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articles made by the blind. The plan, however, has one great drawback, viz. it causes the superficial observer to believe, that the amount of work done by the blind is much greater than it really is, but this error might easily be prevented, by the prominent insertion in all reports, etc. of a short paragraph clearly explaining the subject.

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The managers of the Scotch institutions, unlike those of England, founded before 1854, early perceived the necessity of supplementing the education of the blind, by a system of regular employment. The committee of the Edinburgh Asylum, soon after the establishment of that charity, adopted the plan of giving work at the institution to those men who had learnt a trade. At first the wages paid were such as were usual with sighted workpeople employed by the piece, but subsequently extra money was allowed, it being found that without such aid, the blind as a rule could not live by their labour. The Edinburgh and Glasgow committees have of late made praiseworthy efforts in this direction, but it is much to be wished that the benevolent inhabitants of Scotland would strengthen the hands of the managers of these institutions, by affording them the means of making such payments to their workpeople as might enable them to obtain the means of subsistence without excessive toil. The persons employed at the Scotch institutions usually live in the towns in which the establishments are located, but it is greatly to be desired that the system should be extended to the blind living in the country, by giving them work at their own homes; so that the blessings of profitable employment might be extended to the sightless throughout the whole of Scotland, instead of being confined to three or four cities. The women connected with Scotch institutions generally live on the premises, but at Edinburgh they have recently been, or are about to be, employed as day workers like the men.

It is much to be regretted that no pensions have been founded for the blind of North Britain, as there are very many persons whose age and infirmities prevent their being assisted in any other way.

IRELAND.

According to the census of 1861, the total number of the blind in Ireland was 6879, being a ratio of 1 in 843 of the population. As compared with the previous census, the proportion of persons without sight had somewhat increased, for in 1851 it was 1 in every 864. Some idea of the ages of the blind in Ireland may be gathered from the following statement, made by the census commissioners for that country in 1861, in their report and tables relating to the status of disease, p. 45, viz. :

"Of the entire number whose ages were specified, there were only 340 under 15 years of age; from 15 to 30, there were 1116; from 30 to 50, as many as 1579; from 50 to 70, there were 2310; from 70 to 80 years of age, 868; and from 80 to 90 and upwards, so many as 654.

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"Dividing the age period in this Table into two sections, there will be found 2656 persons, or 386 1000, under 45 and 4211 over that age, years of age, or as many as 614 per 1000; the sexes in the former being 100 males to 108.31 females, and in the latter, 100 males to 125.31 females. Now, in the population of the healthy agricultural county of Carlow, the proportion of persons under 45, is 765 per 1000, and over 45, but 235. And in the town of Drogheda, a similar calculation shows 783 per 1000 under 45 years of age, and 217 over that period, so that so far as the Irish returns elucidate this subject, they tend to prove the longevity of the blind. At the same time it must be borne in mind, in considering the value of these

calculations, that the amount of blindness, whether caused by accident or disease, increases with age.”

The following Table will show the relative numbers of the blind in the provinces of Ireland, the institutions existing for the education and employment of the sightless, and the number of persons assisted by such establishments.

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Of the total number of the blind in Ireland, 1962 lost their sight from ophthalmia, 725 from smallpox, 554 from accidents, 416 from cataract, 203 from inflammation, 178 from old age, 121 from fever, 110 from amaurosis, 47 from the consequences of child-birth, 28 from measles, 25 from scarlatina, while no fewer than 383 are returned as having become blind from diseases of the brain and injuries to the head and nervous system, and in 1589 cases the cause of the affliction was unstated.

The first society for the instruction of the blind in Ireland was commenced in 1810, under the name of the Richmond National Institution for the Instruction of the Industrious Blind; and there have since been established eight other charities, of which the following Table will furnish some particulars.

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Of the foregoing institutions, five are under the management of Protestants, three of Roman Catholics, and one, viz. that of Cork, is of a composite character. Moon's system is generally read, but the Roman character is also encouraged. Appliances for writing and arithmetic and tangible maps are very little known, but good oral instruction is given to the pupils. Music is, to a small extent, cultivated as a future means of

subsistence, but little or no attention is given to the higher branches of education. Basket-making is carried on in all the establishments, both for males and for females. At Belfast the boys make door-mats, and at the Female Catholic Asylum, Dublin, girls are engaged at the same occupation.* There are no societies in Ireland for giving work to the blind at their own homes, for employing them in workshops, or for granting pensions; and until these important departments are developed, very little good can be expected from the operations now being carried on.

It is matter of regret that while so large a proportion of the soil of Ireland remains unproductive, no attempt should have been made to employ the blind in the cultivation of osiers for basket-work, and especially so, as, while the land is well suited for the purpose, the Irish osier dealers are largely supplied from Germany. In general, the inmates of the blind institutions are connected with the various Poor Law Unions throughout the country, about 19 pounds per annum being paid for the board of each pupil. In addition to the establishments already named, there is in Dublin a charity known as Simpson's Hospital, which was founded and endowed in 1779 by a merchant of Dublin, whose name it bears, who suffered from gout and defective sight, for the reception and maintenance of a certain number of men suffering from gout or blindness. At present out of 77 inmates there are 49 totally or par-tially blind.

Near this institution there is a bridge over the river Liffey, concerning which it has frequently been reported in England that all blind persons were allowed to pass over without paying the customary toll; when, however, we visited Dublin a few years ago, we found that the bridge was only free to those who wore the uniform of Simpson's Hospital. There is a curious

*Brush-making is carried on at the Male Catholic Asylum, Dublin, and knitting is in use at all schools for females, whether blind or not.

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