The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1881-11-27
OVER STUDY IN SCHOOLS

The Toronto Globe has lately beer
interviewed DR.. Aikens, a leadine
practicing physician Of that city,
upon the effects of over-study in the
public schools. Following are ex,
tracts from its report of the eonYer
sations:
"What are the effects of ever
study as it exists in our schools?"
I'm the case of girls it leads, com
blned with lack of physical exer.
else, to hysteria among other things
and units them in after life fol-
their duties as wives and mothers.
In both sexes it sometimes produ-
ces paleness, emaciation and ner-
vous debility. The heart is rem.
dered unusually sensitive, and so is
the nervous system generally. The
nervous exhaustion leads in after
life to lack of self-centrol in many
respects, and drunkenness and other
evil habits follow.
"De you mean to say that drunk
enneSs can be traced to Over-Study
among children ?"
81 do. Even though they pursue
their studies no further than the
public-school course the seeds of
Drunkenness are Sown. Nervous
exhaustion and excitability unQues-
tionably are caused in early life by
the oVer-study and the rivalry
which exists in the schools, and a
craving of the body for stimulants
is created. I have too, in my own
practice, attended to cases of infam-
nation Of the brain which l have
reason to suspect originated in, or
was at least partly caused by, over
study. In the case of children of
nervous temperament, or Of delicate
constitutions, the effects are inten-
sltied in every respect. l am
generally afraid when [ see chill
dren, even comparatively vigorous
ones, studying hard, that besides all
the evils attending nervous excita-
bility that of short life will follow.
The nervous fire is burned away,
and the more study in youth,
particularly when physical exercise
is neglected, the less is child likely
W IodCH d SOOU aye.
"What mental effect has over
study among children?"
Mental enfeeblement is a fire.
quent result of it. do not look on
the future of the most brilliant
graduates of our common schools as
hopeful. Here and there brilliant
pupil will attain eminence in after
life, but generally it is not so. The
nervous excitability and nervous eX-
haustion in early years lead to men
tai enfeeblement, and, even apart
from the danger of falling into bad
habits, they are not likely to be as
useful members of society, or as
brilliant in manhood as ordinary
bright pupils who do not make a
special exertion to win the highest
places. Both as to longevity and
brilliant manhood and Womanhood,
the boys and girls below the pupils
who stand the highest have the bet
ter prospect. The slower, more
natural, and less forced methods of
advancement promise the best ulti-
mate results. A university course
increases the evil. L would like to
see the result Of an inquiry by g
commission into the after life Of
brilliant graduates Of our universe
ties, both in regard to long life,
habits and usefulness to themselves
and to society. | believe the in
quiry would show that the able
enough but less studious generally
live longer and occupy better posi-
tionS than those who bore off the
honors. This is also true regarding
school children"
"What amount Of home work do
you Chink children should accom-
pliSh :"
81 wouldn't give them any until
after they are 10 years Of age.
Second-boOk pupils should have
absolutely none. In the upper
classes an hour or two would do, but
the standard should be fixed not for
the average child, but for children
below the average III physical vigOr
and mental ability. I think very
many of the children would turn
out better men a women were they
to have no home work and shorter
hours at school. The coninements
and restraints imposed on the very
young children are altogether IN
natural and injurious.