partment who were physically incapacitated, was engaged either in the school or industrial exercises, and that seventy were engaged in both. It is true that quite a number of the patients whom I saw were too demented to take a very active interest in the exercises, but it certainly seemed to me that constant effort in this direction could not fail to produce a beneficial effect by infusing a spirit of order among the patients, even if it did nothing more. Object-teaching was the plan most in favor among the more stupid ones. For instance, a piece of India rubber would be handed to one of the class, the teacher asking him at the same time to name it; he would then ask its color, shape, and qualities, getting the patients, by experiment, to find out that it was tough, smooth, opaque, pliable, etc., finally ending by questions as to its uses. Some other object, as a piece of glass, would then be taken up until the time allotted for the exercise in that particular way was exhausted. On one or two occasions the Irishman's natural wit could not be restrained. As, for instance, when one was asked in regard to the most important uses of glass, he replied, for "making whisky-tumblers, sir"; and another, when asked in regard to another object, said, "Sure, you know, sir, without asking me to tell you." The more advanced pupils were instructed in reading, writing, arithmetic, and geography. Music occupies a most important place in the system, and I was told that, when a patient's attention could not be gained in any other way, it was frequently possible to get him interested in the singing-class, and afterward in the other classes. The singing is accompanied with instrumental music. Even the theory of music is not neglected, a portion of the daily singing half-hour being devoted to practicing the scale. It should be mentioned in this connection that music also exerts an important influence in another direction, as it naturally leads to drilling and marching, and by placing the less active patients here and there in the line even the most inert can be induced to take part in the exercises, and thus obtain an amount of physical training which it would be difficult to give them in any other way. A number of patients also act as monitors, keep records, etc. The object of the school as formulated by Dr. Lalor is, first, to provide occupation for a large class who otherwise would be unemployed; secondly, to vary the occupation of the patients; thirdly, to apply a system of education to the relief of mental disorders; and, fourthly, to promote the happiness and welfare of all the inmates.
I have visited a large number of asylums in various parts of the world, and I am sure that I have never seen any in which there was better discipline and order among the patients. Like all Irish asylums, the wards of the Richmond District Asylum were poorly furnished, and they lacked many of the features
