyance of his simple thought, and for his under- 
 standing the thought of others. But to return to the special 
 consideration of the school, and particularly the 
 
 Design and Method Proposed in Educating the Idiotic. 
 
 It will be seen, by what has been said, that the main object hcis 
 thus far been to train the bodily functions and the muscular mo- 
 tions, and to establish habits of attention. All this is with a view 
 to preparing the pupils for future progress, and for actual 
 knowledge. 
 
 Tiie attempts to convey direct instruction; have been con- 
 fined principally to giving lessons upon objects which address 
 themselves immediately to the senses. In all the exercises for 
 training the senses, some real knowledge of the qualities of the 
 objects must of course be gained, but the conveyance of knowl- 
 edge in those exercises, has been secondary to the improve- 
 ment of the senses themselves. 
 
 The untutored idiot gives so little attention to the appearance 
 of things, that often he does not even distinguish bright colors, 
 unless his attention is directed to them. Large pieces of bright 
 colored pasteboard or paper, are placed before him, and he is re- 
 quired to distinguish between red and black, and blue and green, 
 and the like. At the same time, the names of the colors are 
 given, and he is required to learn and to repeat them. In this, of 
 course, the disposition to imitation must be relied upon, because 
 the scholar does not understand the words. If his teacher, 
 pointing to the black-board says, " say black-board," he will 
 try to repeat, " say black-board,^^ and if he is allowed to do so 
 a number of times when the object is presented, he will learn to 
 think that "5ay black-board," is the name of the black-board. 
 He will learn by practice, and by that only, to give the right 
 
60 TRAINING IDIOTS. [Feb. 
 
 name. Considerable time must be spent npon exercises in 
 naming objects, and the idiot mnst be made to repeat the name 
 perhaps, many hundred times; Cot these simple elements of 
 knowledge, which other children learn merely by the sportive 
 exercise of their senses, can be mastered by him only with pa- 
 tient and oft repeated efforts. 
 
 It will serve to give an idea of the tediousness of the process, 
 to state that Mr. Richards was obliged to make a boy of thir- 
 teen years of age, repeat three consecutive words, six hundred 
 and fort}'' times, before he could be sure he would do it cor- 
 rectly. The same process has to be gone through with, in order 
 to teach them other qualities of objects. Balls made of different 
 materials, of wood, woollen, leather, Indian rubber, &.C., are 
 placed upon the table before them, and they are drilled upon 
 their names and qualities. The same is done with regard to ob- 
 jects of different size and shape. Step by step, and slowly, often 
 turning back, and going over the inch of ground he has gained, 
 the idiot creeps forward a little. It may cost him a score of les- 
 sons to learn to distinguish between the length of a foot rule and 
 of a yard-stick, but when he does, he has gained some positive 
 and directly useful knowledge. 
 
 Different kinds of grain are kept in boxes, and measures 
 of different capacities are at hand. The same may be done 
 with a great variety of substances ; fruits, spices, &c., &c. Hav- 
 ing learned to know the difference between one and two, be- 
 tween a handful and a pint, a j)inl and a quart, the idiot is 
 made to pour two successive pint measures into a quart measure, 
 and then his feeble intellect is ta.Kcd to comprehend that two 
 pints make a quart. This is no light task for his untrained 
 mind. Hour after hour, and day after day, he must fill a quart 
 measure, pronounce its name, and the name of the grain, empty 
 it into a larger measure, and count the number of times he does 
 it, in order to fill a, peck. It is very hard to teach him that one 
 and one make two ; harder still, that two and two make four. 
 Without the aid of objects, of the things themselves, he would 
 never comprehend the relative quantities composing pints and 
 quarts, quarts and pecks, pecks and bushels. With their aid 
 even, his ideas of their relations may be vague and indefinite, but 
 perhaps, not more so than many a boy who knows Latin and 
 Greek enough to enter a college, but who never had the rela- 
 
1S50.] SENATE— No. 3S. 61 
 
 tioiis between measures demonstrated to liis senses; and is 
 perplexed to remember whetlier it is four pecks and eight gal- 
 lons, or eight pecks and four gallons, that go to make a bushel. 
 To him who has never learned by acUial observation and meas- 
 urement, what is a square foot, a square rod, a square mile, and 
 the hke, — the assertion that one State has an area of ten thou- 
 sand square miles, and another an area of twenty thousand, 
 conveys only an idea, that one is double the size of the other, 
 M'ithour any definite notion about the real extent of either. 
 
 Numbers are first taught by presenting them in the concrete, 
 and gradually an idea is formed of their abstract relations. 
 Objects are handled, counted, and dwelt upon a long time. 
 An idiot may labor months in the apparently vain attempt to dis- 
 tinguish between four and five; yet is not the labor all in vain, 
 for though he may not be able at the end of a year to dis- 
 tinguish between eight and ten, yet has he gained something 
 by every effort. Even in this respect, however, the difference 
 between the idiot and otiier children is not so great as may at first 
 appear, for the abstract relations of numbers arc not always 
 understood even by those who have long been in the habit of 
 using the signs of them ; they talk about six, eight, and ten. 
 without really understanding the difi"erence between them ; and 
 ihey sometimes acquire dexterity in arithmetical operations, 
 without at all understanding even the multiplication table. 
 Most of us, probably, use words very freely as signs of high 
 numbers, — hundreds of thousands and millions, — the true value 
 and relations of which are quite beyond our comprehension. 
 
 A Turk stoutly maintained that Constantinople was larger 
 than London, and being asked how many inhabitants it con- 
 tained, said, "a million;" to which it was answered. "Lon- 
 don contains two millions:" whereupon he rejoined, — "then 
 Constantinople must have three millions, for I know it is 
 the largest city iti the world." So imperfect is our system of 
 instruction, that the notions of most of us respecting the value of 
 high numbers are as vague as that of this patriotic mussulman. 
 
 Pursuing the instruction of the idiot, his eye and his hand are 
 to be trained together, by teaching him to draw simple marks and 
 lines upon the black-board. This is a great step forward, and a 
 more formidable and difiicult matter than would at first appear. 
 Simple as it may seem to make a straight line witii a piece of 
 
62 TRAINING IDIOTS. [Feb. 
 
 chalk on a black-board, it is not easy for any one, as he will find 
 by trying to draw a right angle, or a square, without a ruler. 
 
 When common children are trying to learn linear drawing, 
 as they should always do before trying to write, since writing 
 is only a complex and difficult kind of linear drawing, we see 
 how many marks they make before they are sure to draw a 
 perpendicular line, because there are thousands of ways to 
 make it wrong, and only one way to make it right ; and they 
 work as if by chance, trying the wrong ways, and even seeming 
 to exhaust them before hitting the right one. Moreover, after 
 they have at last got it right, they are not sure to mal^e it in 
 the same manner the next time ; they must go through the 
 trials of failure and success many times, before the habit of 
 making it right becomes fixed. The teacher must not expect 
 that they can see, as he does, the variations from a perpendicu- 
 lar; nor call them blockheads if having at last drawn it right 
 at the very next trial they make it wrong again. We are to 
 have long enduring patience with common children, and never- 
 ending patience with idiots. 
 
 It is always worth the teacher's while to consider and to 
 analyze the mental operations which his scholars must perform, 
 and the long practice they must have in the repetition of those 
 operations, before they can perform them spontaneously, or at 
 least without consciousness of any effort; and he may find mat- 
 ter for such consideration, even in the attempt to draw lines. 
 
 Whether or not there be any part of the brain whose special 
 function is to serve the mind in the perception of form, certain 
 it is that the capacity to perceive and comprehend it is devel- 
 oped after infancy, and that its extent varies very much in 
 different individuals, and probably in the same individual, in 
 different conditions of his organization. 
 
 A perpendicular line is one of the elements of form, and it 
 is not going to the root of the matter, to say that a child learns 
 to draw one by the sense of imitation merely. The capacity for 
 imitation does not give the power of conception ; long practice 
 even, will not give such accuracy of eye to a person, whose 
 capacity for conception of form is naturally feeble, as another 
 person differently constituted will have, almost without any prac- 
 tice at all. The latter will detect at a glance the least depar- 
 ture from uprightness in a wall, or a pillar, which the former 
 
1850. J SENATE— No. 38. 63 
 
 cannot discover by close examination. The eye of tlie one mnst 
 be confirmed by measurement, — that of the other is as true as 
 the Hne and plummet itself. 
 
 This perception, or sense of perpendicularity, is closely con- 
 nected with the sense of equilibrium, which we know to be 
 developed gradually in the infant, and more or less rapidly in 
 different infants, not according to the degree of practice which 
 they may have, but according to this, modified by the original 
 capacity, which is probably dependent upon some peculiarity 
 in some part of the brain. That it is so, would appear from the 
 disturbance of the function which takes place when the brain 
 is affected by intoxication; the man reels partly because he 
 loses the sense of equilibrium. He says with reason, to those 
 who chide him for staggering, — it is easy enough for you to 
 say, "walk straight," — but how do you do it? 
 
 The child may say, with equal reason, to the master who 
 bids him copy exactly his straight lines, — it is easy enough for 
 you to say "copy", — but how do you do it? 
 
 This sense of equilibrium, which seems not to be developed 
 at all in the babe, begins to show itself in the infant when he 
 tries to stand alone; and, as soon as it is sufficiently trained, 
 and he has acquired the command of the muscles, he will walk ; 
 but one child will walk much sooner, and more firmly and 
 accurately than another, nor does the difference disappear 
 entirely in after life. 
 
 It is said that the ability of the child, to balance itself, and to 
 walk, depends solely upon the training of the muscles, but it 
 can hardly be so. There is reason to think, that one reason why 
 the idiotic boy mentioned on page 46, could not walk, even 
 when he was six years old, was his lack of this sense of 
 equilibrium, though another, doubtless, was his excessive cau- 
 tiousness, which made him timid to an extraordinary degree. 
 
 These different mental faculties are developed unequally, 
 and act and react upon one another in such a manner as to 
 make it very difficult to assign each one its part, nevertheless, 
 a consideration of them is not useless to the teacher, especially 
 in training. 
 
 In teaching linear drawing to children, preparatory to writing 
 much help may be had from ascertaining what are the simplest 
 elements of form, and making them learn those first. This is 
 
64 TRAINING IDIOTS. [Feb. 
 
 not usually done; the preparatory steps are not first taken; 
 linear drawing is not taught, because, so great is the power of 
 imitation, and the aptiiude for learning in young children, that 
 tliey get on, some how or other, and learn to copy the most 
 complicated forms of letters, and at last to write rapidly, with- 
 out ever having had lessons in tlie elements of form, or in linear 
 drawing. This only shows, however, that they can learn by 
 inferior methods, and it is well for them that they can ; but 
 when we are led to examine the details of the process, and to go 
 back to first principles, as one must do in the instruction of 
 idiots, it is seen how the system of instruction may be simpli- 
 fied and improved. 
 
 It has been said about reading, that if children only knew be- 
 forehand the great difficulties to be overcome, they might be held 
 back in despair from attempting the task. The same might be 
 said more forcibly oi icril'irig. ^Yhe power of attention has to be 
 trained to distinguish forms and outlines ; the faculty of imita- 
 tion has to be exercised, in order to give the power of copying; 
 the command and direction of muscular motion has to be gained 
 by manifold and long continued exercise, not of one, but of 
 many muscles. There are the flexors, the extensors, the rota- 
 tors, each and every one of which act, sometimes alone pro- 
 ducing direct motion, — sometimes in cooperation with others 
 producing a resultant motion in tlie mean direction of the two 
 forces. To be able to do all tliis, — to combine the varied motions 
 of the arm, the hand, and the fingers, so as to form letters, even 
 by pains-taking and care, and to do it correctly, is a great thing ; 
 — to do it easily, swiftly, and almost without thought, is a won- 
 derful thing ! 
 
 'i'o say that we do these things mechanically, and as it were, 
 unconsciously, lessens not the wonder, but on the other hand, 
 increases it. '^Vo one who had never seen the process, but who 
 imderstood fidly all the dificullies overcome by a dexterous 
 scribe in copying a manuscript, — the process -would seem like 
 a miracle. It is, indeed, one of those common and every-day 
 miracles which familiarity is so apt to make us disregard. 
 AVhen we come to try to teach an idiot this art, then we ap[)ly, 
 as it were, a magnifying glass to the process, and discover all 
 its details and its difficulties. To him, every new figure is a 
 veritable -pons asuioTvm; every curve is a new mystery ; he 
 
1850.] SENATE— No. 38. G5 
 
 spends months over the simplest marks; and when other boys 
 have bounded on to the end of the course, and can make eagles, 
 and griffins, and all sorts of figures, wiih a flourish of the pen, 
 the poor idiot is laboring slowly along, far behind, rounding 
 his o's, and dotting his i's. 
 
 Tt is the same with other branches of instruction as it is with 
 writing. But let not this discourage any effort: both learners 
 are going forward and upward, and though the distance between 
 them seems so immense, that the one feels the pride of a superior 
 being, yet he should ever be humble, for the distance at which 
 he is in advance of the idiot is as a point — as nothing, com- 
 pared with the distance forward to Him who is Perfect Knowl- 
 edge ! Because we may seem to fly, — shall we not teach our 
 brother to creep ? 
 
 It is not deemed necessary to go into a detail of all the modes 
 of instructing the pupils in our school, because these particular 
 modes are unimportant. Enough has been said to illustrate the 
 principle. With this principle in his mind, each teacher will 
 find ways and means to carry it out. To each of the pupils 
 senses the appropriate objects are to be presented in the con- 
 crete, and their names, numbers, and qualities, are to be taught. 
 To the eye, are to be presented colors, forms, positions, motions, 
 and measures; to the ear, sounds, in all their varieties of con- 
 cord and discord, of time and tune; to the feeling, sizes, resist- 
 ance, smoothness, roughness, elasticity, and weight; — to each 
 sense, its appropriate objects, varied in as many ways as pos- 
 sible, and made as different from each other, and as striking, 
 in appearance, as can be. 
 
 After the senses are trained to take note of their appropri- 
 ate objects, the various perceptive faculties are to be trained 
 by exercises adapted to each of them. The greatest possible 
 number and variety of facts, are to be gathered by the exercise 
 of these faculties, — and to be garnered up in the memory, — 
 a.s a store, out of which the higher mental faculties may draw 
 materials for constructing general ideas. 
 
 The efforts made to teach reading, have been, upon the whole, 
 satisfactory. Some even of the lowest class have learned to select 
 words, printed on slips of paper. The ordinary method of teach- 
 ing the letters first, was tried but failed ; that of teaching each 
 word, as a whole, that is, as a complex sign of a thing, was 
 9 
 
G6 TRAINING IDIOTS. [Feb. 
 
 more successful. For example, the different powers of the three 
 letters A, a, /, could not be understood ; but the complex sign 
 made by uniting the three, and making the word hat, could be 
 understood as the sign of the thing worn upon the head. It 
 was the same with Laura Bridgman. The success in these 
 cases shows how well this mode of teaching reading is adapted 
 to the simple understanding of children. 
 
 Thus far the teachers attention has been confined mainly in 
 instruction to the exercise of the senses, and to the knowledge 
 of the simple attributes of things; and Mr. Richards has shown 
 his skill in adapting his lessons to the condition and capa- 
 city of the pupils. When his record of facts shall be ample 
 enough, and their result more apparent, their pubhcation will 
 be far more valuable than such generalizations and specula- 
 tions as this report contains; for these are made rather with 
 a view to express the writer's interest in the subject, and to in- 
 spire similar interest in others, than with a hope of giving 
 much information, 
 
 Besides imparting mere knowledge, there is a still higher 
 duty to these unhappy beings, which is to bring out, and to 
 train, as far as may be done, the feeble germs of their social 
 affections, and their moral sense, their love to men, and their 
 responsibility to God. As this is the highest, it is also the 
 hardest task of all; for, as the peculiarly human attributes upon 
 which all virtue is founded, are last in the order of develop- 
 ment in the progress of the race, so they are feeblest in those 
 whose low organization throws them back nearer to the original 
 animal condition. We must profit, however, by the great les- 
 son of patience set us by nature in her slow development of the 
 race, where the long day of a thousand years is followed by 
 the morrow of a thousand, in which a small but certain 
 progress is clearly shown. How long men remained in the ani- 
 mal condition we know not; we first find them in the state of 
 unthinking pagans; slowly they become reasoning heathens; 
 and at last, believing Christians, in which state they linger long 
 before they manifest their sense of being truly children of God, 
 by loving all their brethren, and thus obeying the will of their 
 Heavenly Father. 
 
 If then those who, in advance of the rest of the race, have 
 arrived at what they call Christianity, are still selfish, and 
 ready to fight for their own selfish ends, how shall we expect 
 
1850.] SENATE— No. 38. 67 
 
 the poor idiot, who has not even arrived at the point of devel- 
 opment at which other men become pagans, — who has never 
 felt enough of the blind spirit of veneration to make him bow 
 down and worship an idol — how shall we expect him to mani- 
 fest the true sense of duty to God, by love to men 7 The task 
 is hard indeed, but not hopeless ; and what we sometimes see 
 in little children, should greatly encourage us. The idiot is still 
 a little child ; a child that may never come to maturity, but yet 
 there are in him the elements of many virtues, which manifest 
 themselves even more rarely than they do in the ordinary in- 
 fant, but still often enough to make us certain of their existence. 
 The infant is at first, like the idiot, only an animal ; he has not so 
 much sentiment as would lead a grown man to worship even as 
 a pagan worships ; he knows no higher call than that of hunger ; 
 his sister might be starving, and cry to him with dying words 
 and looks, for a bit of the bread which he holds in both hands, 
 while his mouth is full, but he would not give her a crumb to 
 save her life ; — yet that very infant, as soon as the animal appe- 
 tite is fully satisfied, may show beautiful manifestations of the 
 tender germs of love. 
 
 Who has not seen a little infant mourning over a broken toy, 
 or striving to raise an overthrown chair, and plainly showing 
 by looks and actions, that he personifies it, and supposes it to 
 be suffering? It is not merely that his sense of order is disturbed. 
 T'here is sometimes evident personification of the object, and 
 manifest grief for its supposed suffering. 
 
 Only yesterday this occurred ; a father had a cane the han- 
 dle of which was carved in the shape of a dog's head ; his 
 infant son, who could not speak five words, was very fond of 
 this " Bow-wow," as he called it. The father, hoping to please 
 the boy, took a knife and began to cut off the stick, so as to 
 make it short enough for him to walk with. The child was im- 
 mediately alarmed and troubled, at seeing his "bow-wow" cut, 
 and he showed, by his looks, that he thought it was hurt. As 
 soon as it was cut in two, he began to moan and cry most 
 piteously, " Bow-wow boke," — " Bow-wow boke." He in- 
 sisted upon having the end that was cutoff, and tried eagerly, 
 to put the two together again. He mourned for some time, and 
 would not be comforted. There could be no mistake about the 
 
'68 . TRAINING IDIOTS. [Feb. 
 
 nature of his feeling; it was the feeble manifestation of what, 
 by'culture, may become the most expansive benevolence. 
 
 Little children do indeed continually manifest the germs 
 of noble sentiments, and generous affections, as well as of the 
 intellectual powers; — but how differently are they treated! 
 For the germs of the intellect there is early culture, and skilful 
 training. The best talent of the civilized world has been 
 brought to bear, for generations, upon the subject of its develop- 
 ment. From the infant school, up to the university, almost all 
 the incentives, all the prizes, all the honors, are for mere intel- 
 lectual excellence. Talent! talent ! that is the one thing need- 
 ful ! States found and support, and rich men endow establish- 
 ments for all sorts of intellectual culture; which is all as it 
 should be; but, where are the systematic means for the culture 
 of practical love and goodness 1 
 
 Let the wisdom and the power of man be devoted to finding 
 out and putting into operation ways and means for making 
 children virtuous and good, as they have been for making them 
 merely wise, and the result will be equally great. 
 
 Without faith in the innate capacity for goodness, one could 
 do nothing towards cultivating the social affections, and the 
 moral sense in ordinary children, much less in idiots ; with it, 
 he may do much even among the latter. 
 
 Much as the idiot needs physical training and intellectual 
 instruction, he needs moral training and elevation equally. It 
 has been said before, but it cannot be repeated too often, that 
 his appetites and propensities being never restrained by any in- 
 tellect, or any moral sense, seem to monopolize for themselves, 
 all those energies of the system, which, in other persons, are 
 expended in part through the action of moral and social 
 affections ; hence those appetites and propensities increase by 
 what they feed upon ; they grow with his growth, and strengthen 
 with his strength. He has no idea of the capacity of his stomach, 
 and therefore he gorges it; he has no idea of property, and 
 therefore he steals ; he has no idea of delicacy, and therefore 
 he continually offends that of others; he has no idea of affec- 
 tion, and therefore he does not love; he has no idea of moral 
 and social relations, and therefore he fulfils none of them. All 
 this is true of the uninstructed idiot; but, even though he has 
 none of these ideas developed, — he has, nevertheless, the latent 
 
1850.] SENATE— No. 38. 69 
 
 capacity for their development, and it is upon this capacity that 
 our expectations of his moral culture and elevation must be 
 founded. 
 
 The idiot has within him the germs of the moral virtues and 
 social affections, but they are like seeds lying in a wintry soil ; 
 they will never sprout, if left to themselves; we must warm 
 them into life, by subjecting them to genial influences; we must 
 quicken their growth, by surrounding them v/ith objects of 
 affection, and by giving to them the daily influence of the sun- 
 shine of love. Under these influences there will be growth ; tardy 
 and slow indeed, — but still growth. The idiot will learn what 
 love is, though he may not know the word that expresses it; he 
 will feel kindly affections, though he cannot understand the 
 simplest virtuous principle ; and he may begin to live accep- 
 tably to God, before he has learned the name by which men 
 call Him. 
 
 There may thus be training to the exercise of the aff'ections, 
 long before any instruction can be given in their nature ; and 
 to virtue, long before its precepts can be understood ; indeed, 
 without this training, the precepts are apt to be like seed sown 
 npon stony ground. 
 
 As has been said before, the idiot of the lowest class is but 
 an animal, yet, when the cries of the animal nature are 
 hushed, and the talisman of love is presented, then the long 
 dormant afl^ection will manifest itself; as in the cold and sense- 
 less iron a sort of answering life appears when the magnet is 
 brought near to it. 
 
 In our pupils, even of the lowest class, it is easy to dis- 
 cover the faint manifestation of the affections; as in the case 
 of the one who can neither speak, nor walk, nor creep, nor 
 even chew, but who manifests the pleasure he feels when 
 any one, in woman's apparel, approaches him; — it brings 
 back the memory of a mother's love. He shows as plainly 
 as looks and motions can show, that he loves the matron ; 
 his eye glows, with a kindly warmth, and his idiotic look 
 is lost for a moment, in the gleam of affection which lightens 
 his countenance. He understands not speech ; but he under- 
 stands the natural language of kindness, and strives to ansM^er 
 to it. 
 
 Amongst our boys, the smali-hcadcd idiot, of the lowest class. 
 
70 TRAINING IDIOTS. [Feb. 
 
 sometimes shows marks of affection to his playmates, and 
 kisses them. The doubt of those philosophers who have ques- 
 tioned whether kissing be natural to man, or artificial, would 
 be solved by seeing how readily these uninstructed idiots take 
 to it. 
 
 Two other boys, of the lowest class also, who have no speech, 
 sometimes sit close beside each other for a long time, and 
 seem to receive pleasure from bringing the sides of their heads 
 together. 
 
 Most of them, when not hungry, or irritated, show sym- 
 pathy, to a certain extent, in each other's sufferings ; and 
 sorrow, when they are grieved, or hurt. 
 
 It would be very easy, to multiply instances of the sort, 
 amongst these poor boys, were it necessary, but it is not. They 
 evidently possess the elements of the social virtues, and it is 
 upon their capacity for these virtues that must be founded 
 all attempts to cultivate their affections. The opportunities 
 for these attempts must be found in daily intercourse with them, 
 and in regulating their intercourse with each other. Precept 
 can do little here; it is by example, and by constant practice 
 alone, that the training can be accomplished. 
 
 As to the higher moral nature, — the sense of right and wrong, 
 — the supremacy of conscience, and the feeling of acconntability 
 to God, — we look almost in vain, for any rndiments of these 
 crowning glories of humanity in the uninstructed idiot. To 
 him the animal nature, — the appetites and propensities, are 
 given in nearly the same degree, as to other men, and it is by 
 being unrestrained and unbalanced that they become rampant; 
 in capacity for the social affections, he is more stinted; still 
 more so, in the intellectual powers ; and is left, utterly without 
 any moral, or religious sense. He cannot therefore become, as 
 compared with other men, an accountable moral agent. He is 
 destined to remain through life a little child; as such, he must 
 be regarded and treated ; his feeble powers of self-government 
 must be strengthened ; he must be surrounded by the kindest 
 and best influences ; he must be spared from undue temptations j 
 — but, after all, the responsibility for his conduct must rest 
 with those upon whose sense of justice and mercy, God has 
 made him a helpless dependent. 
 
 It has been the aim to conduct this school upon these general 
 
1850.] SENATE— No. 38. 71 
 
 principles, and to follow, as far as we could observe it, the natu- 
 ral order in the development of the various parts of the chil- 
 dren's nature; to train, first the body, next the mind, then 
 the morals ; never, indeed, losing sight of either, or attending 
 exclusively to any one, but acting with a view to the harmo- 
 nious development of the whole. 
 
 General Result. 
 
 The result, thus far, seems to be most gratifying and encour- 
 aging. Of the whole number received, there was not one who 
 was in a situation where any great improvement in his con- 
 dition was probable, or hardly possible; they were growing 
 ■worse in habits, and more confirmed in their idiocy. The 
 process of deterioration in the pupils has been entirely stopped ; 
 — that of improvement has commenced ; and, though a year is 
 a very short time in the instruction of such persons, yet its 
 effects are manifest in all of them. 
 
 They have all improved in personal appearance and habits, in 
 general health, in vigor, and in activity of body. Some of Iheni 
 can control their own appetites in a considerable degree; they 
 sit at the table with the teachers, and feed themselves decently. 
 Almost all of them have improved in the understanding, and the 
 use of speech. Some of them have made considerable progress 
 in the knowledge of language; they can select words printed 
 on slips of paper; and a few can read simple sentences. They 
 have gained a knowledge of many objects, their names, colors, 
 forms, dimensions, &c. But what is most important, they have 
 made a start forward. They have begun to give their attention 
 to things ; to observe qualities, and to exercise thought. The 
 mental machinery has been put in operation, and it will go on 
 more easily, and more rapidly, in future, because the greatest 
 difficulty, that of getting into motion from a state of rest, was 
 overcome when it began to move. 
 
 There is ground for confidence that the reasonable hopes of 
 the friends of the experiment will be gratified, and that the 
 bounty of the State will not be expended in vain. 
 
 All that was promised by those who asked for the trial of 
 this experiment has been accomplished, as far as was possible, 
 in the period of a year. It has been demonstrated that idiots 
 
72 TRAINING IDIOTS. [Feb., '50.] 
 
 are capable of improvement, and that they can be raised from a 
 state of low degradation to a higher condition. How far they 
 can be elevated, and to what extent they may be educated, can 
 only be shown by the experience of the future. The result of 
 the past year's trial, however, gives confidence that each suc- 
 ceeding year will show even more progress than any prece- 
 ding one. 
 
 The experience gained by all connected with the school, will 
 enable them to do more and better than before. The subject was 
 entirely new to them, and the best and most direct mode of ac- 
 complishing many things had to be learned by trials of various 
 ways. Even these unsuccessful trials in the past, may how- 
 ever be useful in the future. 
 
 The school will be conducted as an experimental one during 
 two ensuing yea^s, for which provision has been made by the 
 State's bounty; a^d dt is earnestly hoped, with such measure of 
 success as will ihsur(eits continuance, in abler hands, and with 
 greater means of usefulness. When the public is convinced, 
 that the plan of ameliorating the bodily and mental condition of 
 idiots is not a visionary one, then wiser and better men will 
 step forward to conduct the enterprise in a wiser and better 
 manner. They will find, perhaps, that the experience gained, 
 during this experiment, may be of some use to them; they 
 may profit even by the errors and short-comings of those who 
 have conducted it ; so that in any event, the labors which 
 have attended it, will not have been in vain. 
 
 Respectfully submitted by 
 
 S. G. HOWE. 
 
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DATE DUE 
 
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