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Treasurer's Report.

ALLEN MUNROE, Treasurer of the New York Asylum for Idiots, in account current with the State of New York, for cash received and expended for the general supplies, and the salaries and wages of officers, teachers, attendants and servants of said asylum, during the year ending September 30, 1878.

RESOURCES FOR THE YEAR.

DISBURSEMENTS.

ALBANY, January 8, 1879.

We certify that we have examined the treasurer's report for the year ending September 30th, 1878; have compared all receipts with the sources of revenue, all expenditures with the vouchers, and find this report to be correct.

ALFRED WILKINSON,
E. W. LEAVENWORTH,
Executive Committee.

Superintendent's Report.

To the Trustees of the New York Asylum for Idiots:

GENTLEMEN: -- I herewith submit a report of the affairs of the institution, of which I have the immediate charge, for the year ending September 30th, 1878:

The whole number of pupils connected with the asylum during that period was 304.

The average attendance for school year was 265. The largest number at any one time was 280.

Of this number 35 were pay pupils; the remainder beneficiaries of the State.

There is what is called a vacation period, from the middle of July till the 7th of September, when the parents, or friends of the children, may take them home. Each year, the number of parents who avail themselves of the opportunity, is a diminishing one; the reason for this lies in the fact that, more and more, our pupils come from families of extreme indigence, from orphan asylums, or from county poor-houses. Even persons in moderate circumstances, living at a remote distance are constrained to forego the privilege on account of travel. As a result, at no time, during the months named, had we less than 215 pupils at the asylum.

The proper maintenance account for the year, including everything but clothing, was $46,041.74. Dividing this sum by 265, the average number of pupils for school year, and we have, as the annual per capita cost of each pupil, $173.75.

Or, again dividing this sum by $13,100 weeks' board, actually furnished by the pupils, the weekly cost of the same was $3.51.

Of the total number, there were during the year but six deaths.

Of these, one died of heart disease, dropping dead in an instant. Another died, about two weeks after admission, from pneumonia. The other four, from tuberculous disease of the lungs, or consumption.

This has been the ordinary termination of life of most of our pupils who have died in the past history of the asylum. Thus much for the ordinary statistics of the the -sic- asylum.

In the main, the past year at the asylum has been rather an uneventful one. The system of management has become so established that, except for the occurrence of a prevailing sickness or accident to the inmates, there is very little noteworthy. But health has prevailed to an unusual degree and there has been no accident to any pupil.

We have now occupied, for more than a year, the new buildings erected in 1876 and 1877. They have proved to be very convenient for the purposes for which they were intended. Their occupation involved some little change in our arrangements, but we are now fairly settled in the new quarters.

The only modification in our plan of management has grown out of the fact that our new buildings have enabled us to give a greater prominence to industrial occupations, both for the girls and boys.

The most important step, however, was the opening of an experimental establishment for adult female idiots.

A custodial establishment for adult and unteachable idiots, of both sexes, had been advocated in the annual reports of this institution for years. In fact, at the very outset it had been understood by the friends of the project for ameliorating the condition of idiots, that, while the first step was the founding of a training-school for those of a teachable age and condition, another must follow.