The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1886-12-17
PHYSIOLOGY AND HYGIENE.


ture Of 1886 bill was introduced by |
Senator Harlan of Chester County re-
quiring Physiology and Hygiene to be |
taught in all public schools of this |
state. The bill passed the senate with
out dissenting vote, after which it |
was sent TO the House for concurrence
and passed that body with but little
opposition. 1t received the Governors
approval and is now one of the statutes
of the state. Similar laws have been
passed in nearly all the leading States
of the union. So that we are not be
hind in introducing this important
study in our public schools. 1t has
met but very little opposition, only
those who do not properly understand
the law and The subject to be taught,
oppose it. Hygiene may be defined to
be "a system of principles or rules de-
signed Tor the promotion of health" and
Physiology, 'the science of life." The
study of the structure Of the human
system, and the laws of the different
organs are subjects of interest to all
Every child should learn the laws Of
health, aud the conditions upon which
health and disease depend, as this
knowledge may be practiced in after
life. Diseases do not come by chance.
They are penalties for violating physi
cal laws. How can we expect our
children to obey these laws unless they
study aud understand them. Precious
lives are frequently lost through ignor-
ance. Thous ,nds squander in early
years the strength which should have
been kept for the work OF real life
Habits are often formed in youth which
entail weakness and poverty upon man
hood and are a cause of lifelong regret
The preservation of health is easier
than the care of disease. Childhood
cannot afford to wait for the lesson of
experience which is learned only when
the penalty of violated law has been
already incurred, and health lost. The
body is the instrument which the mind
uses and every child should learn how
to take care of it. The graudest gifts
of mind or fortune are comparatively
valueless unless there be healthy body
to use and enjoy them. A proper
knowledge of Physiology and Hygiene
would greatly lessen the number of dis
eases and large proportion of the ills
which now afflict and rob us of so
much time and pleasure might be easily
avoided. Our bodies are constituted in
harmony with certain laws, and every
person should learn these in order to
regulate his actions and the perform
anoe of his duties, so that health may
be unimpaired and the power of en-
joyment, activity, and usefulness con-
tiuue while life lasts. The great aim
of this study is the preservation of
health. A celebrated philosopher once
said that "It is somewhat unaccount
able and not a little inconsistent that
while we direct the young to look
abroad over the surface of the earth
and survey its mountains, rivers, seas
and continents, and guide their views
to the regions of the ornament, where
they may contemplate the moons OF
Jupiter, the rings Of Saturn and thou.
sands of luminaries placed at immeas
urable distances, that we should never
teach them TO look into themselves, to
consider their own corporal structure
the numerous parts of which they are
compos, d, the admirable functions they
perform, the wisdom and goodness dis
played III their mechanism and the les
sons of practical instruction which may
be derived from such contemplation
The Superintendent of Public In
struction in his annual report of 1885
makes the following statement:
''In regard to the recent law requir-
ing physiology and hygiene to be
taught as part of the necessary currl-
culum of our public schools, word
here may not be out of place. OF
course where children cannot read in
telligently or with ease, it would be a
monstrous perversion of ordinary com
mon sense to expect them to use text
book Their instruction must be oral ;
and such instruction must and ought
to be given, properly adapted to the
age and attainment of the pupil. In
higher grades, text books IN full con-
lormity with the meaning and pur-
pose of the law should be used and
thus all pupils, whether of low or high
grades, will receive instruction. 1t is
needless to anticipate difficulties, Chill.
dren, it is true, may spend long SER
les of years in the public schools, and
the question may in time arise whether
those who have already studied the
subject with sufficient fullness must be
made TO go over and over again the
same study, in the same form from
year to year. The law requires no
such foolish procedure. 1t requires
that each aud every child in our pub.
lie schools shall have the benefit of in
struction in the branches referred to,
and this under proper regulations
according to the age and grade
OF the pupil and in a manner
which shall exclude all useless repetl.
ton of the same elements of instruction
Only enmity to the law can warrant
such an Interpretation as will defeat
its own purpose, which plainly is tha,
all our children shall gain as much
knowledge OF physiology and hygiene
as our common schools, with their lin.
tied sphere, can give, accompanied a,
each step with a proper practical ap
plication of this knowledge in reference
especially TO the effects of alcohol and
narcotics on the human system. Such
knowledge is in itself of vast account
and such special application of it il
way of warning, properly belongs tc
the moral discipline which should
characterize all teaching, whether re
quired by definite statute or not. The
law-abiding habits OF teachers and di.
rectors give abundant assurance thai
this law will be fully obeyed. OF this
we have no doubt"
AN OID TRAcuEp