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In the school for idiots and epileptics, at the Bicetre, a careful register is kept of the psychological condition of each pupil, according to a printed form, for the examination of their instinctive, moral, intellectual, and perceptive state. I was obligingly furnished with a copy of the register relative to the subject of my immediate observations, Charles Emile, and also with a copy of the resume or summary of his case, made by M. Voisin himself.

The age of Charles Emile is fifteen: he was admitted to the school in June, 1843. He is described as being of a nervous and sanguine temperment, and in an almost complete state of idiocy: the faculties which remain being in a state of extraordinary activity, and rendering him dangerous to himself and to others: but still idiotic in his inclinations, sentiments, perceptions, faculties of perception and understanding, and also of his senses, of which some were obtuse, and others too excitable. He was consequently unfit, to use the words of M. Voisin, "to harmonise with the world without." As regards his inclinations, he was signalized by a voracious, indiscriminate, gluttonous appetite, un erotisme hideux, and a blind and terrible instinct of destruction. He was wholly an animal. He was without attachment; overturned everything in his way, but without courage or intent; possessed no tact, intelligence, power of dissimulation, or sense of propriety ; and was awkward to excess. His moral sentiments are described as null, except the love of approbation, and a noisy instinctive gaiety, independent of the external world. As to his senses, his eyes were never fixed, and seemed to act without his will; his taste was depraved; his touch obtuse; his ear recognized sounds, but was not attracted by any sound in particular; and he scarcely seemed to be possessed of the sense of smell. Devouring everything, however disgusting; brutally sensual; passionate, breaking, tearing, and burning whatever he could lay his hand upon; and if prevented from doing so, pinching biting, scratching, and tearing himself, until he was covered with blood. He had the particularity of being so attracted by the eyes of his brothers, sisters, and playfellows, as to make the most persevering efforts to push them out with his fingers. He walked very imperfectly, and could neither run, leap, nor exert the act of throwing; sometimes he sprang like a leopard, and his delight was to strike one sonorous body against another. When any attempt was made to associate him with the other patients, he would start away with a sharp cry, and then come back to them hastily M. Voisin's description concludes with these expressions: "All the faculties of perception in this youth are in a rudimentary state; and if I may venture so to express myself, it is incredibly difficult to draw him out of his individuality, to place him before exterior objects, and to make him take any notice of them. It would not be far from the truth to say, that for him all nature is almost completely veiled."

This description not only exemplifies M. Voisin's careful mode of observation, but shows that an example of idiocy less favorable to culture could scarcely have been presented to the instructor. This same poor idiot boy is now docile in his manners, decent in his habits, and capable, though not without some visible effort, of directing his vague senses and wandering attention, so as to have developed his memory, to have acquired a limited instruction concerning various objects. and to have become affectionately conscious of the presence of his instructors and friends, His general appearance is still that of an idiot. His countenance, his mode of walking, all that he does, declares his very limited faculties. Nature has placed limits to the exercise of his powers which no art can remove. But he is redeemed from the constant dominion of the lowest animal propensities; several of his intellectual faculties are cultivated, some have even been called into life, arid his better feelings have acquired some objects and some exercise. In such a case as this we are not so much to regard what is merely accomplished for the individual. A great principle is established by it in favour of thousands of defective organizations. After witnessing the general efforts of this school of the most imbecile human beings, and hearing the particulars of Charles Emile's history, it was really affecting to see him come forward when called, and essay to sing a little solo when requested; his attempt at first not being quite successful, but amended by his attention being more roused to it. His copy-book was then shown to me, and his writing was steady, and as good as that of most youths of his station in life. The schoolmaster, who seemed to take great pleasure in the improvement of this poor fellow, then showed us how he had taught Charles to count, by means of marbles and small pieces of wood, or marks made on a board, arranged in lines, the first containing an 0, the second 00, the third 000, and so on. Charles was sometimes out in his first calculations, but then made an effort and rectified himself He distinguished one figure from another, naming their value. Large pieces of strong card, of various shapes, were placed in succession in his hands; and he named the figure of each, as square, triangle, &c., and afterward drew their outlines with chalk on a black board, and, according to the desire of M. Seguin, drew a perpendicular, or horizontal, or oblique line; so effectually attending to what he was doing, that if any line was drawn incorrectly he rubbed it out and began anew. He also wrote several words on the board, and the name of the director of the Bicetre, without the name being spoken to him.