The Portland daily press., 1885-08-07
TEMPERANCE TEXT BOOKS.
Reply of the President of the State
Board of Health to the w. C. T.U.

With your kind permission, would like to
reply through your columns to the articles
from Hon. j. II. Drummond and Mrs. Mary II.
Hunt, which appeared Wednesday morning.
The State Board of Health fully recog-
nized the existence of the two provisions of
law, one requiring it to report upon works
on hygiene for the use of schools, the other
directing that all pupils in the public schools
should receive instruction in physiology and
hygiene with special reference to the effects
OF alcoholic drinks, stimulants and narcotics
upon the human system; and it endeavored
to perform its prescribed duty in such way
that those having in charge the education of
the young should be guided to the Sc
lection of textbook on hygiene con-
tanning truthful and sufficient instruction on
the action of alcohol and certain other
agents. That the Board was doing more
than was required its members knew per-
fectly well; but think that the sehool-com-
mittees throughout the State will be grateful
for this act of supererogation, and not re-
gard it, as Mr.. Drummond apparently does,
as an impertinence. Already in many schools
physiology and hygiene have been taught,
but without special reference to the effects
Of alcohol. The textbooks used have been.
in the main, fairly good, containing easily
understood explanations of much of the
structure and many of the functions of the
body, and the methods of preserving health
and doubt not the study of them has been
beneficial. Since the law concerning scien-
tlhc temperance instruction was first passed,
many books have been written and others
have been revised to satisfy the demand
which the neH legislation created, and in
each Of these considerable space is given to
the subject of alcohol, etc, but without di-
minishing the instruction i'll physiology and
hygiene 1t is not probable that scholars
will be required to buy one text
book on physiology and hygiene, in which
the treatment of alcohol, however complete,
is subordinate; and another textbook on the
same subjects in which alcohol is the main
regards is crowded into secondary position
If the former book is chosen, the scholars
will probably have their attention directed to
the effects of Stimulants and narcotics more
taken, (and it doubtless will be, if Mr.. Drum
mond is right much valuable instruction will
be dropped from the course, and much atten-
tion which had been usefully bestowed upon
the study of the care of the body will
be concentrated upon the effects of alcohol.
In this event, one result of the movement
for scientific temperance instruction will be
a diminution of the amount of teaching in
physiology and hygiene in the schools where
these branches are already taught. If Mr..
Drummond's opinion is correct book
which contains little physiology and hy-
giene with special reference to alcohol, ETC.,
will meet the requirements of the statute;
but teachers will not be justified in using one
which contains great deal of physiology
and hygiene and exactly the same instruct
ion about alcohol as the other, because
this instruction will now be incidental and
not the special object" If this is a correct
Interpretation of the law, physiology and
hygiene will hereafter receive but scanty at
tention in the schools of Maine, result
which, fancy, the people do not desire.
Mrs. Hunt does not report me accurately
when she presents certain remarks which /
made as my enumeration of the errors in her
book. When she asked me to point cut the
particular statements which were incorrect,
replied that did not remember the details
OF the book-an inability which will not be
regarded as singular when it is considered
that the report was made some weeks previ-
ously, and after the careful review of about
twenty different text books. Reasonable
people VIII not expect one to carry all these
mlnut& In his memory, especially when
there has been no anticipation of demand
for them. / stated, however, that the i'm
preston which the book left upon my mind
was that it strove to teach that alcohol, in all
circumstances. when taken into the human
system is injurious. If l understood Mrs.
was correct; and | believe that children
studying her book viii get from it the idea
OF the effects Of alcohol, which think it tries
TO convey. Seeing many of their elders using
alcohol without becoming brutalized or suf-
fering appreciable harm seeing alcohol given
to the sick with results which, not only to
their youthful minds but to the intelligence
of experienced physicians, seem most favor
able, they Will detect so great discrepancy
between the teachings OF the book and their
own observations, that they will be very
liable to lose their faith in all associated
teachings. 0ver-statement of the injuries
produced by alcohol and suppression or de-
NAL OF its benefits are, to say the least, mex
pedIent. 1t seems to me unfortunate that
number of the books written to supply the
recent demand, and otherwise meritorious,
should be blemished by such excess of asser-
ton on the one hand and deficiency ON the
other.
Mrs, Hunt has omitted the mention of an
other important criticism which made. She
informed me that she framed the law which
requires instruction concerning alcoholic
drinks, stimulonts and narcotics" On my
requesting her to indicate the portion of her
book which describes the effects of stimu-
lants, she read number of passages, the
burden of which was that "alcohol is never
a Stimulant' alcohol is always narcotic y
Il repeat from memory, as the book is not at
hand; but am certain of the substantial
accuracy of my Quotations.) No statement
was discovered by her concerning any article
which, according to the book, has stimulant
effect though it is. believe. universally ad-
mltted thai there are such-ammonia, for
example. raised the objection that denial
of the stimulant action Of alcohol could not
fairly be considered imparting information
about stmulants One might as titly regard
the celebrated chapter in the work on the
Emerald Isle rs treatise on serpents. So, if
Mrs. Hunts statements about alcohol are
correct her temperance textbook does not
fulfil the requirements Of her own law
The State Board Of Health desires to have
physiology and hygiene competently taught
in the schools OF Maine, believing that the
health interests of the people would in this
way be greatly advanced. 1t is friendly to
the project for imparting correct instruction
TO the young, concerning the effects of drugs
which enslave, and has taken pains to rec
ommend certain books which will assist in
ehls work, and to advise against the use of
others which seem to it Objectionable. That
it could satisfy all parties was impossible
1t does not purpose to give its reasons pub
licly and in detail whenever dissatisfied au-
thor or publisher complains of its criticism
but, In this particular case, it seems best to
take some notice of the animadversions which
it has received, on account of the general
nature of some of the issues, and the promi-
nence OF the persons who have expressed
dissatisfaction.
Finally, allow me, in this connection, to
odl eActb udNO lcCclftu lIOUl IL III re-
n0bscot county copy of an anonymous cir
cular, addressed "To School Committees and
Supervisors" dated Portland, August 1,
1885, and doubtless widely distributed. In
this circular the State Board of Health is
charged, by insinuatiOn, with meddling with
what was none of its business, in reporting
upon hygienic text books; with hostility to
temperance instruction; and with receiving
bribes from wealthy book publishers. While
no special text book is mentioned, there is
the W. G. I. U. is that particularly favored
by the writer of the circular. Of course,
the whole affair is beneath contempt. | glad
ly acquit, in my own mind, any member of
the Union who is known to me of participa-
ton in such work. But if attempts like this
are to be frequently made. the society may
well pray to be saved from its friends.
Yours truly,
f. III. GERRIsH
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