The morning times., 1895-10-04

attached to this event On the one hand,
great universities of the United Staets are
not closed to women; on the other, proof is
given that women are ready to avail them
selves of the best opportunities afforded
them for diving into the depths OF a scien-
tific education.
These ladies' have simply taken UP the
study of Greek and its kindred branches.
Others will come, no doubt. who will want
to embrace other branches. Each and all
will be welcome IL they have the necessary
qualifications for admittance and the will
to persevere to the end.
There has been great deal of talk
about the coeducation of the sexes. 1t
has been advocated and denounced with
equal visor. Yet it has come 10 pass, and
is steadily expanding of its own momentum,
and its recognition and adoption by so
conservative an organization as the Cath
olic church will unqucstionably establish
it more firmly. The world Is slowly. per-
haps, but surely demolishing the barriers
erected by antiquated prejudice, and woman
is entering upon the broad highway OF
equal chances so long occupied exclusively
by the so-called stronger sex.
That she will make good use OF all that
is offered her none need doubt.
HEALTH OF SCHOOL CHILDREN.
The address delivered by DR.. W. W.
Johnston, on the occasion of the opening OF
the medical department of Columbian Uni
versity, few evenings ago, was more than
momentarily interesting in that il dealt in
a mastery manner with several sociological
questions. The suggestions there thrown
out are the more worthy of consideration as
coming from so eminent practitioner and
student of social conditions.
or prime Importance are Dr. Johnston's
remarks respecting prevalent methods OF
education, which are severely condemned
as retarding and injuring both the physical
and mental development OF the pupils He
describes mepigrammaucally when
he says thatit "awardSa prize to- pathological
precocity," "thatit stimulates the youth OF an
unhealthy Imagination" and requires all,
without distinction, ito submit 10 the same
inyariable law of supply and demand"
He despairs of improvement until work
bears some relation 10 health and strength,
until health comes first and learning after"
Ii is a matter well worth profound in
quiry and consideration. how f. our school
methods are responsible for the constantly
increasing percentage of insanity among
our people, and for the no less perceptible
increase of affection of the visual and
digestive organs. All these ills can be
traced to three conditions: The unhy.
gienic construction of our school buildings,
the insufficiency of systematic physical ex-
ercise, and the irrational methods of teach
ing, which latter is perhaps more correctly
described as pumping more or less valuable
facts into the memory of the learner.
Dr.. Johnston deplores, as well he may. the
sending of children to school at the early age
of five or Elk years. No child ought 10 be
put into school room until ii is at least
eight years old, and then, so far as pos
sible, the strain put upon IT. mental powers
ought to bear come proportion to its physical
development. The child ought TO be trained
to think inde pendenty, not TO be mere
memorizing and reciting machine, and school
buildings and each school room in thea
should be constructed with an eye single to
the health OF the children.
When all these essentials shall be provided.
the evils of W hich DR.. Johnston and so many
others justly complain, W i'll have chance
to be abated.