The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1852-06-09
Education Of Idiotic and Feeble Mind
ed Children.

Education Of Idiotic and Feeble Mind
ed Children.
One Of the noblest public charities of
the age. is that which has recently been
perfected in Massachusetts,, and Of which
we have received the last annual reports.
Deficiency of intellect is concealed by |
friends as crime. Perhaps some may
recognize in 1t the stamp of crime com
mittcd against natural and physiologI- |
cal. if not civil laws. In consequence,
the portion of those in community, who
cannot be taught in schools as Others
of their age" was little suspected until
DR.. Howe, that noble philanthropist first
called attention to facts.-The report
says;-
The researches of the Commissioners
in ls46-47, show the surprising and Ia
mcntable fact that there are about twelve
hundred idiotic persona in the State
This would appear incredible, but for
the measures taken to verify it by mi
mute and accurate research. In sixty-thrcc
country towns, containing an aggregate
population Of one hundred eighty-fve
thousand nine hundred forty-two inhab-
tants, the names and ages of all idiotic
persons there found were carefully set
down. and the number amounted to three
hundred and sixty-onc. Now the infer
cncc is inevitable, that if other parts of
the State contain the same proportion,
the grand total will be foHrtecn hHmirct
0w t6cca. But evon admitting that
other towns do not contain as many in
proportion ds these sixty-thrce, it is sure
Is safe to say that the number is over
twelve hundred
AS the result Of this investigation, a
trial school was established for three
years, the enterprise being placed under
the supervision of DR. Howe. This work,
of no ordinary difficulty and responsible
| ity. was bravcly undertaken and nobly
consummated In France, and perhaps
elsewhere in the old world, schools for
IDIOTS had been reported in successful
operation. But comparatively small
benefit could be derived in this country,
from any results obtained abroad That
Improvement was possible to such unfor-
tunate beings, was i great problem dem
onstratcd and its light like that of a dis
taut star, might Indicate u fact, but could
not point out the pathway to it. Every
step had to be gone over anew, and the
means by which dormant intellect was
to be awakened, studied from the cir
cumstances Of the case. And now for
the difficulties and result Says the re-
port
The trial of three yc. RS Il cen salts
factory and has abundantly disproved
the common notion, that idiots are inca
pablc of improvement 1t has done this
though it was not conducted under cir
cumstances favorable to the experiment;
but. on the contrary, i'll the face of many
disadvantages. some of which will not bc
likely to exist in future 1t may be well
to mention some of these circumstances
now, So that the measure fsucccss here
toiore attained may not be considered
the limit of that which is attainable In
the first place, the work was new one
in this country at least Saving the un
d6rsigncd, no one employed in the schoo
had ever been engaged in an attempt tC
develop the minds of children of imper
feet intellect Whatever might be tn,
zeal of the teachers whom he employed
they had to lose some time and make
some mistakes. in learning their own les
son.
In the second place, schools for idiots
should not only have las ours had) zeal
Gus and devoted teachers. all of whose
time and attention should be devoted tC
the immediate care of the pupils, bu
likewise the constant and close oversight
and care of person well verscd in ply
siology and the laws of hygiene, as wei
as the more immediate philosophy o
mind, in order to direct and vary tn,
kind and amount of bodily and menta
exercise of the pupils according to vary
ing circumstances. But it was not pos
siblc to pay salary to a competent per
sou and the humble ability which tn,
undersigned may possess in this wa,
could not be made so useful to the schoo
as was desirable, on account of the pres
sure of other occupations
In the third place, the pupils upoi
whom the experiment was tried were no
50 favorable subjects as they should hav,
been. This is not mentioned in the wa,
of complaint The task was to teach i'll
lots, and none but idiotic children wer,
desired Indeed, some, who after littl,
trial, and after being encouraged by gen
tie, discriminating treatment, were founC
! ., Lo,a Zoo ,,,,,oL ;,talloot g.. tlo - 4
we're sent away. But there are idiots o
all degrees and it is evident that, in or
der to counterbalance the disadvantages
which have been pointed out the pupils Sc
lected ought . have been q little bett, sub
jects of instruction than the average of id
lots of their agc The following statcfuen
, will show, however, that they were not
The whole number received was thir
ty-two, but as only twonty-eight were re
ceived prior to the last three months O
the schools continuance, their condition
will alone be described.
The majority Of them were too old
The age at which idiotic persons are put
under training is very important mat
ter The most favorable period is the
earliest age at which the child can dis
pensc with a mothers care. More can
be done betweenfvc and ten years of age
than between ten and twenty After ten
years of age, every days delay is days
loss. The organization becomes less
plant; the senses are less capable Of
high development, the faculties less sus-
ceptible of culture evil habits become