The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1875-10-12
Doctors and Teachers.

The following extract from an sIticle
read before the American destitute Of In
struction at Providence, July 0, 1875, b,
Miss Anna G. Bracket of New York
and published in the New England Jour
nal of Educa ion, embodies so much souut
sense on matter of great Importance t,
every parent who sends children TO school
that we transfer it to our columns
Is it not evident, then, to secure thu
highest results, the medical and the edu
cation professions should be working hanc
10 hand, aud 10 the most perfect coopera
tion ? How build house if mason work,
IN opposition tc carpenter, aud plasterel
10 painter? ? Is it not enough for US tt
have often manfu!ly to fight against an
tagonistic forces in the homes, in tn,
streets, but the medical profession. who
should he our intelligent fellow workers,
must also array themselves against Us
both openly and covertly, both directly
and Indirectly? We have quite long
enough submitted tacitly to the Injustice
It is time we should protes, against it,
The physician had to endure bis measure
OF ridlcule il the time of Chaucer aud
Moliere, we ours from the time Of Ar
i7tophanes to that Of Irving and Dickens
We know that we must always expect tu
live in an atmosphere Of blame and criti
clsm, and that we must with every dawn
ing day expect TO wonder with a curiou,
interest, not, "Will any one find fault to
lay ?" but. WHO will fiud fault to-day 2"
This we expect, but we do not expect thai
'he blame will come from profession
that ough; to know ~ better, aud who's,
members, wc cannot help feeling, take 10
great pains better to Inform themselves
We may forgive them. hut we cannot
help grudging the impcdiments which
they thus place in our way. and the in.
creased friction which they thus add to
he machinery of our daily work.
Am unjust? A child is siek or all.
ing. The anxious parent sends for the
physician, and the case is laid before him
| challenge the contradiction Of all pa.
rents who have employed physicians, to
the statement tha, in nine cases out OF
ten--nay, IN nluety. nine cases out Of one
hundred-- the phy icisn will at once rec.
ommend that the child be Withdrawn from
school, either permanently or temporarily;
and this be does without aug knowledge
whatever OF the character Of the school to
which the child goes, without any inquiry
as TO the means Of ventilation, the length
OF recitation hours, the number Of recess
es. the ability or wisdom of the teacher
He also does it without exact knowledge
as to the habtual clothing. the amount OF
sleep. the regularity and kind of food OF
the child who is weak and sckly. Nor
does be know how many parties size haa
attended. in how many private theatricals
she has taken part. how many hours she
has set before her piano or bent over her
sewing. or how few honrs she has snan.
in active exercises in the sunlight and
fresh air He docs not ask how many
DAYS in the cold of winter or the damp OF
spring her careful mother has sent her to
school with her head and face carefully
protected. whilc her feet ware clad in the
most delicate Of cotton stockings and the
thnnest Of kid boots. Does he know OF
the rich cake and pastry, and The jars Of
sweet jelly which tho kind mother pro.
vides for lunch ? Does he institute anv
inquiry into the kind of books and papers
which tho child habitualy reads? Bur
these are just the inquiries which the edu
Gator of to-day knows to be part of her
business to make; the facts elicitcd are
jnAt the facts which sho does know.
against which she earnestly protests to pa
rents and euardOns, and agniuss which
she ofren invokes, bv letter ard by per.
sonal request, the aid OF the family ply.
siciat. 1t would be easy to gather, by q
few hours inquiry of the teachers Of
larger girls schools in the city Of New
York alone, facts as TO these particulars
which would astound the readers. even
were some Of them physicians. Each Of
us who are engaged in the work finds ber
"wn sad experience but fortified aud Ger.
tiled in any conversation with another
teacher. And, 10 the name OF the wo
men alone who have been for 20 many
years engaged in this business. / protest
against the injustice which lays the whole
burden Of the ill-heslih of the children
upon our shoulders. protest against the
thoughtlessness which would assume that
even for our own interest. we do not anx
iously 'nd studiouslv seek to secure and
retain tie most vigorous health for those
under our charge. And | protest against
the injustice which assumes that our oul :
guiding motive 10 our professional work
IS our own interest.
Those Of us who have girls boarding il
our houses, and who are brought thus into
still more intimate knowledge of thoil
home.acqured habits aud customs. know
that the girls come to US sick and 20 away
we'll. We know that they gain Aesf
and color while they are at school. and
lose it often iD the holidays. These
things We state ss fact' we'll known to all
OF US. We know that We often fad them
icsuficiently provided with warm under.
clothing. and utterly unprovided with
shoes thick enough to wear upon the
street. We know their habits Of eating
dressing. aud sleeping when at home
And We claim that the health they enjoy
under our osre Is the result of the, simple
byRisuio measures Of nutritious and we'll.
snaL "A Enod a..~ad - .u.i.. L..- 4