The Express.
London, England, 1863-01-27 00:00:00

XARJ4WOOD ASYLUM !OS IDIOTS.

It would be diAlcult for the most unoomprom is-
le( utilitarian who hes had as opportunity of vivaties the
institutive' at Estinweed to deny that mousy may he well
sad even profitably laid out ia the endiairour, by au-
tomates treatemet, to improve the mind of the idiot„ and
to make him or her a aims or legs motel member of a
limited social circle, if act • brilliant light of nowt
general. Earlswood, though maroely yet mole than as
experiment, is nevertheless a peat moment The origin of
the institution is variously attributed. Some say it oweaile
existence to the petty drone of a poor IMOUMU to-me-
eker' the late Rev. Dr. Andew Reed, *gal by the imPor-
Moltke of a poor widow whose idiot sou she firmly believed
might, wider that oars sad Wisdom which in a family it
is impossible to bestow twosome so efilicted, be straighomed
is his iseetal deformities and stns ighteped in his mental weak-
ness aan institution is which smelt eases aloe* were tasted,
in an institution devoted to the care or anseliemetiow el seek
oases, just as insanity, as the term is seawall, wideestood,
is relieved and sometimes cured is lunatic asylums, or
as bodily ailment., special or general, are oared aed
re-
hewed in our special or general hospitals. Whether the us-
cassia intercessions of the widow (whom chod we are
told was ooe of the fins patients, and is still. though mesh
improved, in the Farlswood Asylum) be the origin of the
idea or sot, the institution ia uoquesticembly • fact of
public onportesee, and the results which it haii achieved
in converting in ouniberleas instances what at dee time ta-
to be hopeless imbecility into sensetioag
Terentietal power and enjoyment coastilate a gluon claim
for public support. The present number of palliest* is in
round numbers about 350, of whom about two-thirds are
moles sod one-third females. Their ages vary from the
child of six or seven years old to the grown mae sad women
of 20 or 3U. lo all of them of coarse there la the unmis-
takable mark of istellectual weakness in its various de.
gross. There is "the moping idiot," the drivelling idiot,
the idiot who appears to be obstinately insensible to the
voice of kiudnees or rebuke, arid the idiot who playfully
fondles every passer-by without knowing why or wherefore.
Bat there are amongst the strange inmates of larlawood
sonic extraonlinery metopes' of specialties of mind, which
in others would almost rank as genius. There Leone young
man about 20 or 22 years old, whose accurate memory of
historical dates, events, and coesegnences would astonish
• Hallam or a Macaulay, and who will hold a tiouveasarica
upon such platten as reasonably and almostasdemonstra-
tively as any wrivenity professor of history. There is
anoWor who sings, and ts instromeatal mimic
with • power and kaow of Rile art which
would make him an &co Mon to an choir.
Another exhibits mre talent as a modeller, sod
many of those who have bean any time is the asylum dis-
play talent for some art or occupation which is always
sedulously encouraged and cultivated. The system of treat-
' meat in the institution is triads's& seenbined with
.attempt tofix the mid upon that mental osercise for
I which it seems to have the most affinity. Work of every
kind, and ainusemeete of all kinds are provided, and, ail a
large proportion of the inmates are pay- Is (loaspel
them being members of the moat nspectabi. families), these
who are not, derive the benefit is the shape of extra
comforts and superior living, which the posits obtained
from those enable the managing committee to add
to the voluntary emetributions by which the charity
is generally supported. There are once er twice is the year
Nees given at the institution at which various means of
pleasurable excitement are provided for the inmates, and to
"items their enjoyment of which the anbeeribers to the in.
'antics with their friend, andthe resides' gentry of the
neighbotirbood, are usually invited. Yesterday the New
Year's or winter entertainment was given. It consisted of a
distribution of prime from a Christmas time, a children's tea
party for the younger patients, private theatricals, and music.
The performers in the dramatic portico' of the entertainment
were the principal officers and motet/tool the establishruent,
male and female, aided by some of the mace advanced
patients, and it isnot too much to my that their rendering
of their respective parte would have dose no discredit to
mane of our minor theatres, while the "getting up" of the
several piecem was unexceptionable. Altogether the cuter-
tainment was extremely satisfacto , and rendered more so
by the eeriest easened conscious from coercion or
useecessary restraint which marked the conduct of both
the juvenile and adult hussies. Dr. Down, the resident
physician sad superintendent, who comforted the proceed-
ings of the day, and lir. Nicholas, the secretary, who ably
assisted him, seemed to be held in special regard by them
all, the spontaneous shake of the heed and warm Neil* of
recognition marking something more than the reletiona
which generally subsist between the dispensers and the
recipients of the benefits of an ordinary medical or charit.
able asylum.

COLMAN HOSPITAL, DALSTON,—The Annual meet-
tag of the governors and subscribers of this charity war held
yesterday at the London Tavern, Mr. D. Ileinertzbageo in
the chair. The Rev. Dr. Cappell read the report, which
coagratulated die friends of the hospital that. notwithstand-
ing the many calls on the charity of the public during the
past year, the total iscotne had been equal, within a few
pomade. to the expenditure, while the annual subscriptions
had exceeded those of the previous year by 831. The
nunilor of in.patiesta during 1862 had been 820, including
174 accident cases, of whom 140 were English. The number
of out-patients at the hospital dispensary had been 10,230.
of whom 679 were accident cases, nearly the whole being
Engliah ; at the eastern dispensary, 2,636 ; end at the
western dig rp, 1.234 ; making a total et patients during
the y 14,924 besides 1,618 dental eases. The grew
total of in-patients since the opening of the hospital
ia Oetobas, 1845, bad been 11,551 ; of outpatiente,
129,891; and of dental eases, 8.081. Of the out-patients,
54,000 were Eselith. The committee desire to tender their
best thanks to the Austrian commissioner tothe Internatioral
Exhibrtioe, on whoop reeoeiniendatlou many of the exhi-
bitors bad presented to the hospital %minus at tides which,
when realised, would form a pleasing item in the present
year's eccounts. Presents have also been received from
several of the cot ibitora of the Zollvereiu, Wurtemberg, and
the Haase 1.01•110. The total receipts for the past rear to
the general Ned bad been 3.609 f. 12s. 2d. and the
expenditure 3,6211. 13a. 9d. The total emeret a the
building food is sow 7,570!., of which sum Mr.
F. Rath and the members of his family and
Arm have eustribouel 4.0,40. At the last annual dinner,
iv Apra 11r. F. Huth offered to contribute 2,5001. to the
building fund if before the anneal dinner in 1863 the sum of
1,200!. was collected by the friends of the hospital. This
gam lies now been realised, atd arrangements ere in pro-
gram for the cointuenctmeat of the building. The report
was received and adopted.
ItISTIIOPOLITAN FRIT HOSPITAL, DEVONSAIHZ.
SQUABS, CITT.—The segregate number of Wiest' relieved
during the week iodine deanery :44 was :—Medical, 1,425;
surgical, 719—tetel. $,144 ; of 'kith $lB were pew ow,