Daily American telegraph., 1852-01-02
EDUCATION OF IDIOTS.

The giving of a rational mind to persons
born in idiocy is a matter more difficult than
the restoration OF reason to the insane And
yet experiments made upon large scale have
shown that it is not In all cases a homeless m
dertaking. Several institutions in Europe have
been successful in the enterprise, to an encour
aging extent; and, more recently, like institu-
tons have been put in operation here. The
director of the institution in Berlin, Mr.. Sac
CERT, proceeds on the assumption that the idiot
has mind equal to others at birth but the mind
is obstructed in its growth, because deprived of
communication with external objects, through
| the btuntneSs Of the senses. Now if any means
can be found to wake the dormant senses or
any one of them, an avenue can be found to
the mind through them, for its education In
struction of the idiot then, first begins by an
effort to call some of his senses into activity
He is brought within the hearing of music If
he is attracted by it-if he shows CLEAN of
pleasure-then the music is repeated, till his
interest is aroused, and so one point is gained.
Others are found to care nothing for music, but
are attracted by pictures and gay colors. 9th
ers become interested in simple games By
great pains they are brought to fix attention
upon something, and to do something with reg
ularity. The instructor having found which
of the senses is easiest reached, makes that the
fulcrum to which he applies his lever
This idiot school embraces pupils of ages
from three to twenty-five majority under
twelve. The lowest class are trained merely
for the purpose of developing the senses. They
are taught to beat a drum or roll ball, or
to walk or to march. Those more advanced
are taught to count, or to speak, or to give
names to familiar things. Those still more
advanced learn the alphabet and this attain
cd, they are put forward in the common
branches of education. Some of those educated
at the school in Berlin are now pursuing the
ordinary ayocations of life. While only few
real idiots can be brought thus far forward,
there are none whose condition cannot be to
some extent improved.
There is a similar institution in Paris, con-
tanning $50 boys. Sixty of these had learned
to write. and some of them write an elegant
hand. Here the pupils are trained in military
exercises, and in singing hymns, composed ex-
pressly for them, with simple words and simple
music. Nearly all join in the singing. The
pupils are fond of the military drill, and are so
trained as to be capable of performing some
of the most intricate evolutions accurately and
rapidly. Some, who had been complete idiots,
perform the manual exercise with wooden guns,
and 90 through with it without failure. Some
complicate theatrical dances were also per-
formed Connected with the school are work.
shops, in which some have made good pro-
ficiency rs carpenters. Some also have become
beautiful draughtsmen. Experience has shown
that the case of idiots is no longer hopeless.
In most cases they can be taught some simple
and useful employment and in some cases they
can be brought up to complete nationality.
Puritan and Recorder.