show that these institutions contain 374 of the former and 84 of the latter. They have no suitable accommodations for the custody of these classes, and their care is a grievous burden upon the counties. From information furnished this office by physicians in the various counties, it is believed that there are at least 500 epileptics in this State, in family custody, many of whom are unsafe to be at large. The insane asylums generally decline to receive epileptics, and the general hospitals are not adapted to their treatment and care. As a result, the private family, not unfrequently of moderate means, is distressed by their presence, and the community endangered by their outbreaks of violence. The establishment of a State hospital for this class, it is believed, would be wise economy, and conduce largely to the safety and welfare of society. A large number of idiots also, it appears, are under private care throughout the State. In many instances these occasion great hardships, often reducing entire families to pauperism. The necessity for further public provision for this class has been fully stated in former reports, and true economy would seem to dictate that it should be made as early as possible. The returns of the superintendents of the poor show a large decrease in the number of children as inmates of the county poorhouses. In 1868 the number under sixteen years in these institutions was 1,222; in 1869 it was reduced to 920;. in 1870 to 792, and in 1871 to 675. The number reported November 30, 1872, was 679. A considerable portion of these were infants, and others idiots, epileptics or paralytics, for whose custody and care no other public provision is made. It is to be deeply regretted, however, that there are still a considerable number of intelligent children in the county poor-houses. These, if removed, might be educated and trained to lives of usefulness. The poor-houses are wholly unsuited for their care, and the efforts of keepers and teachers for their intellectual and moral culture are mainly lost in the surrounding associations. The various orphan asylums and homes for the friendless offer accommodations, at moderate rates of support, for all the dependent children of the State. A much larger number than heretofore, it is believed, might by proper effort be placed temporarily in families. There would seem, therefore, to be no excuse for the detention of intelligent children in the county poor-houses. In addition to the efforts of your Board for the removal of the children from these institutions, other agencies are actively engaged in this direction. Among these are the "State Charities Aid Association," and the managers of the various orphan asylums and other benevolent organizations. It should be added that the superintendents of the poor, and the keepers of the poor-houses also, generally heartily co-operate in this work, and its entire accomplishment it is believed may be early effected. Among the new poor-houses recently erected in the State, views of two accompany this report, viz., the Monroe County Poor-house, at Rochester, including the ground plan, and the Oswego County Poor house, at Mexico. THE MONROE COUNTY POOR-HOUSE. This institution, situated near the city of Rochester, was completed and occupied near the close of the past year. It consists of a centre building and two wings, each connected with the former by fire-proof corridors. The centre building is forty-five feet square, and is three stories besides the basement and a high attic. It is occupied by the warden and family, and also furnishes room for offices. The wings each have a width of seventy-one feet in front, fortynine feet in rear, and a depth of 102 feet. They are both three stories high, and nearly alike in their structure and arrangement. The left is occupied by males and the right by females. The third story of the whole front is used as a hospital. In the rear of the centre structure there is a building thirty feet wide and sixty feet long. The basement of this is used for general kitchen purposes, the first floor for laundry, etc., and the second for the hospital |