SECRETARY'S REPORT.

PRELIMINARY.

To the Board of State Commissioners of Public Charities: GENTLEMEN.-In pursuance of the requirements of your Board, I respectfully submit this my annual report relating to the various subjects which you have instructed me to investigate, and to the work performed by me during the year ending December 31st, 1872.

BUSINESS OF THE OFFICE.

The office work has been largely increased the past year in collecting statistics relating to the insane and idiots, and in analyzing and tabulating the returns. This subject will be hereafter referred to.

Returns have been procured from the various institutions subject to the visitation of the Board, and the results are given in tabulated statements hereto annexed. The printed reports of the institutions of this State, and of other States and countries, as far as practicable, have also been collected. These are on the files of the office, and they contain much valuable information.

In addition to this work, an extended correspondence has been conducted during the whole year. More time than heretofore has also been devoted to personal conference with the officers of institutions and others having business with the Board. These several office duties have so largely occupied my time as to prevent my engaging in visitations as much as desired. If the Secretary is to be employed in the inspection of institutions, additional clerical force will be necessary to aid in conducting the office work.

STATISTICS RELATING TO INSANE AND IDIOTS.

At a meeting of the Board, held at Albany, October 20, 1871, th following resolution was adopted:

Resolved, That this Board will endeavor to ascertain, as nearly a possible, the number and situation of the insane and idiots of th State of New York, December 31st, 1871, and that the Secretary b instructed to enter early upon this work, securing as far as practi cable the voluntary aid of the members of the medical professio generally throughout the State, and that he be authorized to emplo such other agencies as he may deem proper for its accomplishmen

In accordance with this resolution, a circular letter requestin information as to insane and idiots, and setting forth the objects the inquiry, was thereupon prepared and approved by the Board A copy of this letter, with blanks for the name, sex, age, nativity etc., of each of these classes, was mailed, on the 20th of Decembe to one or more physicians in nearly every town in the State, who address had been learned from the officers of the various count medical societies, and to all the physicians in the cities and larg villages whose names and residence could be obtained. In a ver few towns having no physician, the blanks were addressed to supe visors. A like communication at the same time was sent to th officers of the various public and private institutions having th custody of these classes, and also to the officers of institutions other States in which it was thought probable that insane or idio of this State might be held for treatment or care.

The general plan of this work, and the extent to which it ha then progressed, was given in my last annual report. At that tim (January 20, 1872) returns had been received from nearly one-ha of the towns and very generally from the cities and institution The inquiries then in progress were continued during the enti year, and until returns were received from nearly the whole Stat In the prosecution of this work nearly seven thousand printed written communications were addressed to physicians and the office of institutions. The answers to these, in most cases, were prom