The record-union., 1891-03-31
WHEN DOCTORS DISAGREE.
Continuous Session" Talk Before
the Board Of Education.
DR.. Dixon Opposes the Position Taken
by the Other Physicians-A COM
promise Effected.


teachers, the doctors, the parents, and. in
fact, the public in general, for the past
week or more was finally disposed of by
the City Board of Education last night
AS the readers of the REcoRD-U UNION
are probably aware, the medical frater-
nifty, with a few exceptions, was arraigned
against the single or continuous session,
while on the other side We're the students
and the teachers.
The doctors maintained that the session
was injurious to brains in the develop
mental stage; that it did not permit stu
dents to eat at the proper time,
and did not then allow them
time to digest what they
did eat. The students and teachers main
tanned that, despite the theories of the
medical men, they were in good health,
and expected to continue so. They pre-
ferred to go hungry, or to eat hasty
lunch, in order, by so doing, that they
might have the afternoon to themselves.
The settlement reached by the Board
OF Education last night was sort of COM
promise. They did not exactly kill the
continuous session, nor did they vote tor
1t.
RECONSTRUCTED.
There was large delegation Of boys from
the High School present, and while none
of them attempted to electrify the board
with speeches, their presence had the
effect of bracing up those of the directors
who were supposed to be in favor of the
single session. But to offset this youth
ful array there was also present quite q
delegation of medical men, among them
being Drs. w. A. Briggs, Simmons,
Dixon, Parkinson, Fowler and Merrill.
Professor Atkinson of the commercial
school was also present by invitation.
The discussion was rather lively after it
had got fairly started.
When Chairman Erlewine called the
subject up for consideration, Director
Harrison asked if it were not a fact that
the board had established the continuous
session at its last meeting.
The Chairman said that such was the
case, but that was no reason why the
matter could not be reconsidered. 1t had
been stated that snap judgment had been
INDUCED in by the board. and he thought
it no more than right that those who OPP
posed the single session should be given
a chance to be heard. Since the board
had established the rule, it had listened
to statements by several of Sacramento's
mcst prominent physicians, it had read
the discussions in the newspapers, and
had heard from the students and teachers
1t was only justice now to reconsider the
matter.
Director Sherburn moved that the
order made at the last meeting be recon-
sidered, and the motion was carried
unanimously.
THE DISCUSSION.
Director Harrison moved that the re-
quest of the High School students and
teachers for the continuous session be
granted.
Then the subject was open for discus
sion.
DIR. G. NJ. Dixon was the first to adj
dress the board. The doctor rather sur
prised the other medical men present by
declaring himself to be in favor of the
continuous session. He said the medical
fraternity had made a mistake in con-
founding food in the stomach with food
would be far better for the health
of school-children if they would do with
out food from $50 o'clock in the morning
until 1:30 o'clock in the afternoon than to
eat hurried meal at noon and rush
back to school. No person could study
on a full stomach. Gladstone, Poe,
Shakespeare and other great authors
never dared to attempt
ANY GREAT MENTAL WORK
on full stomach. School-children them
selves could testify that in the afternoons
after their lunch they were dull and il
was only through will power that they
could concentrate themselves. During
the process of digestion the energies and
vitality OF the system were divided if
mental effort were attempted.
He considered it fallacious to
quote authorities in support
of position on health
proposition. In one part of the country
II was declared that all drinking water
reservoirs should be covered in order to
keep the water pure, and yet in another
locality the medical experts say that all
reservoirs should be uncovered in order
TO keep the water pure and fit to drink
Authorities were good enough to fortify
ones opinion, but that was all
In conclusion the doctor said that he
believed the position taken by Professor
Pond, the teachers and the students. in
favor of the continuous session, was right.
1t was well-known fact that it required
two and one-half hours ordinarily to di-
gest meal, and while the process of
digestion was in operation the mind
should rest-there should be no division
OF energy-and in consequence it was far
better for the student to fast than to dine
A CoNUNDRUM.
DIR. Briggs asked DIR. Dixon a rather
pointed question. "If," said he. sit re-
quires two hours and half for digestion.
and during that period there should be no
mental labor, why should not the same
rule apply to studying after breakfast?''
DIR. Dixon, after moments hesitation
IepIleQ tiIat ne Inought the same rule
should apply.
DR.. Simmons next addressed the
board, and he paid particular at
tention to the argument of Dr.
Dixon. He said his attention was
first directed to the evil of the single ses-
sion some time last year, and since then
he had given the subject considerable
thought. The more he looked into the
matter the more thoroughly he became
convinced that il was rllinOus tn the
school children. He had seen his own
son rush into the house at noon, grab
whatever was nearest him on the dinner
table, cram it into his stomach, and race
off to school again. He had remon-
strated with the boy, knowing as he did
that 1t was dangerous, and most certain
road to physical wreckage but he learned
that it was not the boys fault but that of
the abominable continuous session, with
Its l5-minute recess.
AN ABSURD COMPARISON.
DR.. Simmons referred to DIR. Dixon's
application of examples of abstinence
like Gladstone, Poe, Shakespeare and
other great men to growing children as
being absurd.
In the one case, he said, the m d and
body is in deyelopmental stage. nd in
the other the minds and bodies are
already developed and matured. 1t was
nonsense to draw q comparison of this
kind. Continuing, DIR. Simmons said
that' the more particular objection
he found to the school system,
was the keeping of scholars
Zoo long In their seats. In his profess
sional practice he had had large num-
ber OF cases brought to his notice where
@ h.8nNo