The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1890-12-04
In WOMAN'S BEHALF.
DOMESTIC SCIENCE.


DOMESTIC SCIENCE.
rFactical Suggestions for Proper College
Instruction in This Department
Association of Collegiate Alnmnae In
Chicago, Mrs. Ellen s. Richards read .
paper on THE Relation OF College
Women to Progress in Domestic Science"
After saying that it was only Of late
years. when collcgc-brcd women have
become numerous, that we can begin to
:alk 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, IS . reward,
,r penalty, for their position rs pio-
1cers. We have been treated for
some years to discussions from eminent
mon IS 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,
II We did make one. tho position wc
Ououi0 UoAO Va VIC oNIN0uk 4uO0tlOus tuO
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
scrcnely on her way, making her place in
tho world by her practical ability, with
,ut any fuss, until you will fnd, in the
thick Of almost any fight for the right or
20. the amelioration Of any class, a col
iege-bred woman as leader. You may
work side by side with ono for years,
and not know from any thing she says
thatsshe treasures her parchment; but
whom you do learn that she has college
acgrce, you will say: 1 wondered where
slo got that power over herself which
makes her 50 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 outdo
our noighbors; above all, we must obtain
8 moro thorough knowledge Of the funda-
mental principles Of healthy living and
domestic economy. Domestic science
Was once considered rs 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 that in 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, constet-
emily with its special work. it will do.
70 guard against such tendencies.
Domestic economy will be taught theo-
retically through textbooks and lee
lures by competent instrnctress. Visible
illustrations will be furnished in the col
loge kitchen. larder, laundry, etc. with
references to. e. &, tho selection Of
meats. vegetables and other articles Of
food; their preparation for the table;
the arrangement Of rantry; the set
ting and serving Of 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
jccts 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 he 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 tho sewing
hour. and even that has long since been
abolished. Mrs. Richards continued:
"You will notice that this is the old idea
Of learning to do thing by doing it over
and over again; the idea Of the trade
school. where the apprentice has to 60
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 on
this trado-school idea. Is 1t any wonder
that the young women themselves have
rendered all such attempts more or less
futile? They had ; truer idea OF the
value Of their time In school and col
lege. The spirit OF the age has evolved
. new theory OF education out OF the
increased knowledge we have gained
through the discoveries Of science. We
now can teach the principles Of all
trades. that Is, the fundamental laws OF
matter and form, in few months, with
just enough practice to illustrate prin-
ciples, and we must bring our teaching
Of domestic science into harmony with
the broader education of the time. First,
the subject should be put in tho college
curriculum on par with the other
sciences, and as summing up Of Ill
the science teaching OF the course: for
chemistry, physics. physiology. biology
and especially bacteriology, are all only
the stepping-stones Of sanitary science.
Therefore, in the junior or senior year,
after the student has good groundwork
Of these sciences. there should be given
course Of at least two lectures week
and four hours OF practical work; the
lectures to treat OF
| II. The house and its foundations
and surroundings from . sanitary
standpoint as we'll as an architectural
one.
~. The mechanical apparatus OF the
house. heating. lighting, ventilation,
drainage, ETC., including meth DDS oi
testing the efficiency Of these.
''2 Furnishing and general care Of Z
house, including the chemistry Of clean.
ing.
~. Food and clothing OF . family. in.
cluding applied physiology, chemistry
OF food and nutrition.
rs. Relation of domestic service to the
general question OF labor, with discus
sion Of present conditions and proposed
reforms.
The practical work should consis,
of
u. Visits Of inspection. accompanied
by the instructor. to houses in process
Of construction. to those Of good and bad
| types Of both old and new.
- Visits to homes wherc tht
housekeeper has put in practice some OF
all of the theories of modern sanitar,
and economic living.
"a Conferences with successful and
progressive housekeepers.
| - Practical work and original inves
tigation in tho laboratory OF sanitary