The morning times., 1896-12-18


child at the public scho OILS viii be pleased
to know that the pupils at these schools
are the subject of scientific work now
in course of preparation and soon to be
published by Prof. NacG onald, specialist
OF the Bureau OF Education.
Prof Macdonald is'eenerally described
as specialist in education as preventive
of pauperisn and crime His work with
reference to the public school children has,
however, TO relation to these subjects So
that there can be nothing offensive TO
parents in his conclusions
His study as TO the children was directed
to an investigation OF the specific energies
! of the scnSbilitIcs For this purpose some
time ago Prof Powell, superintendent of
public schc OILS, and the teachers afforded
him every apI ortmity for the study of the
children. Private rooms were furnished
and the subjects were examined in such
manner al they were perhaps unconscious
of the investigation.
GRADING THEM BY INTELLECT.
Technically Prof Macdonald is trying
to establish the equation of the bright, the
average and the dull. The teachers marked
the pupils according to their ideas as being
included in any enc of these classes. Prof.
Macdonald did not have the benefit OF these
markings and pursued his Investigations
with special Instruments for the measure
ments of nerve emotions.
Some of the peculiaritjes OF nerve sensi-
blities are those 10 cold, light, heat, and
distance. The Investigations as TO heat
and cold deal with the susceptibilfties of
the classes ms against the masses, as the
political phrase is, and the results Will
be interesting as to the effects of these
on the poorly fed, improperly fed, and gen
orally anacmic children. This result will
also interest the medical world.
1t is known everywhere that in this
branch OF the bureau of education there
has been a study of the criminal classes
largely with the design of locating the
psychical lsoEigin of crime Prof. Macdonald
said last night that the origin of the
good in man and woman is, or ought TO
be, just as interesting, and he believes
that better scientific results can be had
by the study of children at the dawn of
emotions and springs OF action than at
periods when the natural impulses go
awry by reason Of improper Ell viron
ments, disappointments in life. in love
and ambitions.
SCOPE. OF THE WORK.
Itwould thusappear that heretofore the
effort has been made to study emotions
and causes OF actions analytically. Prof
Macdonald new theory appears 10 be that
the work TO get the best results should be
| done synthetcallY, 5 in the case or the
children in the public schools.
His work is necessarily OF a confidential
nature. There will be no publication of
Of h,ip ,f my
particular pupil, but each of these, as
| tested by mechanical devices, has been
used TO assist in 1.-The generalization for
| the establishment OF general laws. These
| results. Of course, Prof. Macdonald does not
care to give at present,
1t will, all. the same, be interesting to
know why we do certain things. why we
do not do certain things, how we have
acquired good or bad habits, what part
is due to the brain, and what part to the
nerves, and in fine, why classes of men
and women are evolved out of classes OF
school children.
He holds a theory that the education OF
children could best he advanced by the
separation of the pupils into classes, in
which there would be an approximate
equality OF interest a dull boy WILL for
\
boys, and he soon becomes disheartened
by being always. or most of the time, at
the bottom of the class.
| ABNORMAL WOMEN, TOO.
He said that perhaps there would be
some humiliation at first i'll the scpara
ton of the dun from the bright and the
average from the brighter SO far as making
| such invidious distinctions as the dull and
average are concerned, but in the end the
result would be TO the material advantage
of the dun and the average.
1t is not generally known that Prof Mac
donald is also making a supplementary
study OF abnormal women. This has no
reference whatever to fads or fancies, or to
the much misunderstood new woman. The
new woman. in fact, is not regarded us a
freak by Prof. Macdonald
The peculiar ahnormalty with which
he is now dealing is that emotion or i'm
pulse which leads women TO answer such
advertisements as those which invite
correspondence with view to rnatrimony,
platonic friendship. and all that kind Of
thing. Such women are numerous enough
to form q class and the study of them is
made not only from their answers to such
advertisements, but by calling on them and
getting their history so far as possible
Very many women have answered Prof.
Macdonald's own advertisements, an,
have therefore made first-class subjects
This work is not connected with the Bureau
of Educatier, but as will be inferred it is
one of Fascinating interest.