The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-01-31
HOW TO REMEMBER WELL.
Prof Loisstte Explains the Causes Of
Poor Memory.

POOR Memory.
A large audience was at the theater last
night to hear Prof. A. Loisette's lecture
upon assimilative memory. 1t included
many prominent citizens and well-knOwn
business men, besides a number OF ladies.
With the exception of the boys in the
gallery the audience was interested in
the subject of improving the memory. and
listened to the lecture with close atten-
tion.
Prof. Loisette is a fluent and entertain
ing speaker. He is a large, fine looking
man, about go years Of age, clean shaver,
with forid complexion and has a pleas
ing address. He evidently has thorough
| confidence in himself and his method Of
strengthening the memory.
The lecture lasted for over an
| hour. Prof. Loisette began by ex-
planning the causes of poor memory,
which is such a general complaint in this
country to-day. Vices and the abuse Of
the physical and mental powers, he gave
as one cause. A more common cause he
said, is the general prevalence of novel
reading and the manner in which novels
are read by the American public. The
county is flooded with cheap novels of
every description, many Of them of vic
ious character, which are devoured by
the public by wholesale. The conse-
HuIhNO VI AlulSCTlLIuAdLC uOfGl
| reading, Prof. Loisette said, is
that while one of these
books interests for the moment it is for
gotten almostas soon as it is read, and
the result is the mind is educated TO the
habit of allowing things 10 slip from il
without attempting to retain them.
The greatest and most common cause
of the poor memories and the inability to
contne the mind to the subject in ques-
no a
are SO commonly afflicted, Prof. Loisette
attributes to the system of educating
! children In the common schools. Upon
this he laid the greatest stress. The result
| OF the manner in which young children
are taught in the schools is to train them
to habits of inattention and to unfit taem
| for habits of studiousness. The child
| from to years, he said, whose thoughts
are naturally more upon play than upon
! anything else, is takenintothe school and
| compelled to learn everything by rote in
o parrotlike and mechanical manner
| This they are compelled to do in a room
where recitations are in progress and
! where things are constantly occurring to
distract the attention of the child from
| the lesson.
The result. Prof. Loisette said, is that
| the child learns mechanically. with the
| eye and ear, and without comprehending
| what he is able TO repeat. He learns by
| rote, but his intelligence does not assimi-
| late it. Prof. Loisette diScoursed briefly
| the kindergarten schools for young chill
| dren as the greatest educational move
ment Of modern times, and one which is
| destined to occupy a prominent part in
| the scheme of education of the future.
His remarks upon the kindergarten sys-
tenn were heartily applauded.
Prof. Loisette dwelt at some length
| upon the wandering of mind from the sub
| ject in hand as the greatest trouble with
which sufferers from poor memory have
to contend and the ability to command
| attention by the power Of the will as the
| keynote to the situation.
| The lecture was illustrated throughout
with interesting anecdotes. Prof.
| Loisette announced at the close of his
lecture that he will give a course of
three oral lectures, commencing at ii
O'Clock this morning, at the Catholic Ii
| braPy Hall. There will be a day course
and night course, and parties having
secured tickets will be admitted to
whichever course is most convenient to
them. The day lectures will be held in
the afternoon after today. The night
| lectures will begin at o'clock.
A little book containing the rules which
have been discussed will be furnished the
pupils at the close of each lecture
| Prof Loisette claims that his theory Of
improving the memory is a secret, and
| each pupil enters into a contract not tC
betray it. The price of his course of lect
| ures is So except to former pupils, who
have taken instructions by mail who viii
be taken for SIS.
| Judging by the interest taken last night
Prof. Loisette will secure a large elias:
| here