The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1869-07-23
Debility In Children-Mischief OF
Overtsxing children In school
Disease and Death.

Disease and Death.
At the recent meeting Of the Wisconsin
State Medical Society paper was read BY |
DR.. Waterhouse,o of Portage city, on the sub.
feet OF Debility In Children, especially with |
reference to the evils OF overtaxing children |
In our schools, the facts and suggestions OF |
which were deemed so valuable that q rcso-
luton was adopted requesting Its general /
publication by the press, for which purpose |
II has been revised by the author. We copy |
a few passages.
ON our common schools Of the present day, |
everywhere, but more especially In cities |
and the larger villages where the best teachers |
are sought and generally obtained-every In |
ducement, every incentive that can be de-
vlsed and brought to bear to stimulate and |
encourage study Is faithfully and persist
entity applied. The consequence is that
many Of our bright and best children Of from
six to ten years Of age are performing moro
study, more mental labor, than most Of the
business men, or more than their teachers.
am aware that many children are sluggish
in temperament, and will bear and seem to
require great urging to get them to learn;
yet, with many OF this class, II is their rapid
growth that takes away their energy, and
even ability to study; and consequently you
must fail to get them TO learn much until
they cease to grow 80 rapidly, or II you sue
coed In getting study out OF them, you In.
ducc an@mia. What else can you expect :
You cannot get more from tho blood than
there 10 In III and since the blood must sup
ply nourishmcnt to the brain and the body
and all Its organs, for their growth, besides
repairing the waste Of all their cxcrtions, II
follows that whenever you tax that fluid
beyond its income, anDmia Is the result.
"For the purpose OF illustrating this mat
ter more perfectly than could otherwise do,
| | describe the case Of bright, Intelligent
girl Of about IL years Of age, Of good form
and Of previous good health, who began
early In January last to decline In health and
strength. She had cold feet and hands,
weak pulse, universal paleness Of the skin;
the lips and tongue were absolutely white,
with dizziness on rising from recumbent
| posture, swelling OF the feet In the after part
OF the day, the effect Of gravitatlon. The
| blood vessels, being too weak to carry tho
blood upward, or even support for any length
Of time the column Of watery blood In the
upright POSTURE, 1t naturally grayltates away
from the head to the feet. She had constt.
patton, palpltatlon OF the heart upon slight
exertion, and general muscular prostration.
Upon Questioning the parents as TO the his.
tory Of the case, u appeared THAT ohe had
been attending school from the beginning Of
the winter term, had studied hard, and
learned we'll, in all tho branches usually
taught In the city high school, and showing
good qualities for music, she had pressed
forward rnpldly In that and, Ia addition,
she was good reader, aud had been In the
habit OF reading, after her lessons In music
and otherwise books and papers I'd WkUm.
Amer careful scrutiny OF the case, and
finding no local disease, nor other rational
cause for the anemia, ] came to the con-
clusion that 1t was from ovcrtaxing the brain.
She was accordingly taken from school, and
her music and reading considerably rc-
sttcted. Gave her preparations OF iron, and
she rapidly improved, aud finally recovered
"Another girl OF about ton years of age.
a sprightly, brilliant child OF hlgh.wrought,
nervous temperament, Of good form and OF
previous good health, began about two
years ago to have convulsIcns or cpilepti-
} form spdsms. The child was attending
, school and learning fhst, indeed excclling
: most OF the other children of her age. On
examination there appeared indigestion and
moderate anpmia, with functional torpidity
Of the liver and bowels. The commissions
were controlled by chloroform, oil of tur-
pcntinc, oil OF amber, &C., and the child
taken from school, and no further trouble
, occurred until the next term Of school, when
indigestion came on and she again had con.
WILSON'S, which were contracted as before;
, but owing to the entrcaties of the child she
was allowed to continue In school, and not
I outstanding the most careful regulation Of
, commissions continued from week to week
until she was removed from school, and her
study aud reading restricted, when the con-
5 vulsiOns ceased; and since that time, at each
recurring term of school, the child has been
| allowed to attempt to study, and at each time
+ had return Of indigestion and commissions.
c "Another Of about twelve years Of age, oil
S lively. nervous temperament, rather tall
and OF delicate frame and constitution,
I became, during each school term, more oil
less anrmic; had indigestion, with all Its
usual concomitants, and, In addition, de.
veloped Cherra, ct. Nitus' dance.) This
h child, on being taken from school and
treated to preparations Of bismuth and irsn
d recovered well.
;. Sand thus this list might DO extended In,
n definitely, and include persons of all ages
II and though believe II Is not as frequent il
9 males as In Gcmales. yet II Is very often seen
/. In boys, and not unfrequently In ministers
@ and other professional men addicted to hard
d study. 1t is not pretended that all children
l. who go to school, nor even q majority, are
d thus taxed beyond their capacity; but | am
o confident there are more OF such cases
n among us-especlally among tho most prom
/, aware OF. Anemia OF the brain, itself, ID
. believed to be by far the most frequent cause
q Of the conyplscne or children and others
| and considering the effect Of sI7ayiiiy on tho
( column Of blood In an anrmic person In the
i upright posture, and the fact that the skull
c Is closed cavity, and exactly filled by its
|, appropriate structures when the blood vcs.
= sells are full, II Is evident that the effect oil
Il any drain upon the veins downward or fail
l. ure In the arteries TO carry the due amount
70 upward, must be to form vacuum, and q
% consequent suspension, for the time being
at least, OF all the functions OF life. The
Individual IL said to be faint, and either falli
a or Is laid down, and the force of grayt,
o thus directed as much to the head as tC
10 other parts, the brain Is again supplied will
its natural stmulant, and the fainilng Il
,e over. In Wow of oil this the wonder Is, no
,r that We have SO many cases of the variou'
q low forms OF brain dseases-such as soften
Is Ing, tubercular, meningitis, hydrocephalus
D. insanity, idlocy, &C.. but that we do no
have more of II.
l. ''The natural pride of parents In thei
It children leads them, In many cases, int
a over-anxiety to have them excel In school
q or fear In other cases that their daughter
may not properly finish their education
II music and other accomplishments, befor,
q the time arrives when they will get married
V which period nowadays Is placed a humble
Of days earlier than II formerly was or ough
O to be. These-combned with the uppermos
c thought In the American mind that the bes
S. interests Of their children and their country
r ucIiilnu lhnt every cNcrtlOn shOuld be mad,
o to hasten aud perfect the education of the
10 rising generation, then the industry ant
s. ambition Of teachers to excel one anothe
and please the patrons Of their schools, aut
their laudablc desire, In the general Interest,"
= Of education, to advance their scholars will
i the greatest possible speed, as well as thci
l. particular pride In the brightest and mos
C apt ones-all this, though well for the inter
d ests of education in general, has the newt
&c able tendency to oyertaX a certain class
( Just as any law, adopted for the genera
10 good, will bear heavily on certain lndl
&c yiduas, SO In this case, In the general anx
D, icty and exertion to educate the children
y many of the best ones arc killed or RUNE,
II In health.
!. 81 am satisfied that many of those sor
l. rowful-looking, sickly, hysterlcky female
J. and others afflicted with dyspepsia, consump
Il ton, ricketts,, &C., may date their loss o
If health back 10 their school days, when the,
d either voluntarily or by compulslon, were
n too many hours getting too many and toe
J. long lessons.
e 81 am confident that many cases Of ana
! mia In children from over-taxation In schoo
/ un nm aud IN narbap iii