Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1873-02-18
EDUCATIONAL COLUMN.
a(coznnunicstsi)
Relation OF Education to Insani' Y

Il =
Commissioner Of Education for 1871
'on aims among its many vaIu bl.
articles, an exhaustive review of tire
nhJect expressed by the above title
y DR.. Edward Jarvis, author OF
''andsrd text books on Physiology.
la it's perusal one meets with mary
nar,ling suggestions and Significant
facts. III
Eiueation, hich, ought to be tn.
guardian and preserver of our men
al and physical health. is seen 10
play an impor ant part in rendering
portion of mankind insane The
Overstrained and laborious efforts OF
the brain, caused by the desperate
sttempts of teachers and parents I,
make pupils accomplish wonders il
he briefest possible time, too Otter
cause the utter ruin of the minc
they honed to strengthen aad adorn
The gifted young intellect is now
and then g)aded on by ambition anc
pride, beyond its real power of en-.
durance; as the race-horse may be
kept ia training 80 long and subjects
ef 10 such exhaasting trials, as to
break him down before the rae,
comes off. u
True education does not require
that the mind shall be pushed &c liz
utmost capacity of labor when still
immature. If education is a mere
preparation for heavier labors and
greater responsibilities, there shouIc
ever be q reserved amouRt of brain
power on hand till The real bushes :
of life in after years demands il
But it is possible to so exhaust tb.
mental powers by over-use, that &,
some later time slight additions
cause, like ill-health, disappointment
grief or fear. will complete the orh
of destruction and send the highl,
educated person to an Insane Asy,
lum.
Insanity exiats in very different
degrees 10 different nations. The
only tribes wholly free from it are
those wholly uucivilized. Among
savage races it is unknown. The la
Dor OF their minds is too trifiing Il
lead to mental disease. But as mar
progresses, new and intricate sub
lects of thought arise, and the brait
is more severely taxed. He hal
more wants to supply, more passion
to crafty, more vices to practice
and now and then an unhappy be
ing is found maniac The highe
the civilization the greater th'
percentage of lunacy.
True civilization and education
are not responsible for this; but such
customs and practices as We encour'
age, and which pass for civilization
aud education in common parIance
must bear heavy share of blame II
the sad results that frequently arise
The more the young and tender minC
is burdened, excited and wearied
whether in good cause or bad, th'
greater the danger of total wreck
The result is equally terrible, W neither
it arose from sudden freight or Ions
hypochondria, from intense study
or from reading dime novels fr0u
religious excitement or intemper.
ance from Desperate speculate on
or political defeat from disappoint-
ment in love or from physical caus
es.
DR.. Jarvis says: Education caus
es directly but little insanity. In 1
table OF l741 cases, only 205 ar,
from excess # study, and zoo from
mental struggles and anxiety, while
1884 were from business troubles
ln this table we find about IL pei
cent charged TO excessive study
while the number cbargeable to in,
temperance is usually only ten pei
cent.
But education lays the foundation
of q large portion of the causes OF
mental disorder. Among the album
dsnt teachings Of the schools, the in
separable connection OF mind and
body holds insufficient prominence.
Among our countless Improvement ia
there yet remains the frequent error,
both Of faith aod practice, that the
human mind has no limit TO it's ex :
FEASIBILITY, none to its capacity for
labo, that the work of the brain
may begin with the earliest dawn OF
sense, aud be increased as fas, az the
ambition ofiriends aud teachers may
require ; aid that IN all the fields Of
study. observation or thought.
whether with books. business or poll
ncs, the utmost perpetual strain may
be kept up, with ut danger of over
asking and exhausting the energies
and destroying the mental balance I"
"rhese dangers are sirewn all
along the path of life. Education
and civilization have created or in
creased them, and should be held re-
sponsibe for them. to save the world
from the mental Injury which they
threaten"
Education has thus far wrought
an Incomplete work What il has
done is we'll done, but there is yet
more for it TO do. 1t has yet TO
show man and woman how they
may use the great trust committed
to them. the care of themsslres How
ever well prepared for the rec gniz-
ed responsibilities Of life, there is YET
this first responsibility that comes