Marshall County Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1855-1859, 1857-03-12

mind 1t cannot be otherwise than inter
esting to every human being, as there i.
no branch of study in which we are SO I'M
mediately concerned.
We have seen the connection of bod,
and mind; and We know that each has ;
great effect upon the other. This unior
and action upon each other was well under
stood by the ancients: and while they cult
waited the intellect, they did not, as we o
the present day, do it at the expense o
their bodily powers; but they established
gymnasia, in which their youth were
were trained, and exercised until they
formed that most perfect specimen of a MAI
"a sound mind in sound body. Peri
cles equally great in the field and in the
forum, was an instance of this iudicOus
training. Let us take an instance of oul
method OF procedure. A young man to-
tally uninstructed in the laws of lis svs-
tenn, leaves his home for. College. He has
been accustomed to mank-s1s&sr, is strong
and healthy, with vigorous circulation,
and he en.eys upon Lis studies with ardor
sufficient to swallow the whole course in
one term. lie takes 10 time for ex.
ercise, scarcely for relaxation, while his
brain is taxed to It's utmost, and the blood
Is determined powerfully to that organ
He begins to be troubled with the head
ache, dizziness ensues, with wanderino
thoughts at times, and soon his reason has
vanished. This is no fancy sketch, it is
true in every particular, as was fully exem-
pllied in the case of Joseph rockingham,
of Salem, Massachusetts, the sad account
of whom is given in tie American Annals
Of Education; and at the close of the arti-
Gle, the Editor asks
"Would not thorough knowledge of
physiology preserve both sexes from meal
culable evi?"
He also gives another case in which the
blood instead of settling upon the brain,
rushed forth in profuse discharge from
the lungs, and young man Of brilliant tai
ents paid the penalty of death upon his too
haSty efforts to become scholar, in viola
ton of natures laws.
Or perhaps the student has neglected to
battle, and the pores of the skin having be-
come closed, the invisible Precipitation and
waste portions Of matter, instead Of passing
oil remain IN the system, thus producing
what we call a severe cold. Now instead
of taking bath and exciting friction of the
~ Nc tn
ing from eating day or two to give the
system a chance to resume its normal con
dtion, he has heard some cid nursery
story of stuning cold and star
vinga fever" and he thinks it a GOOD
time to enjoy himself over oysters and
roast turkeys. The consequence is he in
creases the amount of waste matter which
Mo"ld pass off, but does not The lungs
become overcharged, his cold grows worse
and worse, a cough ensues, and the seeds
81 H2n s rne case are are Planted Very often
man leaves College the pale and sickIy
Alumnus, soon to meet tie fate his own
rashness has provided. Would not such
mourn the loss ofPhysiology in school boy
days?
There is anaion whose people compress
the feet--the halfciyiized Chinese; the
fat headed Indians, It is said, apply
wcght on the head to give it a certain
shape, and | have heard OF another nation,
that surpass even these in their efforts to
improve on the models given by the Crea-
tor. These last take Il more vital part.
where are contained the lungs heart, and
other vital organs. This portion Of the
body they compress TO such an extent as
almost to stop The process Of breathing
The circulation of the blood is retarded, il
is imPericctly purified in the lungs, and
thus the whole system suffers These lat
ter especially deserve eur confederation,
and call upon us rs Christians to educate
persons and send them forth rs missona-
ries 10 this benishted people. Would not
the general Introduction of Physiology into
schools tend to improvement in this re-
spect, especially with the next generation?
have now to pass to n consideration of
the influence of a knowledge of physiolog-
zeal laws upon moral character. especially
III preventntlng certain vices. Take the
single vice of drunkenness. Now com
mence with the young. Let the child
know with what 4 mysterious frame lie is
supplied, chow fearfully and wonderfully
he is made" let him observe the harmony
of all the different parts of the system and
their adoption TO each other, the sympathy
that exists between the various organs and
how slight the causes that may give a NOR
bid action to any part and thereby derange
the whole system, let him know too that a
great First Cause has given him this mys
ferrous structure to watch over and preserve
through life, and then let him understand
the effects of alcohol on this divine piece of
mechansm-that strong drink must de-
range the action of the stomach, that il will
unduly stimulate the whole system, that
alcohol will coagulate albdmen, that of this
substance the brain contains argc pro.
portion, that alcohol has often been found
IN the brain of inebriatcs, thereby deaden-
ing the intellect, aud DESTROYING the very
man himself; let him know all this, and he
will shun the vice of intemperance as he
would a pestilcnce. do not hesitate to
| say, that were this subject thus thorouublv