The Washington times., 1895-06-19

velOpment of all our powers One set OF
faculties developed at the expense OF
the other results in the production OF
an Individual who thwarts the object Of
his creaton-USerulnesS in the world-and
who only exists, not lives Many, today,
are pursuing their work in the world-in
bondage resulting from somebody's viola
tiOn Of The laws Of health.
We wish oar pupils to be combinations OF
intelligent brain and loyal muscle While
developing mind, we seek TO have the
physical development Keep pace. For this
purpose EICch care is given to the study OF
physiology and hygiene.
The subject OF physiology and hygiene
is an important factor in the curriculum Of
the public schools of Washington, since il
is the belief OF those whose duty it is 10
formulate a course of study" that a
well-traiued mind or q well-Stored brain
is OF little use to its posseSSor il he be
ignorant OF the laws Of health or the simple
rules for the proper care Of the person.
1t was in years gone by, and is still in
many places, the custom of those in author
ity 10 prescribe, for some of the higher
grades Ofthe schools only the study of some
abstract technical treatise on this SUBJ
iect, in he administration of which memoir
tier work was prominent feature, while
the practical means Of securing the ben
efitS Of the teaching, namely. the ability
to appreciate the necessity OF keeping our
person clean and to understand the reasons
for this necessity, seemed TO have been
passed over.
There is no time in the school life OF
the child when he is too young to have
instilled into him habits OF regularity and
cleanliness: indeed il would lie a capital
idea. were il at all practicable, 10 start the
work long before the beginning of the
school age OF The child by rendering a dose
OF wholesome advice to the mother. This
is made evident by the condition in which
some mothers are willing that their children
should appear at school.
Believing, then, that the proper care
OF the person, rs to its internal ana external
condition. is the legitimate object Of the
teaching OF physiology and hygiene TO the
children, tie faculty OF the public schools
OF the District OF Columbia, have labored
to have this important work Leein with
the entrance OF the child al the age OF SIX.
During the first and second years, that
is TO say during his sixth and Seventh year,
the child is taUGht The names and uses of
the parts Of the body in a very general
way as he is led TO observe the simplest
laws OF health and cleanliness of skin,
teeth, nails, hair and clothing, and the
correct position while sitting, standing
and walking.
In all OF these lessons the child himself
is the object from which he is taught to
make his observations, the pupils in each
inst stance being required to draw the part
discussed.
The part OF the teacher in all this
wOrF. as is the case in all of the other
grades. is TO see that the proper changes
in position. temperature, sufficient light,
etc, are maintained. In the third grade
the work Of the first two is continued,
while simple experiments. from which
the pupils are led to draw their own con-
re1w
ited. their uses explained, and their com
position shown by means Of flame and
acid. Their covering is observed and their
connection with muscles.
The interesting combination of bones
and muscles aud their uses are shown
by the use of suitable parts of chickens,
sheep. etc.
Then they discover the existence of
blood and the necessity for veins Here,
also, they do their first reading upon
the subject, using as a guide The Child's
Health Primer" At every lesson the
part discussed is before the class, and is
drawn by each pupil.
The subject of narcotics is taken up in
this grade, and the effects of alcohol
EDd tobacco are clearly shown While
children Of this tender age are, perhaps,
An comparatively little danger from the
use OF alcohol, they are in imminent
peril from the use of cigarettes
Upon a careful Investigation some years
ago il was discovered that there was more
OF this noxiOus poison used by the echiIdren
OF this grade, from eight TO ten years OF
age, than of any other. II may be, and
probably is, true that now more cigarettes
are used by boys from ten to fifteen
years of age.
The children having been made aware
or the existence OF blood aud veins, are
ready in the fourth year for an object
lesson on the heart, lungs, and skin,