Morning appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1877-1906, 1897-11-04
TOO NJ UGH STUDY.

Recently in San Jose the County
Medical Society has taken up the
matter of school training in this city, |
and proposes TO determine if it be a
fact that pupils are being harmed by
excessive work in the educational in
stitutions. \ committee of physi-
clans has been delegated to ~investi-
gate the system of school training
and ascertain if charges recently made
against it are founded on fact. The
affair promises Developments of an
interesting character, and has attract
ell the attention of medical men and
parents in all parts OF the country.
The investigation was caused by a
sermon delivered a few weeks ago by
the Rev. DR.. John B. Wakefield, rec
tor of Trinity church. He declared
that great injury is done by injudi-
CiOuS educational methods, and par
ticulaIly by what he termed the pro
cess of "cramming.' In speaking of
the schools he said:
Young people coming to these in
stitutions frequently bring letters of
introduction and place themselves
under my pastoral care. After a
season some of them seem to lose
much of the freshness and bloom Of
health, and are no longer found in
Bible class or among Sunday school
teachers, and their attendance at
church services becomes inte1mitting.
\ few school terms pass and the girl
resigns from the normal, returns to
her home with shattered nerves and a
broken down constitution. Such
cases are far from exceptional. There,
will be found each year a Large num-
Der who are dropped from the list of
students from inability to keep up
with their classes from physical
causes.
Medical men, whose names would
carry great weight were I permitted
to mention them, men who from their
position and long residence here have
a large practice, tell me hat people
have little or no idea of the number OF
those attending Our State Normal
who are sufferers from loss Of appetite
headache, trouble with the eyes,
spinal trouble, incipient consumption,
tendency to insanity, etc. Over study
makes them incapable Of concentrat-
ing their mind on any one subject.
Thus the testimony of our medical
men is that a vety large and undue
proportion suffer from these maladies.
Now should typhoid fever or dipthe-
ria prevail in any locality the cause
would at once be investigated. II
might be defective drainage or i'm.
pure water, but whatever the cause
might be, it would be sought out and
if possible removed. But here is {
pestilence at our very doors, d de
struction which wasteth in the noon
day of life, which Stays ten thousand
where typhoid Stays but ten, anC
which we practically ignore.
l am convinced, and have every
reason to believe that I am supported
by the Judgment of the medica
faculty, hat the cause of the sac
loo~+c .x,I Ixo1-1, I~r,-, o0.,~+,t,{INx
impaired usefulness and prenatur
old age will be found in that owe
work which makes night study
necessity, thus limiting the hours re
quired for sleep. 1t Knocks at rest
and as for recreation it is an impos
sibility. Overwork caused by a mul
titude of unnecessary tasks, which a
best can only be dipped into in a mos
superficial way, and which wlthOu
in any way qualifying for the pos
ton of a teacher in our public school
occupy precious hours and interior
with that concentration of though
necessary for success III any profes
sion.
The above ought to set peopl
thinking. In the public schools
Carson the children are required
study too much. In some classe
eleven lessons are given children.
is more than the children can leaT
well and more than tie teachers prof.
erly hear.