Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1857-09-04
oyertaxing Children,s Brains.

this subject. Mr.. Bradshaw, one Of the
Charlestown School Committee, deliver
ed lecture upon his experiences and
observation, to the citizens of the town,
He said:
F" He had lately been chosen one of
the School Committee. Soon after en-
tering on his duties, he called on the
teachers of three schools, and made in
quiries concerning the ability of their
pupils. One said she had had six bright
children uuder charge, but three of them
had recently died done Of consumption,
one Of searlatina, and one Of brain fever.
The season was so cold that the speaker
bad soon to leave the school in question;
but not until he had seen the children
shivering with cold and in condition
very inconsistent with the preservation
of their proper health. There were
among the children some whose appear
ance denoted great intellectual capacity,
but whose minds were manfestly over
wrought. This overworking was COM
mon thing in schools, especially among
smart children, who become so overtaxed
by the tasks imposed upon them, that
febrile diseases and others of less fatal,
but yet more lamentable character
merging into semi-idiocy were very
frequently produced. Various instances
were related in which tie health and
lives of children were sacrificed to the
ambition Of teachers to make fine show
at exhibitions. Consumption was COM
mon result of this overworking of the
mind, along with the concurrent neglect
Of physical exercises. These instances
were numerous and startling; and the
effects they exemplified were described
to be so insidous that parents did not
know what was the cause, and were,
generally, in ignorance of the abuses of
the school system having anything to do
with their debility OF sixteen who
entered certain high school, only nine
graduated others had to leave, to
save themselves from being educated to
death. Early ripe. early rotten, was
fact too little known to parents.
Quotations were read from work
by DR.. Brigham, of New York, showing
the peculiar construction and consistency
of the brain in children, and the tenden-
cy which the most trifling stretch Of its
functions had to generate diseases Of the
nervous description that premature
mental capacity in children was. very
commonly, symptom Of physical dis
order; and that the intellectual faculties
which were oyerstrained were short
lived in activity, and rarely resulted in
the constitution Of solid, thinking
man. A child that understood too many
things, as man generally had no more
than very superficial description of in
te!igence. Biographical instances were
pointed out in proof of this fact.
"a little girl.at The school in that
neighborhood ten years of age, was
studying French, Latin and Greek, and
had three hours exercise on the piano
per diem. She was made sick, and
when she recovered, was so querulous
and unhappy, and SO un-child-like, that
it was pitiful to see her.
"A boy, similarly oyerworled, had
grown none since he was ten years of
age. and now was over twelve; and this
solely on account of the neglect Of DR.
Jackson's rule that 'one-third Of childs
time should be spent in the playground
Sheridan, Sir Isaac Newton. Goldsmith,
GiDbon, David, Dryden, Milton, Swift,
and Sir Walter Scott, besides many other
eminent men, all were dull scholars
and the lecturer professed that be was
partial to boy WHO is somewhat TO blame
in this particular.
" In the case of pupils of high schools,
the demands made on the memory, in
the shape of study. were such as to en-
tirely preclude exercise. Along with
this demanded study. other accomplish
ments had to be studied by young girls,
and to these they had TO devote them
selves in the moments which accident
might present for little exercise The
doctor is called in, and recommends fresh
air, and removal to the sea-bcach takes
place, where the maiden Of seventeen
partially RECEIVERS her health, TO enter
upon her matrimonial destiny---a thing
all brain and no phgsique. Prematurely
old, she never enjoys a feeling Of youth
Nervous herself, and giving birth to
weakly constituted progeny, her strained
education has made itself the grave Of
her health, pleasures, and affections.
"a strong appeal was male to parents
to set their faces against 1stuiiing the
brain, and starving the physical system
for no fact could be more plain than this
one that death, and disease, and sor-
row, and guH we're involved in the sys-
tenn Of management of the public schools,
Five years mere Of such management,
and the school-louses might be called
slaughter-houses, and the skull and cross
bones placed over their doors.
" II should be the duty Of every one
to seek fewer studies, shorter lessons,
more exercise, and more thorough
knowledge Of what children ought TO be
taught Teachers should not be urged,
as they now were, to push children thro'
the primary schools, but to cultivate tho
physical. as well as the mental qualities
Of their pupils. Until this was done.
Mr.. Bradshaw said. the greatest and
most fearful social evils would continue.
E1- The truest seeker after Fame is