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Mr. Sumner thus groups together some of wonderful results of the new system:

"During the past six months I have watched, with eager interest, the progress which many young idiots have made, in Paris, under the direction of M. Seguin, and at Bicetre under that of Messrs. Voisin and Vallee, and have seen, with no less gratification than astonishment, nearly one hundred fellow-beings who, but a short time since, were shut out from all communion with mankind, who were objects of loathing and disgust, -- many of whom rejected every article of clothing, -- others of whom, unable to stand erect, crouched themselves in corners and gave signs of life only by piteous howls, -- others, in whom the faculty of speech had never been developed, --and many, whose voracious and indiscriminating gluttony satisfied itself with whatever they could lay hands upon, with the garbage thrown to swine, or with their own excrements; -- these unfortunate beings -- the rejected of humanity, I have seen properly clad, standing erect, walking, speaking, eating in an orderly manner at a common table, working quietly as carpenters and farmers; gaining, by their own labor, the means of existence; storing their awakened intelligence by reading one to another: exercising towards their teachers and among themselves the generous feelings of man's nature, and singing in unison songs of thanksgiving."

Our readers must not fail to read the following long extract from Mr. Sumner's letter; containing in fact, its main substance. All that we have said was meant but to introduce and recommend this extract:

"Let us take a young idiot, in whom scarce any of the senses appear developed; who is abandoned to the lowest passions, and who is unable to walk or to execute voluntary movements. He is brought to Bicetre, and placed at once in the class of those boys who are executing the moving power. Here, with about twenty others, who have already learned to act somewhat in unison, he is made, at first by holding and guiof his arms and feet, and afterwards by the excitement of imitation, to follow the movements of his companions. These, at the order of the teacher, go through with various steps and movements of the head, arms and feet, which at the same time that they give wholesome exercise to the animal part of the system, develope the first personal sentiment, that of rest and immobility. After this, the class is made, at the word of command, to designate various parts of the body. On the 20th of January, the number of this class was eighteen; some of whom had been several months under treatment; others of whom had been just attached to it. The teacher, 1st, indicated, with his hand, a part of the body, -- as head, arm, hand, face, hair, eyes, and named it aloud; the children repeated the movement and touched the part. 2nd. The teacher designated with the voice, a part which the idiot touched. 3rd. He designated a part by gesture, and the pupils named it aloud. There are many, of course, who are slow to do this, but the love of imitation, and the care of teachers, produce, in time, the necessary regularity of movement; the organ of speech has yet, however, to be developed in others.

"A complete series of gymnastic exercises, adapted to the various necessities which the physiological examination has established for each case, is now followed up; the result of which is, to create an equilibrium between the muscular and the over-excited nervous system, to fatigue the idiot sufficiently to procure him a sound and refreshing sleep, and to develope his general intelligence. At the same time, the hygeienic treatment, adapted to his peculiar case, is applied. He is exposed to the light of the sun, to fresh air -- is made to go through frequent ablutions, and is warmly clad. In most cases a tonic diet is adopted, and he is placed at table where the monitors, by dint of industry and example, teach him to eat as do those around him.

"The next step is to educate the senses, beginning with that of feeling; and beginning with this, inasmuch as it is the sense by which the idiot acquires most readily a knowledge of external objects, long before his eye is accustomed to fix their image, or his ear to listen to sounds. Smell and taste are next cultivated; the former by presenting to the pupil various odors, which at first make no impression whatever, rose and assafoetida being received with equal favor. By degrees, and as the harmony of the functions is restored, and the intellectual activity developed, this sense is awakened, and lends again its aid to awaken others. The sense of taste is roused in the same manner, by placing in the mouth various substances, alternately, sapid and acid, bitter and sweet.

"The power of speech, so imperfect in all, is the most difficult to develope; but a method, improving upon that which Pereira practised, in 1760, and which has been since successfully followed up in Germany, has been adopted at Bicetre, and also in the private practice of Seguin, with great success. This is, however, the part of idiot education that proceeds the slowest, and which, more than any other, except, perhaps, the moral treatment, requires, the greatest attention, patience and intelligence on the part of the teacher.