, 1885-01-14
DULLNEss OF PUPILS.
10. T. johnson in Kansas CITY Journall

BY dullness Is meant that low order or
temporary condition OF the intellect, which
renders it unable to comprehend, to under
stand, to reason Dizziness is the result Of
either prenatal or post-natnl causes. Among
the most prominent prenatal causes are
parental intemperance, including excuses
of ali kinds, parental disease. accidents, and
direct transmission according TO the law that
like begets like,
The dull brain Is a dark, cold and dreary
prison house, along whose widowed walls,
palms, go slowly, cropping, searching for a
~crevice, no matter how small, through which
a CLEAN of light may creep.
We find existing outside the school, con-
tinuous or remitting causes, producing
permanent or femittent dnllness. Most
prominent among the causes Of permanent
dullneas are injury from accident, injury
from punishment, fright use Of intoxicating
liquors, use Of tobacco, general i'll treatment,
night sVudy.
A few OF the many causes OF remittent
dizziness are worry and improper clothing,
improper food, over feeding, under feediug,
loss Of sleep. over exerlion, want OF exercise
poor ventilation, injudicious punishment
Teachers sometimes ungratefully complain
that they receive no credit. Teachers re-
ceive credit for this accumulation Of dull
moss; from the parents, the superintendent,
and the school board
Did Johnnie fall in his infancy and crack
his skull, the teacher receives the credit for
his consequent dullness. Does Tommie steep
his tender brain in whisky, beer or tobacco.
the teacher receives credit for his slow prog
ress In his studies. Does Samuels father
nightly mako him the target at which to fire
stove-wood and small articles Of furniture,
r1nafu~ fko rnrada nth n fatu Hrf~LRofa
aimed with nice precision at the boys bead,
the teacher is accredited with the boys lack
OF mental activity next day.
Straps and bands are drawn so tightly
around children's limbs and bodies that tho
circulation OF the blood Is impeded; children
are chilled with too little clothing, or
Weighted down from the hips with too much;
they are stuffed at meals like a turkey pre-
pared for the oven, or starved until their
only thought Is a crust; they are feed on In
digestible food; allowed to keep late hours at
the ball, the opera, the skating rink or in the
alleys; they are allowed to stagnate in fash
ionable parlors until the blood forgets how
to circulate In their veins; they are put TO
bed in rooms Theoretically sealed, to breathe
the same foul air over and over again until
the whole system is poisoned, and yet the
teacher receives all the credit for their men,
tai incapacity.
Those conditions, methods and influences
OF the school. that may produce continuous
or remittent dullness, are numerous. These
may be divided into two classes-those that
effect the mind indirectly. through the
medium of the body, and those that effect
the mind directly, through the medium OF
the emotions or by e~xertion OF the brain.
Among the most prominent of the first
class are insufficient ventilation. want of e1-
a~~ln, a&cauufuo nuufubpnarf ~ fuuprrnar
forms Of punishment, improper positions, de-
privfng Of recess, and OBTAINING after school
for study.
The responsibility for poor ventilation, the
teachers may consistently divide with the
| board Of education, who build Theoretically
sealed boxes into which they pack children
In rows, order teachers to pour over them
the oil of control, and then wonder that they
come out sardines. For the other causes of
this class, the teachers alone must stand
responsible.
For dullness from over study, the teachers
may shars the responsibility with parentz
who constantly urge rapid promotion, and
with school officers who put up examination
papers for competitive display, and who
hold up, Tor emulation, teachers who have
accomplished remarkable results.
Constant censure, no communication, con-
tinuous storming, ridicule, sarcasm, teacher
too solemn, teacher too dignifed, teacher too
m~onotinous, punishments which destroy the
pupils self-respect, such as sitting on the
rostrum, standing on the knees, standing on
one foot, standing with bRck to class, stand,
ing with book on the head or on one or both
| outstrotched hands, standing with face in
the corner, sitting with the opposite sex,
mouth tied up, eyes tied up, any punishment
before the school.
n~L- 0.Anlfa rrnokfnr.1 uofrtro -
Hkened TO a telephone system, of which the
mind is the Central Office" sending Out
nerve tubes In all directions to receive dis
patches, which are Immediately conveyed t<
the central"
Let us step into the central office and tax,
observations The owner Of this central Il
named John.
Hush a ring. aWhat is itF' asks central
aJohn, you are a perfect numbskullP Dow
goes the index ten degrees. @You don't know
as much as you did last year1" Index ten de
grees lower. "Come to me this minutei7 In
dex to thirty. Turn your back to the classi
Index to forty. "Stand on one footi" indie,
to fifty. aNow, children. you may all laugl
as much as you pleaseIp Index drops to tn
very bottom Of the instrument, where 1
stands for several hours, perhaps days.
Let us enter another central" The owne'
Of this central is named Jake. Here we fin.
the index below zero. Herkl a ring; 3Wha
is itp asks the central. Jake, what make
you look so dull this morning, did you hav
bad dreamsf' mo, ma'am." Index goes a
ten degrees. ~Did you leave your SMILES al
at homo in our other coat pocketf @Nc
ma'am, but l can't get this example," In
dex goes up ten degrees higher. us tina
alli Well, ! wouldn't look so solemn abou
that; remember, it is the bright face tina
wins Bring me your slate and book.
aYes'm.p Index goes TO 100 above at
single bound. Let US withdraw from the OF
fee.
To conclude in the words Of the immorta
Widow Bedott, I'VE are all poor creeturs."