New-York tribune., 1866-12-27
NEW Publications..
TIE EpucATIoN OF IDIOTS.

ee one Of the 6Ist OF living Psychologists, give lne
volume now before us a more general Interest thah
Afep pertains to medical writings It's only within
e present century that anything like rational sys'
tenn bas been pursued In the education Of the untor-
inmate class TO whose improvement the author OF this
book has devoted himself Indeed, until the eminent
French surgeon Itard undertook, in 1901, the edu.'
cation Of boy found running wild in the forest of
Aveyron. and endeayored following the philosophical
theories Of his master Condilac to develop bis intel
ieetua faculties by means Of sensations system at
all was pursued by the few benevolent persons who
how and then attempted TO elevate the condition of
IDIOTS, and II the poor creatures managed TO learn
few things BY rote Il was all that anybody expected
f them ItaTd nearly discovered the right way to 60
20 work when he set about teaching the savage OF
Aveyron, but he believed liocy ineurable, and re-
Eardea the eGvage boy simply os entirely untaught.
Tlas1ad was unused to the ordinary food Of men, and
selected HE viotuals by the SMELL When be wanted
tS drink he stretched himself at full length on the
ground and immersed his chin IN the water like
beast lie tore up all the clothes that were given him
tried constantly 10 escape often walked on all Ours
fought with bis teeth; had no artieulate language,
and even appeared to lack the faculty Of speech gave
lew signs of ntellgeneej but was kind, compaisant,
and fond OF ceresses Itard began his training with
no other purpose than " TO- solve the metaphysical
problom Of determining what might be the degree of
Intelligence and the nature of the ideas of Lad whO
aepnyed from birth Of all education, should have
lived entirely separated from the individuals OF ms
kina;" IN other words, TO discover tine natural
sDEjsas Of the human mind oblteTated IN us by art
scial culture" The method he first adopted was to-
endeayor TO endear the boy to social life; to awaken
AisnervOus sensibity by the most energetic sumu-
Aants and by quckening the affections OF the sOulj
10 extend the sphere of his ideas by creating new
wants and multiplying his associations with surround
Ing beings; TO lead him to the use Of Speech by de-
termnng the exercise OF imitation, under the spur OF
Necessity aud TO exercise during certain time, the
tmpe operations Of bis mind upon his physical wants,
and therefrom derive the application OF the same to
objects Of instruction. This psychological method
was well enough sdaptedto the education Of sayagei
bus Hard seems to have had suspicion that savage
Aess was not tho only evil he had to deal wdth for
40 course Of year or more we find him framing
bew programme based upon physiological principles,
embracing the developments OF the senses, the de-
felopmeRt Of the intellectual faculties, and the de-
4elOpment Of the affective functions. BE made no
formal exposition of this system sand when, after six
years partly successful labor, he discovered that his
kupil rot only savage but an idiot, be believed
bis pains all lost and gave up in despair
The credit Of systenlatgng and putting into opera
hlOn 1tards crude ideas belongs to his pupil, DIR.
Eeguin. With eommendable modesty the doctor
feffaDs from claiming the honor which Is fairly ms
Que but his reputation is fortunately 80 well estab-
ished that there little danger OF his services beng
overlooked After several years Of thorough research
Into the causes and philosophy Of idiooy Dr. Seguin
opened school for idiots in Paris IN 1885, and was SO
successful that the school of the Bcetre was placed
under his charge, and the French Academy, whose
committee had carefully tested his system, gave him
testimonial OF their approval After Che revolution
Nf lS4e he came To the United States where except
auring one brief interval be has since resided assist
Ing in the organization aud improvement Of various
idiot asylums. @
1 DIR, Segun starts from the principle that idioey
Differs but little from prolonged infancy. 1t is Gn
arrest Of certain functions OF the mind and body
caused by deficiency Of nutrition in the fCeus and the
newborn infant; and it may be- in o more or less
complete measure, relieved By adapting the principles
Of physiology, through physiological means and IN
ktrnments, to the development of the dynamic per.
teptive reflective, and spontaneous functions OF
5outh. We may classify these functions under the
shree heads Of activity, intelligence and will TO
faee the cOgdtion of the idiot all three must be edu
kated and we n0sa eNesse them not as three distinct
hnd mutually Independent powers, but as agencies
which sctAnd react upon oach other The Predomi-
nance ofapy Of these functions disease; their per-
version leads TO nsanityI their notable deficiency con-
btituteb diocy. Physiological education aims to re-
ore the harmony Of these functions. The rst thing
b be done in the training Of idiot to correct the
1efciences and anomalies OF motive power, which
sr6always the most striking and injurious peculiar
4iesof the disease This is done by mild course of
Vymnastics due care being had not to develop the
muscular out of proportion TO the nervous system
dhe spade the wheelbau0w, the bow, the wooden |
horse, the hammer and the ball. are generally more |
useful than heavy dumbbes, parallel bars, or the |
tadder. Il the pupil is subject TO spasmodic move
Aents of the hand, We seat him before us and con- |
centrate al our attention upon securing perfect I'M
mobility because quiet must precede all regulated mo-
Hon. 10 accomplish this we put the quieest hand on
he corresponding knee, and load the other with !
heavy dumbbel olasping bis fingers with our own, |
90 that he cannot let the weight fall. When we tnd
the hand temporarily spbdueq we release IT, and ley
st on the other knee. After few turns Of Successive
aOadng and resting We generally succeed in keeping
the hand still enough for the simplest employments
~ On the contrary the child Is Inert pursue the
opposite Course If the legs do not bend, we make
them move under the elasticity Of baby Jumper; i |
the feet do not come forward to make steps, we let
them encounter the regular motion Of spring board.
The muscles may be kneaded, and the articulations
made pabe by handling; q contrivence in the ma
kare Of atread-mil may be employed The muscular |
ttrength for walking having been thus acquired, we
place the pupil on two blocks or steps as narrow
lis feet We even permit him to fall gently, to show
him the necessity Of stFainng his muscles to keep in
An upright position. Other blocks or steps are now
placed in front Of him. and with the prospect Of escap
ing from his isolation he WILL with little help az first,
y 10 pass one footto the next step, and so Thus
be begins to walk, but left on the floor be would |
Nrobably have never got beyond sliding movement !
81 the feet The equilibrium Of the walk must nov
be acquired By careful training Of the arms, and
Two kpds Of exercises are to be followed alternately.
Rrst those which bear upon the legs and arms, aud
second those which harmonic the movements Of
Ahe members. Stairs of various grades, horizontal
leddef between the bars Of which the pupil has TO
walk, dumb-bells clubs, &C., are among the appi- |
Ances Of the forer for the latter we have room or
a piece Of shaded ground in which are aggregated all
kinds Of surfaces smooth and rough, stony and slip
berry narrow, abrupt level sopDg in various direc
Aons-eYery obstacle, IN short, which Is ordinarily
pleeepted to regular progressoni and through these
hs & %us Co. wn Sgo5 S5 TSnSus ~ o SIee aU%S
rf6Snt OF music Then throw him into the company |
G other children who perform the same exercises oa
1lafgs tcse, ard what be gla be9Ts Wiz tsar3 ard
-TSffof now becomes an OCCASION OF hmd5emeht and |
emRlAtioh. Having carefully trained the powers q