Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1857-03-12
From the Ohio Sta ie Journal.
Education of Idiots.

Mr.. EDITOR: doubt not that many of
the readers of the Journal have been highly
gratified to learn from reports of the pro-
ceedings of the Ohio Legislature, that Sen
ator Garfield has introduced "a bill for the
education Of idiots and imbeciis youth."
More than twenty years ago, in France,
the first attempts we're made to develop the
powers of idiots and unfold the true relations
which exist between the physical organiza-
ton of children, and their moral and int,l
ctusl faculties. To medical science is due
the credit of having demonstrated 10 the
world by actual results, the fact that pecu-
liar abnormal mental tendencies, arising
f-om defective physical org anizatiOn, ure, in
good degree, under the influence and con-
troll of educatioU.
The questions which now mos: interest
us, and which most readily suggest them
selves, are, how many IDIOTS have we in our
commonwealth! whit is their condilion1
what are their capabilities of Improvement
a ID Th Il al ans cal be adopted for their
re!ie!.
NJ enumeretiun.l that has yc. been made
can claim 10 be nea er than an dpprorimla-
lion to The true number OF id OTIS within the
State OF Ohio. In every commonwealth
where the matter has been tested, the
number of idiots returned by the United
the II ue number.
In the State Of New York, tie United
States CENSUS returns ;diu,ic, ,644. 4
more recent ind accurate enumeration
gives, for that STATE, 2 800, or about 20 per
cent. more than the United States census
OF these about one-fourth, or 200, are under
fourteen years Of age, and proper subje. is
for edurari and training.
For the State of Massachusetts, the Uni
ted States census returns idiotic, 7S6- A
special commission appointed by the I.pg-
isialu-e TO ascertain the true numbers. after
patient investigator, returned l ,OSf, or an
increase rver the United States census re-
turns. of about 40 per cent.
These statistics give for the S ate OF New
York, one idiot for every | o70 Of her pop
ulation, and for Massachusetts,, one for
every 920 Of her entire population.
VI Ou4Of ibC OIitSu SAoitS iC-
turns id ;otic, ! ,3i4. Now supposing this
enumeration for Ohio 10 Le IS nearly cor
rect as those of New York and Massachu-
sets, we may add to the above number 40
per cent as for Massachusetts,, which will
sve for cur true nrmber, ,SSl. Or, if We
add as for New York 10 per cent, we shall
have for our true number 2,2S4. But allow
ing the mean of the estimates or enumera-
tions for New \ Iork and Massachusetts, to
be more nearly the truth, and apply the
same m0ce of computation 10 Ohio, we
must arrive at the conclusion that We have
at 600 idiots within the State oil Ohio.
Again: Ii We allow tine ratio of idiots TO
the entire PoPulatiaf to be as in New York.
one to l ,07O, or as in Massachusetts, one TO
92O of her population, We must come TO the
same conclusion us above, that our number
is no: less than 2,oUo.
OF these, from I'll the means within our
reach, but especially from the recent salts
tics of New York and Massachusetts, we
are of the opinion that one-fuurih or about
five hundred. are under Is years o: age, and
proper subjects for education and improve
ment.