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The whole magic of those marvellous cures consists in patient care, with judicious, long and oft repeated efforts, in training the hands, the feet, the eyes, the ears, the touch, Ever since and the mind of the idiot subject. 1830, these efforts have been going on; indeed the system of observation which led to them be tions are wrought, that app almost miraculous. The expressionless face, the open mouth, the lolling and speechless tongue, all so eloquent of Within three quarters of a century past, Hu- the vacant mind, the uncleanly habits, the totmanity has achieved three very great triumphs tering and powerless limbs and frame,-have over physical and mental misfortune. The teach- been changed into looks of comparative intelliing of the deaf and dumb to read and write, in gence, neatness of person and dress, a perfect 1773, at Edinburg, made Dr. Johnson conclude command of the limbs, a capacity to talk, to read that such a conquest, over an infirmity seemingly and write, to do works of usefulness, and even irremediable, left nothing hopeless to human re- to earn a livelihood by labor! solution. "After having seen the deaf taught arithmetic," says he, "who would be afraid to cultivate the Hebrides ?"-Yet in our own time, the lengths that had been gone in his day, are far transcended: so that to be deaf and dumb now forms, comparatively, a trivial obstacle to social enjoyments, and social usefulness. More recently, by the help of raised letters, the blind have had the inestimable pleasures of reading opened to them: and, by feeling along the page, are enabled to gather its meaning almost as rapidly as he who reads by sight. Thirdly comes the im-gan in 1828, or earlier. Messieurs VoISIN, LEUproved method of treating lunatics, invented by Pinel, and practised now in most or all of our American Lunatic Asylums; which substitutes kindness, fresh air, proper exercise, healthful diet, and a patient culture of the reason and of the moral feelings, for the chain, the dungeon, the ducking-stool, and the lash. An improvement by which the number of cures is quadrupled, and the sufferings of the incurable are unspeakably alleviated. We have now to herald a yet greater wonder, to the Virginia public: a more striking, if not a more beneficent achievement of enlightened Humanity. It is the education of IDIOTS. The animation of clay seems hardly more incredible, than the extent to which MIND has been infused into such masses of stolidity. So hopeless has been the cure of idiots, so hopeless even any appreciable improvement of their condition by any process used in our Insane-Hospitals, that the Legislature of Virginia, eight years ago,* forbade any idiot to be received into either hospital. And such, we believe, has been the course in other States and countries. But by the efforts of gifted men in France, new lights have lately been thrown upon the capabilities of those unfortunates. There is a school and hospital for them in Paris, where transforma • Acts of 1841, p. 45, ch. 15, § 34. VOL. XV-9 RET, and SEGUIN, French physicians, appear to be the men to whose benevolence, ingenuity, and patience, mankind are mainly indebted for this inestimable alleviation of one among human nature's greatest calamities. Doctor John Conolly, of London, seems to have been foremost in making the improvement known in England: and Mr. George Sumner, of Boston, is the first American, so far as we know, who has brought it to the notice of his countrymen. The Westminster Review, for April, 1848, from which we derive all our knowledge of the subject, has an article on " The Biçêtre Asylum," made up chiefly of extracts from a book of Dr. Conolly, and a letter of Mr. S. to a friend in Boston. The letter is filled with particulars of the deepest interest. It was elicited by inquiries from Dr. Howe, of Boston-member of a commission appointed in 1846, to inquire into the condition of idiots in Massachusetts, "to ascertain their number, and whether any thing could be done for their relief." The Bicêtre is the seat of the school for idiots, near Paris; and contains also a lunatic asylum. Dr. Conolly says, "In the first part of the Bicêtre to which I was conducted was a school exclusively established for the improvement of the idiotic and of the epileptic, and nothing more extraord nary can well be imagined. No fewer than forty of these patients were assembled in a moderate-sized school-room, receiving various lessons and per forming various evolutions under the direction of any of the senses appear developed; who is abana very able schoolmaster, M. Seguin, himself adoned to the lowest passions, and who is unable pupil of the celebrated Itard, and endowed with to walk or to execute voluntary movements. that enthusiasm respecting his occupation before He is brought to Biçétre, and placed at once in which difficulties vanish. His pupils had been the class of those boys who are executing the all taught to sing to music, and the little band of moving power. Here, with about twenty others, violias and other instruments by which they were who have already learned to act somewhat in accompanied, was formed of the old almsmen unison, he is made, at first by holding and guiof the hospital. But all the idiotic part of this ding his arms and feet, and afterwards by the exremarkable class also sang without any musical citement of imitation, to follow the movements accompaniment, and kept excellent time and of his companions. These, at the order of the tune. Both the epileptic and idiotic were taught teacher, go through with various steps and moveto write, and their copy-books would have done ments of the head, arms and feet, which at the credit to any writing school for young persons. same time that they give wholesome exercise to Numerous exercises were gone through, of a the animal part of the system, develope the first kind of military character, with perfect correct- personal sentiment, that of rest and immobility. ness and precision. The youngest of the class After this, the class is made, at the word of comwas a little idiot boy of five years old, and it was mand, to designate various parts of the body. interesting to see him following the rest, and imi- On the 20th of January, the number of this class tating their actions holding out his right arm, was eighteen; some of whom had been several left arm, both arms, marching to the right and months under treatment; others of whom had left at the word of command, and to the sound been just attached to it. The teacher, 1st, indiof a drum beaten with all the lively skill of a cated, with his hand, a part of the body,-as French drummer by another idiot, who was head, arm, hand, face, hair, eyes, and named it gratified by wearing a demi-military uniform. aloud; the children repeated the movement and All these exercises were gone through by a col- touched the part. 2nd. The teacher designated, lection of beings offering the smallest degree of with the voice, a part which the idiot touched. intellectual promise, and usually left, in all asy- 3rd. He designated a part by gesture, and the lums, in total indolence and apathy." pupils named it aloud. There are many, of course, who are slow to do this, but the love of Mr. Sumner thus groups together some of the imitation, and the care of teachers, produce, in wonderful results of the new system: time, the necessary regularity of movement; the organ of speech has yet, however, to be developed in others. 66 During the past six months I have watched, with eager interest, the progress which many A complete series of gymnastic exercises, young idiots have made, in Paris, under the di- adapted to the various necessities which the phyrection of M. Seguin, and at Bicêtre under that siological examination has established for each of Messrs. Voisin and Vallee, and have seen, case, is now followed up; the result of which is, with no less gratification than astonishment, to create an equilibrium between the muscular nearly one hundred fellow-beings who, but a and the over-excited nervous system, to fatigue short time since, were shut out from all commu- the idiot sufficiently to procure him a sound and nion with mankind, who were objects of loath- refreshing sleep, and to develope his general ining and disgust, many of whom rejected every telligence. At the same time, the hygienic treatarticle of clothing,-others of whom, unable to ment, adapted to his peculiar case, is applied. stand erect, crouched themselves in corners and He is exposed to the light of the sun, to fresh gave signs of life only by piteous howls,-others, air-is made to go through frequent ablutions, in whom the faculty of speech had never been and is warmly clad. In most cases a tonic diet developed, and many, whose voracious and in- is adopted, and he is placed at table where the discriminating gluttony satisfied itself with what- monitors, by dint of industry and example, teach ever they could lay hands upon, with the garbage him to eat as do those around him. thrown to swine, or with their own excrements;— "The next step is to educate the senses, beginthese unfortunate beings-the rejected of human-ning with that of feeling; and beginning with ity, I have seen properly clad, standing erect, this, inasmuch as it is the sense by which the walking, speaking, eating in an orderly manner idiot acquires most readily a knowledge of exat a common table, working quietly as carpen-ternal objects, long before his eye is accustomed ters and farmers; gaining, by their own labor, to fix their image, or his ear to listen to sounds. the means of existence; storing their awakened Smell and taste are next cultivated; the former intelligence by reading one to another: exercis- by presenting to the pupil various odors, which ing towards their teachers and among themselves at first make no impression whatever, rose and the generous feelings of man's nature, and sing-assafoetida being received with equal favor. By ing in unison songs of thanksgiving." degrees, and as the harmony of the functions is restored, and the intellectual activity developed, Our readers must not fail to read the following this sense is awakened, and lends again its aid to awaken others. The sense of taste is roused long extract from Mr. Sumner's letter; containing, in fact, its main substance. All that we rious substances, alternately, sapid and acid, bitin the same manner, by placing in the mouth vahave said was meant but to introduce and re-ter and sweet. commend this extract: "The power of speech, so imperfect in all, is the most difficult to develope; but a method, im"Let us take a young idiot, in whom scarce proving upon that which Pereira practised, in |