Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1845-06-26
PHYSICAL Education of Woman.
BY >. H. NEWTON, M. D.

--
No subject is of more Importance than
education; yet few are SO little UNDER
stood. Ifa child is put to school at an
early age, if care is taken to provide the
best teachers, and If attention at home
is paid to the manners and morals, all is
considered to be done that duty requires.
Parents appear not to know that good
health and vigorous constitution are more
yaluble even than we'll trained intellect
and mind richly stored. They seem to
forget that there is physical, as we'll as
a mental culture to be attended to, aud
that the happiness ofthe child depends
quite as much on the former as on the
latter; for no matter how accomplished
the mind may be, there is never real en-
joyment where the body Is sickly and
weak. ,. 49,. ......,.. ...a.... .,,t.-.....,
The neglect of physical education is
most observable in the training Of fe-
males. Boys possess such passion for
violent plays that they generally obtain
sufficient exercise. Girls on the con-
trary, are from childhood too much con.
fined within doors: and even their amuse-
ments partake ofa sedentary character.
A boys fondness for his hoop, and a
girls delight with doll are iorclble il
lustration Of the difference in the two
sexes in this respect. But while the boy
educates his physical powers, notwith-
standing the neglect Of his parents, the
girl grows up without proper daily. exer.
else, and, in consequence, tas a woman
is weak, nervous, and sickly looking.
We cannot do better service TO our
fair countrywomen than by discussin g
SO important subject. Our remarks
will be quite as applicable to adults
as to children. 1t is our deliberate
conviction, from long and intimate
exam ination, that this neglect Of the
physical education Of females weakens
the health, Injuries the beauty, and is a
fertile source Of insanity and nerveous
disorders generally.
Children are put to school too young
Their first years-up to the age OF seven
or ten-should be devoted to- laying
the foudation of a strong constitution
Constant application to study, such al
! is required in many infant schools, saps
the health by diverting to the brain the
nourishment which should 60 to She mus
cles; for every parent knows, OF ough
to know, that study exercises just a.
much wear and tear on the brain, as
manual labor does on the muscles, ant
that the one grows strong at the others
expense. Children who are prodigies
generaly have large brains, are weakly
IN consequence, and very often subject
to >convnlsions In such cases care
should be taken to tax the brain as lit
tie as possible, and to present every in
ducement 10 the child to take exercise.
Nothing has ever been lost by keeping
a child away from his books during ths
few earlier years of its life. We know
}, a little girl who showed great precoc-
iousnes when very young; we adviset
that she should be left to her play,
until she was seven; our opinion wa,
taken; and in consequence She nov
possesses vigorous constitution, and
although but eleven, has outstr,pped al
her companions Of the same age a
school. Goblet says children ough
not to be taught the alphabet until ten
chancellor K ent, who is now owe
, eighty, began to study at foureen-th,
former part Of his life having beel
spent in healthy out.of-dooy exefcise
such as fishing, leaping and running
He has possessed in consequence eve
since a vigorous intellect and almos
!, unbrokeu health, Instances nigh. b