Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1859-09-08

evident that this must must be altogether toe
much for an immature one. TO suppose the
youthful BRAIN" says the recent admirable re-
port by Dr. Ray, of the Providence lusane
Hospital, "to be capable of an amount OF work
which is considered an ample ALLOWANCE Z an
adult brain is simply absurd, and the attempt
to carry this fully into effect must nee. Hilly
be dangerous to the health and y0icacy oI the
organ" Ii wonId be wrong therefore e de-
luct less than halfau,hour from ii,
ytc, I.r. even The oldest pupils odt" highest
schools leaving five hours as the limit Of real
mental effort for them, and reducing this, for
all younger pupils, very much farther,
It's vain to suggest, at this point, that the
application Of SCOTS cstmote is not fair, be-
cause the mental labor of our schools is dihe-
rent in quality from his, and therefore less eX-
hausting, 1t differs only in being more exhaust.
ing. TO the robust and ahiuent mind Of the
novelist composition was not, Of itself, exceed
ingy fatiguiug; we know this from his own
testimony; he was able, moreover to select his
own subject, keep his own hours and arrange
all his own condition ofabor. And on he 9th.
cr hand when we consider what energy and
genus have for years been brought to bear upon
the perfccting Of our educational methods
how thoroughly our best schools are now rra led
and systcmatzcd, until each days lessons be-
come a Procrutcst-bcd to which all must fit
themselves, how stimulating the apparatus Of
prizes and appauscs, how crushing the penalties
of rcproor and degradation, when we reflect,
that it is the ideal Of every school, that the
whole faculties of every scholar should be
concentrated upon every lesson and every roci-
tation from beginning to end, and that anytoiag
short of this is considered partial failure it
is not exaggcration to say, that the daily ten.
ton of brain demand OF children in our be,
schools is altogether scverer while it lasts, thaa
that upon which Scott based his estimate But
Scott is not the only authority in the case let
US ask the Psychologists.
So said Horace Mann, before lis, in the days
when Massachusetts school system was in pro.
cess of formation. lie asked the Psychologists,
in 1910, and in his next report printed the an
swers of the three most eminent. The la.e DR.
Of Worcester, promptly said, that
children under eight should never be confined
more than one hour at time, nor I-,S9 TN
four hours day: end that if any chga she "A
ed alarming symptoms Of prccoc.ty, it should
be taken from school altogether. DR.. Jamep
Jackson, Of Boston, allowed the children four
hours schooling in winter and five in summer,
,ut only one hour at time and heartily cx.
PRESSED his "dctestation Of the practice Of Civ
ng young children lessons to learn at home"
)r, ), &, Howe, reasoning claboratcly on the
Whole subject, said, that children under eight
houId not be confined more than half an hour
It timc-"by following which rule, with long
ecesses, they can study four hours daily" j.
children between eight and fourteen should not
'e coni1cd more than three-quartcrs orau hour
1t time, having the last quarter of each hour
or exercise in the ground, and he allow
ID six hours Of school in winter, or seven in
ummer, solely on condition of this deduction
II twenty-five per cent for rocCSses,
Indeed, the one thing about which doctors
10 not disagree is the destructive effect Of pre-.
nature or excessive mental labor. | can quote
'ou medical authority for and against every
maxim Of dietctics beyond the very simplest |
Dut | defy you to find one man who ever beg
geo. borrowed or S'oLe 'ne n'te OF ~ D' and
" .o' abused II lnes9 Two honorary eI,er" oy assert
"g; u"uoF '"V'r cover 'na' i cn'Io could Saiely
,1ay as mucn as a man. or that a man could
m,y S'uoy more tman SIX hourS day.
most OF the intelligent men IN the profession
'ou'! P'ooao'y aoln'C win scott ,n"t even
nat Is 100 lafSG an aIIo"ahce IN maturity 1or
'g0r0aS work OF the BRAIN =,
taxing, tnen' hYe hours as the reasonable
"'y c, i,'l'S =, o"'"' I',o'' ~. v'",I" % o' @ e4u
'"o' r'O" '"IS '"u G"U Gt "o"' - 80 uo 'oosyJ1
'''o o' 'oc'u0IS T oo!,""V"'"l Y. was a S,"""
y i"'I u '"V H'Su''S' ~ '"e way wa. w
u,P,' ',,o".u ''uuy 'no.o .n"u '"o nOu'S M'."-
Ut le'aAaNV" a; '"o i"'PoII""' qu'S'''' no" '9
US, o. - """' SS"9o' 'Ii',' W. 'o"u A"9I,'"%,
'""II VIZ S'Lu no.' iol 'nS''''C'' ~ 'Io'"S
'" 5 tI; H. " cI '% I'u'"+y ~ uSe,u, m "I'H
~, ! n"D ~ UDto'u, c,,I ,"I""y '"a' '"o ua'5
w., i li'tV0 70 10 io,'I"S' "s ,'s' III 'u'o,
no pulP''o rise @' Vi poIo'o nSo' A. NJ %' ""l
Z,', '"lJ o'ooy i'o" N,o u Io'o',' '"O i2u,S T
;I, 'I"' oo,o" ~ ois"' .",y =. Su oSNl's'' 'op
's'v W wv '"'y %io ~ 'u' SVnoo'-,Tou'' Ola
no0ls io'i '"o ~ tn'0' ,',y u,"V