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From the description given of the commencement of the Asylum at Highgate, it may be readily conceived how much experience was needed before idiots received as inmates could be rendered at all tractable. Yet such is the result of perpetual practice that it is now speedily accomplished. At Earlswood the reception is so kind, and the aspect of the place so attractive, that Dr. Down, the resident physician, finds little trouble with the pupils when first left there by their friends. Inquiry is carefully made of those who bring them, into their history, traits of character, predilections, repugnances, and habits. The objective facts to their bodily condition, and the state of the organs of sense, are, of course, well observed and registered, to which is added due vigilance. The first concern is to eradicate bad habits, and, as soon as may be, to engage the pupils in some occupation bringing them praise and encouragement, instead of the contemptuous rebuffs too many of them have relative been subject to. These employments are of the simplest kind; as the unravelling cocoa-fibre for mats, splitting rods for baskets, and preparing horsehair for mattresses. Besides these gentle inducements to do something, the improvement of the bodily condition before alluded to as most essential, and the eradication of all evil habits, are matters of daily and hourly care. After this comes classification for sleeping, meals, school, drill, and such employment in what may be called a trade or business as the pupils may show to be of their own preference. For cases that are less hopeful, all that can be done is careful supervision and the tender treatment which makes them in a degree comfortable. All this is insured by the care of the physician and the assiduous attention of the matron and the well-chosen staff. A few years since schools for idiots would have been classed amongst the wildest of projects, but they have not only been successful as regards their primary design, but have afforded reflex lessons useful in all cases of tuition of the young, especially as to the importance of mixing healthful exercise with application to books, and making the act of learning a pleasure instead of a drudgery, with a tendency to over-strain the youthful powers. Idiot schools have those alter-nations of pleasant exercise with tuition which prevent it from wearying, and make the return to it a pleasure. The possibility of teaching an idiot to read, write, and cast accounts depends much on taking advantage of personal peculiarities, and a perseverance which knows of no limit to its repetitions of the same thing till the conquest is achieved. In some instances letters have been learnt by rendering them vividly luminous, and the strong impression on the brain has succeeded. How much the lamentable state of imbecility depends on the brain may be inferred from two cases of brain fever, in one of which restoration to ordinary powers took place, and in the other the same happened during the height of the disease, but ceased on recovery. It was excitement which caused the mutes before referred to, to speak. Also any observation may be adroitly turned to account. A boy had shown a great love of playing at nine-pins, and when the bowl knocked one down was in an ecstasy of delight. The master at once had the letters of the alphabet carved on the pins, and whenever one fell, the pupils was made to name the letter upon it; and by these means in time he learnt to read well, after first acquiring his letters in this original manner. It would take too much space, and be wearisome to enumerate the school methods in the various institutions, or indeed in any one. All that can be said is, that they are furnished with the most ingenious appliances, and something new is being perpetually added. Many will be found described in the works which form the list at the head of this article. We can only shortly allude to a few of the most remarkable as adopted in our English institutions. For instance, to improve the speech, there is at Earlswood a cabinet full of objects the names of which give all the sounds of our language. Thus, if the sound to be made is that of the letter t, the teacher holds up a top, and the pupils are required to pronounce the word together and with distinctness. He next shows them a letter, and then a pot, with the requirement that they shall be enunciated with the same plainness. Suppose, again, the sound coming after that of t has been duly mastered, is that of d, a dog, a ladder, and something coloured red will be resorted to. The eye of an idiot must also be trained. This, Mr. Sidney remarks, 'is a matter of great difficulty. He may see the figure of his teacher in the mass, but it is most probable that he does not perceive any part of his person or its appendages in detail, unless some glittering object, as an eye-glass, a chain, or a seal catch the eye. But he must be taught to notice with perception and distinction particular and minute objects. This is done by laying before him, on a table, a number of geometrical figures cut out of wood; and as the teacher takes up one, the learner is directed to take a similar one. Another lesson is the holding up the fingers one by one, and the pupil must hold up the same finger of the same hand.' Varied and clever use of the black board is productive of great effects. The master may draw on it some animal, and see if the pupil can tell what it is, and distinguish one part from another. Boys who have commenced learning in this way have become great proficients in drawing, and one youth especially, whose drawings have attracted the attention of the most celebrated of modern artists of animal forms, Sir Edwin Landseer. Yet it was six months before he could be taught to distinguish with certainty a dog's head from his tail, a fact which Mr. Sidney says he mentioned to the late Prince Consort, when he inquired if the youth whose drawings he was admiring could have aver been an idiot. Some subjects are taught to a large number collectively. The multiplication tables are sung accompanied by various movements of the arms and legs. Reading, writing, arithmetic, drawing, and in the lower cases letters and figures, counting, imitation, speaking, weighing, telling the time, colours, and other simple things are taught to less numbers together. Some lessons are made as amusing as possible, and at the same time practically valuable. One of those at Earlswood always gratifies visitors from its novelty, and is very useful for giving the inmates an idea of the value of articles, and how to buy and sell. It is called the Shop Lesson, and proceeds thus: -- In one part of the school-room there are the usual fittings of a general shop, consisting of drawers marked plainly on the outside with the names of their contents. Above these there is a row of canisters. The pupils are seated in the gallery with a table or counter placed in front, on which are laid scales, weights, money, and measures. A boy is selected as shopkeeper, and placed behind the counter. He begins with asking for custom, which he often does with much humour, and many hands are speedily held up, when one boy is selected to come down and make some purchase. When an article is asked for, the shopman examines the labels on the drawers till he finds it. Then comes the weighing, which is sometimes a puzzle as to the value of the pounds and ounces. Before any weight taken up by the shopman is put into the scale, the class is well questioned upon it. Next comes the placing in the scale the correct quantity of the sugar, rice, or whatever else is asked for, and it is often amusing to observe the shopman beginning with little spoonfuls when the quantity may be large; and sometimes, when the balance is nearly complete, it is a thorough poser whether to complete it by adding to or taking from the mass. The paying and the calculation are quite a scene, the whole class checking the sums at every step. Frequently the combinations of pence and halfpence cause a long stop in the proceedings. Here, however, the purchaser not unfrequently shows great cunning, and puts down a shilling, a florin, or half-crown, and throws the determination of the proper change on the shopman. To witness this lesson is most amusing. In a report of the Commissioners of Lunacy this method of instruction is especially commended.