The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1882-10-26
WHOLE NO. 1845.
chronological Journal.l
Observation and Memory.

l earnestly advise all young men to
commence their studies, as much as
possible, by direct observation Of facts,
and not by the mere inculcation Of
statements from books. A useful
book was written with the title, "How
to Observe" These three words might
serve as motto to guide us in the
most important part of our early edu-
cation-a part, unfortunately, only
too much neglected. 1t is astonishing
how much we all go about with our
eyes open, and yet see nothing. This
is because the organ of vision, like
other organs, requires training; and by
lack Of training, and the slavish de-
pendence on books, becomes dull and
slow, and ultimately incapable Of ex-
ercising its natural function. Let
those studies, therefore, both in school
and college, be regarded as primary
that teach young persons to know
what they are seeing, and see whot
they otherwise would fail to see.
Among the most useful are botany,
zoology, mineralogy, geology, chemis-
try, architecture, drawing, and the
tine-arts. How many country ex-
curslon and continental tour have
been rendered comparatively useless
to young persons well drilled in their
books, merely from the want Of lit
tie elementary knowledge in these
sciences Of observation. Another fac
ulty of the mind that demands special
culture is memory. Happily, Of all
mental faculties this is the one which
is most certainly improved by exer-
else; besides there are helps to weak
memory such as do not exist for q
weak Imagination or a weak reasoning
power. The most important points
to be attended to in securing the re-
tention of facts once impressed on
the imagination, are the distinctness,
vividness, and intensity of the origin
al impression. 1t is better for the
to have distinct idea of one
fact of great subject, than to have
confused ideas of the whole. Moth
ing helps the memory so much as or
der and classification. Glasses are al
ways few, individuals many; to know
the class is to know what is essential
in the character of an individual, and
what least burdens the memory to re-
tain. The next important matter is
repetition. A man who finds it diff
cult to remember that Deva is the
Sansskrit for god, has only to repeat
it seven times a day, or seven times a
week, and he will not forget it. The
less tenacious a mans memory natu-
rally is, the more determined ought
he to be to!complement it by frequent
ineulcation. Again, if memory be
weak, Causality is perhaps strong; and
this point of strength, if wisely used,
may readily be made to turn an ap-
parent loss into a real gain. It fre-
quently happens that the man who is
slow to remember without a reason,
after the causal connection
Of the facts, and when he has found
it, binds together by the bond of ra-
tional sequences what the constitution
Of his mind disinclined him to receive
as an arbitrary and unexplained sue
Lastly, whatever facilities of
man may possess, let him
not despise the sure aids so amply sup
piled by written record. To speak
rom a paper certainly does not
strengthen, but has rather tendency
70 enfeeble the memory; but to retain
stores of really available matter, in
,he shape of written or printed record,
enables a man to command vast
amount Of accumulated materials, at
whatever moment he may require
hem. F. s. BLACKIE. i