This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1855 edition. Excerpt: ...There were in 1850 local funds for the support of academies, &c. to the amount of about $350,000, yielding an income of about $20,005. The value, of the public school-houses in the State in 1843 was $2,750,000. of which $2,200,000 had been expended since 1833. There are four Normal Schools supported by the State, at an annual coat of about 8 11,000, --one at West field, one at Framingham, one at Bridgewater, and one at Salem, for girls, --averaging annually, in all, 250 pupflsr The Board of Education consists of the Governor and Lieutenant-Govcrnor, and eight members, one being appointed each year by the Governor and council for eight years. There is a secretary to the board, who has an assistant, and is the executive officer of the board. Teachers' institutes have been held, under the direction of the secretary, for the instruction of teachers; at which Professors Agassiz, Guyot, Mason, and others have acted as instructors; and teachers' associations are held, independently of the institutes. Two agents are employed by the board to visit each town in the State, to gather all information as to the condition and necessities of the schools, school-houses, &c. Provision is made by law for the education and training young men to be principal teachers in the high schools in the commonwealth, by establishing 4S State scholarships in the colleges of the State, and paying $ 100 dollars annually to each. State Lunatic Hospital, Worcester, --George Chandler, M.D., Superintendent. Number of patients, December 1st, 1852,532, --254 males. 258 females; admitted during the year. 283, --135 males, 152 females; remaining in the Hospital, November 30th, 1853. 520, --255 males, 254 females. Of those admitted during the year, 241 (113 males, 128 females)...