CASH ACCOUNT. OCTOBER. 



I Although the Stato institutions for the 

 insane were in general satisfactory, Dr. 

 Charming felt keenly the. inferiority of the 

 Suffolk County hospitals In which were 

 housed the Boston insane. As it seemed 

 impossible to improve conditions, under the 

 existing system, Dr. Channing conducted a 

 long fight to tiring the very large number 

 of insane from Boston under State control. 

 The effort succeeded and the law was 

 enacted. The governor appointed Dr. 

 Channing, in 1008, chairman of the board 

 of trustees of the Boston State Hospital. 

 For the next six years most of his time 

 was devoted to the work of organization, 

 reorganization and the obtaining of imme- 

 diate legislation, required to effect the dif- 

 ficult transfer of such a large number of 

 insano to the new and better conditions. 



In other interests, Dr. Channing acted as 

 trustee of the Wrenthara State School for 

 Feeble-Minded, during - its early stages 

 (1900-100S). He was also consulting phys- 

 ician for the Boston Children's Aid Society 

 and of the Stato Asylum for Insano Crim- 

 inals. 



Impressed with the Importance of 

 proper physical tralnng for growing 

 children and young people, he induced 

 tlie town of Brookline to build a fine 

 public swinnlnK bath and later a munlc 

 icpal gymnasium, acting as chairman of 

 the committee from 1308 to 1010. In 

 other local affairs his principal intorest 

 was in the upblic schools. He served 

 actively on the Brookline school board 

 for fifteen years, during which much of 

 (no progress was made which placed the 

 Brookline schools practically among the 

 hading public schools of the United 

 States. 



Dr. Channing was a Unitarian in his 

 religious affiliations, belonging to the 

 First Paris Church In Brookline. At one 

 time he was presidetn of the First Parish 

 Club, and at another time was president 

 oT the Unitarian Club, Boston. Interested 

 in music, ho was for some years a trus- 

 tee of the New England Conservatory of 1 

 Music 



