The Indianapolis journal., 1896-03-27
MIR. GOSS'S QUESTIONS
THEY WE'RE POsERs EVEN TO
wELL-POsTED PHYSICIANS.
school Teachers Examined as tn Eff
feet Of Alcohol and Cigarettes
ON Human System.

The school teachers OF the public schools
have been in furry of excitement for sew
eral days because OF an examination which
was given them Tuesday evening. Super
intendent Goss kept the examination a Sc
cret, and none Of the teachers knew that ii
was coming. The questions propounded to
the teachers were on scientific temperance,
under the provisions OF the law passed by
the last Legislature. Mr. Goss, so the story
goes. did not favor the giving OF the ex-
animation. and he accordingly entered a pro-
test. ID. NJ. Geeting. Superintendent of Pub
lie Instruction. decided. however. that the
examination should be given, and Mr.. Goss
carried out the law.
The questions which were put to the un-
prepared teachers were puzzlers. Physicians
OF the city have heard of them, and they
are talking and laughing at them. The ques-
tions are on vital points Of scientific temper
ance, and a book could be written on any
one OF them. I'm fact, volumes have been
written on them, and the Psychologists OF
the world are widely separated in their opin-
ions concerning two or three of them. The
papers which the teachers made out in The
examination are being graded, by whom re-
mains a secret. There is report that the
supervisors are attending to the work, and
again 1t is said that Mr.. Goss has selected
committee. The grading Of the papers may
depend largely on the opinions of those who
read them.
Following is the letter which Superintend-
ent Goss received from Mr.. Geeting:
''You submit to me the following: Are
teachers who have been previously licensed
subject to examination In scientific temper
ance under the provisions Of the act OF the
General Assembly Of 1852
The General Assembly manifestly intend
n1T q .F nrf0 40.
had not been taught properly under the SUBJ
1ect OF physiology, hence denominated this
as a new and additional subject. Under Sec
ton l425 or school law. approved May is, 1893,
the General Assembly provided for a COM
mon school license, not limited in time, now
ting forth the Conditions under which such
license may be issued, the General Assembly
says: And df such persons shall, during such
or higher branches in the common schools of
this State than those branches which were in
cluded in the examination upon which said
she shall be examined in such additional
branches. 1T Is clear that The intent Of the
LEGISLATURE was to require persons holding
licenses to teach in the common schools OF
the State (not limited tc time) to pass an ex-
animation upon any subject subsequently
Your board issues to teachers license SINH
lar In respect to the one referred to in the
above. and I am of the opinion that your
teachers should pass the examination in this
quirements OF the law
According to instructions. the teachers as
sembled and attempted to answer the ques-
tions. 1t was provided that any four of the
hve given could be answered. Following
I. Has alcohol any of the properties of
food? II so. what?
'2. What are the physical. mental and
dren? Who should attempt suppression of
the cigarette habit among school children
parents, teachers or the State? Why?
TAnf 6ann ala .AI hnw
coagulation Of the blood? What does this
suggest as to surgical operation?
IL What rule would you prescribe for an
individual as to the use Of any narcotic or
'5 Does the use of spirituous liquors en-
able the. body to. resist the influence of
Concerning the first question there is a
wide difference Of opinion. Strictly temper
ate people have held that alcohol is in no
sense food. On the other hand there are
noted Psychologists who have written much
TO prove that alcohol ia food This class
OF scholars have performed experiments to
prove that 1t is. They have limited them
selves to a certain amount of food and noted
the gain in flesh. and then taken the same
food with alcohol. with the purported result
of Psychologists maintain that alcohol in
itself is not a food, but Ii prevents the waste
OF tissue. and hence Is oftentimes valuable
in the treatment OF wasting disease.
The answers to the second question, that
Is, the first part Of II, were probably much
the same. PnySl0lCglStS 90 not dlffer mucn
concerning the use of cigarettes, but there is
a difference concerning the effects of tobac-
90. AS concerns the use by school children,
however, all will probably agree that 1t is
a bad thing. The teachers were at a loss
TO explain whose duty ii is to suppress the
habit. There are teachers who think the
parents should prevent the habit, but a ma
jorlty of the teachers are said TO have re-
piled that IL Is the duty of parents. teachers
and the State TO suppress the habit.
Local doctors say the answer TO the third
question depends upon the amount of alco-
hol taken, and one or two also expressed
themselves at loss TO understand the in
tended meaning OF the question. A super
visor Is credited with saying that the in
tended answer was that alcohol prevents
coagulation and increases the heart action,
causing the danger of hemorrhage during
surgical operation. Long articles have been
written on the subject implied by the ques-
ton.
Concerning the fourth question there are
differences. especially by the different schools
of medicine. Several Of the teachers an
swered the question by saying that they
would not prescribe at all but send patient
to a physician. There are doctors who pre-
scribe stimulants and narcotics, and there
are others opposed to their use. The
Psychologists are pretty well agreed on the
fifth question, TO the effect that spirituous
liquors may have a temporary power to en-
able the resistance Of severe cold but the
after effects have opposite effect.