The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-11-26

either Unborn or acquired. Just as much as the
inability to distinguish certain colors Is an
anomaly. DR.. Preyer. therefore. deems II de-
sirable that in schools Of little children. unless
there are imperative counter reasons no child
should be excluded beforehand from instruc-
tlon In singing and music. but only In case he
makes no progress after = somewhat pro-
| tracted trial.
~.
To the awakening OF the senses IN infancy
follows the evolution OF feelings. motions.
| and temperaments. II Is we'll known that be-
| sides the 1--WE special senses dealing with ex-
tcrnal I'm prosslons, there are also In the adult
human being general senses. through which
| we experience feelings OF ths body, M. for ex-
ample. pain and pleasure or OF discomfort and
| comfort The new born child doubtless brings
| with It into the world already develo ped the
nerves indispensable to such feelings as are
| aroused by internal stimulants Even at very
| carly period the voice OF the child is different
one when 1t cries from hunger from what the
voice Is when 1t cries from pain. But although
such differences In bodily feelings assert
themselves at tho verv beginning OF life.
yet separation OF them like that
observed In the adult is as yet far from com
piete: even during later life. indeed, no human
being gets so far as to separate all his general
feelings rs sharply from one another as he
can separate colors and tones. or to locate
them as definitely In his body as he does the
Impressions OF taste. Dr. Preyer has in mind
here not only headache. neuralgia OF the face.
inflammations. stomach ache. sdeache. and
nausea but also feelings unrol ated to diseased
conditions. such as hunger and thirst. safety
and disgust. fatigue and sleepiness In the
grown person it is hard to separate the mem
bers OF these couples from each othor while.
in the little child. these feelings are still more
like waves pouring over one another. which
nobody takes the pains to bring separately to
the child's con sciousness. because no one Is
really well informed as to this department OF
general feeling.
1t is nevertheless certain that the sensations
experienced by an infant through the skin
fall very early into two we'll marked groups.
sensations OF touch and sen sations OF temper
aturo. In the first group the chief ofice Is
performed by the hands, which are obliged to
master Extraordinarily greater variety Of
impressions than are all other portions Of the
body. The lips and the tongue are the only
parts that might vie with tho finger tips for
precedence. In sucking. which is the chief
occupation OF every human being during it's
first half year. the sensory nerves of the
lips and tongue have an extraordinary
amount OF exercise. Here is the source
OF the greatest enjoyment. no matter
er's breast or is provided with a nurs-
ing bottle: upon this is concentrated all the In
cipient intellectual life. and hence It Is nat
ural that new objects. II small and porta-
BILE. should be put into the mouth or at least
brought to the mouth. as soon as the child can
seize with sureness. The temperature OF the
object touched Is moreover OF great i'm portance.
II milk Is but little too cool or too warm. 1t Is
refused. Again. II tho water OF the bath is a
IL H. -. II L. l..
siderably warmer. the child screams as IL a
wrong had been done to it. or as II It were
frightened. and 1t may very early make move
ments that leave no doubt OF the existence OF
unpleasant feelings caused by too great COOL
ness or warmth. 1t is not possible however.
to determine with certainty the date OF the
child's first emotions proper. The easiest
emotions to Investigate In little children
with reference to their physioRnomic express
sion are fear and establishment With the
earliest appearance OF these emotions In chill
dren. DR.. Preyer finds 1t instructive to COM
pare the corresponding states In animals
When the bird dog. for instance. is astonished
at the flame the first time q fire 10 made on
the hearth in his masters room. or when he Ia
terrified by the bursting OF q soap bubble |
floating In the air. or when he wonders at the
movements OF a fan. which seems to vanish |
on Its being clapped together and to appear
again when opened. he 10 In the situation OF |
the little child in whom that which is incom-
prehensible excites establishment At the |
same time the difference between the human
being and the brute is. even at this early
stage. Unreasonable. For the first astonlsh- |
ment OF the child leads on to the |
careful consideration OF q countless number |
OF sense Impressions. each one of which |
gives to its little brain special stamp. as 1t |
were: later. these all combine as memory i'm |
ages to form new thoughts. The brute. on the |
contrary stops at simple astonlshment. and |
this Is peedilydiminished with the repetition OF
the same impression. The school OF astonish- |
ment every human being must go through for |
himself A child incapable OF wonder cannot, |
under any circumstances, be expected to have
a normal intellectual and moral development, |
for It is owing to establishment ultimately that |
q new impression OF sight or sound aud. In less
degree. an impression OF touch. temperature.
smell. or taste acts very strongly on tho sense
mechanism concerned. When therefore as
tonish ment IL exhibited By a child at insignih-
cant things phenomena long since become in
different to grown people. the parents have
reason to rejoice at IT. According to DIR. Preyer.
this phase OF psychoRenesis ought normally
to be reached in the second quarter OF the first
year. or. at latest toward the end OF that period
II 1t comes later. or not at all. then the after
deyel opment OF the intellect must also be tardy
or defective, because all our knowledge is pro-
cured through our sense Impressions; and
when these are deficient there is an irreme-
diAbls lack. Just as when the sxcItability OF
the nerves Of sense are inferior or wanting.
v.
Fear. too. is one OF the miEhtisSt teachers
during childhood. But our author would draw
a distinction between inherited and acquired
fear although both Of them manifest them
selves In the child by the same external sign.