Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1890-12-11
In WOMAN'S BEHALF.
DOMESTIC SCIENCE.
Practical Suggestions for Proper Collei
.nstruction In This nenartment

Practical Suggestions for Proper College
instruction in This Department.
At the recent annual meeting OF the
Association Of Collegiate Alumnae in
Chicago, Mrs. Ellen S. Richards read a
paper on 'The Relation of College
Women to Progress in Domestic Science"
After saying that it was only Of late
years, when college-bred women have
become numerous, that we can begin to
talk of their influence or define their
work, Mrs. Richards continued:
'As individuals, they find their own
work; but in some respects it seems to
me that they have. as class, certain
obligations laid upon them, as a reward.
OR penalty, for their position as pio-
some years to discussions from eminent
men as to our mental ability, our moral
and physical status, our prediction for
matrimony, voting or the Presidency;
but the kind of home we should make,
/ If we did make one, the position we
should take on the servant question, the
influence we should have on that center
and source of political economy the
kitchen, seems to have been ignored.
Meanwhile, the college woman has gone
serenely on her way, making her place in
the world by her practical ability, with
out any fuss, until you will find, in the
thick of almost any fight for the right or
for the amelioration of any class, a col
lege-bred woman as leader. You may
work side by side with one for years,
and not know from any thing she says
that she treasures her parchment; but
when you do learn that she has college
degree, you will say: i wondered where
She got that power over herself which
makes her SO strong" Mrs. Richards
spoke of domestic science as sorely need
ing to have trained minds brought to
bear upon it, for the relief of distressed
housewives. The essentials of a COM
Portable home must be separated from
the non-essentials; we must cease to be
bound by tradition, or to seek to Guido
our neighbors; above all, we must obtain
a more thorough knowledge of the funda-
mental principles of healthy living and
domestic economy. Domestic science
was once considered as important part
of college education for women as
Greek or mathematics. Mrs Richards
called forth much laughter by reading
from the prospectus of Vassar. issued in
! 1865, the statement thatin college young
woman lis in danger of forming tastes
and habits tending to unfit her for her
allotted sphere" and the assurance that
whatever the college can do, consist
emily with its special work, it will do,
to guard against such tendencies. g. f, &.
Domestic economy will be taught theo-
retically through textbooks and lee
lures by competent instrnctress. Visible
illustrations will be furnished in the col
lege kitchen, larder, laundry, etc., with
references to, e. g., the selection of
meats vegetables and other articles of
food; their preparation for the table;
the arrangement of pantry; the set
ting and serving of a table; carving;
care of silver and cutlery; washing, iron
ing, ETC., etc. Regular hours for sewing
will be allotted to all the students, first,
for the repair of their wardrobes, and
then for ornamental or benevolent OBJ
jects of their own selection. In these
sewing groups, under the direction OF
competent teachers, opportunity will be
afforded for many useful suggestions,
and, to some extent, regular instruction
may be given in Plain and Ornamental
Needlework." So rapidly did the ideas
of college education for women change
that three years later the only vestige
OF this programme left was the sewing
hour, and even that has long since beer
abolished. Mrs. Richards continued
You will notice that this is the old idef
of learning to do a thing by doing it ovel
and over again; the idea of the trade
school, where the apprentice has to &C
through all the steps day by day me
chanically, till he can not help doing
them right. All former efforts to teach
domestic work in schools have been OF
this trade-school idea. Is it any wonder
that the young women themselves hav,
rendered all such attempts more or les
futile? They had truer idea of thu
value of their time in school and col
lege. The spirit of the age has evolved
new theory of education out of tht
increased knowledge we have gained
through the discoveries of science. w
now can teach the principles of al
trades. that is, the fundamental laws o
matter and form, in few months, witt
| 30 l1,,cA 10 IL,
ciples, and we must bring our teaching
of domestic science into harmony wit
the broader education of the time. First
the subject should be put in the colleg
curriculum on par with the othe
sciences, and as a summing up of al
the science teaching of the course; 70
chemistry, physics, physiology. biolog
and especially bacteriology, are all onl
the stepping-stones of sanitary science
Therefore, in the junior or senior yeal
after the student has good ground-wor
of these sciences, there should be give
course of at least two lectures wee
and four hours of practical work; tn
lectures to treat of
81. The house and it's foundation
and surroundings from sanitar
standpoint as we'll as an architecture
one.
SO. The mechanical apparatus of tn
house, heating, lighting, ventilation
drainage, etc, including methods (
testing the efficiency of these.
"S. Furnishing and general care of
house. including the chemistry of clear
ing.
, -. Food and clothing of a family, il
GLIDING applied physiology, chemistr
of food and nutrition.
= 80 Relation of domestic service to Il
general question of labor, with discu
sion of present conditions and propose
reforms.
The practical work should consi
of
II. Visits of inspection, accompanit
by the instructor, to houses in proce