IOWA ASYLUM FOR FEEBLE-MINDED CHILDREN, To His Excellency, JOHN H. GEAR, Governor of Iowa: SIR-With pleasure I herewith transmit a copy of the third biennial report of this institution for the use of yourself and the legislature. I have the honor to be, Very respectfully, O. W. ARCHIBALD, Sec'y Board of Trustees. OFFICERS OF THE ASYLUM. TRUSTEES: HON. FRED. O'DONNELL, DUBUQUE. PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD. HON. FRED. O'DONNELL. TREASURER. E. R. S. WOODROW, ESQ. SECRETARY. O. W. ARCHIBALD, M. D. CONSULTING PHYSICIAN. J. A. DONELAN, M. D. RESIDENT OFFICERS. SUPERINTENDENT: O. W. ARCHIBALD, M. D. MATRON: MRS. S. A. ARCHIBALD. TEACHERS: MISS JENNIE VAN DOREN. CLERK: A. C. ROGERS. HOUSE-KEEPER: MISS EMMA BROWN. LADY SUPERVISOR: MISS MATTIE MCLEAN. TRUSTEES' REPORT. TO HIS EXCELLENCY, THE GOVERNOR, AND MEMBERS OF THE NINETEENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF IOWA: THE Board of Trustees of the Asylum for Feeble-Minded Children respectfully submit this their report of said institution for the biennial period ending October 1, A. d. 1881. During the period embraced in this report we have had seven meetings of our Board, one being a special meeting at the capital, at which times we have sought to thoroughly understand all matters pertaining to the management, wants, and necessities of the Asylum, that we might be enabled to speak intelligently and with impartial frankness of the same to you. It is a pleasure to be able to say at the commencement that considering the limited accommodation for the number of inmates, together with the limited means and appliances to supply the same, the Glenwood Asylum is one of the best managed institutions to be found among the charities of any State. An efficient Superintendent backed by a corps of well selected and cordially co-operating assistants explain this excellence of management. It has been very gratifying to notice the improvement made by the class of children who are inmates of the Asylum. This has not been so much, perhaps, an advance in the knowledge of school books (which in itself is quite remarkable) as in habits of cleanliness, evidences of politeness and good manners, and skill in all the arts by which labor is performed. The acquisition of this latter knowledge alone is an ample return to the State for the money expended in behalf of these wards. We have noticed also that children who when brought to the Asylum were of sullen and morose disposition, ready to fight any person who would speak to or interfere with them, become, from association with other children who knew no law but obedience to proper rules and regulations, happy, sweet and amiable in disposition and temper. The health of the children, as will be seen by the Superintendent's report, has been remarkably good indeed, and this, too, notwithstanding the fact that they have been required to live and sleep in less than |