Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-09-25
STUDY OF PSYCHO-GENESIS.
The Filth of Or. Halls Interesting Lee
lures.
Infancy and Childhood Their charae'oriS'
tics and Dangers, Discussed In the
Light of Biology.

ogo IT was the vogue to make extensive
collections of specimens to Illustrate
,be teachings of science; which col
Lotions, while they served to give ade-
ouate information of form-relations,
had the disadvantage OF being inert
and lifeless.
REAL. PSYCHOLOGY.
Museums are still useful for element
tary and Introductory work, but the
essential conditions for the advance
mont of science are the live products
themselves, just ms they occur In ma
tire Especially IL this true of child
studv. which, aside from mechanical
devices, requires no other lahatory
material than real boys and girls,
The old psychology concerned itself
,,,aInly with classifcations which, while
necessary for the sake of Il working
vocabulary are no more the science OF
nsychology in its true sense than Kit
of tools is the art for which the tools
grc used Modern psychology seeks to
know the genesis and prenatal condl-
tiOns of the mental faculties, and aims
10 trace the natural history of their
evolution towards perfection. To dis
tfrguish II from the old abstract and
metaphysical system, II has been called
child-study. which Is branch OF the
greater ttltHCt VI uiplpbN'
Child-study depends for its advance
ment upon the cooperation of teacher
and narcnt II thus binds together in
reciprocal relations the home, the
school and the university; the first two
as fields for the observing and collect
ny of facts, the last as Il place for col
lating and Interpreting them.
THE HISTORICAL METHOD.
In France this work has passed be-
4 Al "a n
corporated as part Of the natural edu-
cutional system. There Is for each dis
trict an experienced physician who
Keeps n health-b book Of every child;
noting down in chronological success
sion every fact. physical and mental,
that may have bearing in developing
its character and shaping Its destiny.
Parents keep also what IL called the
life book. wherein are noted prenatal
influences. and also the hundreds Of in
cidcnts i'm the early life of child, that
only fond father or mother can take
note Of. This book is presented to the
son or daughter ON the marriage dey.
Nor can more appropriate gift be inn
agincd. In the character Of the child
is to be found the justification of the
family discipline for its bringing up.
and the child is thus enabled to profit
both by the judiciOus measures and by
the mistakes of it's parents, when the
time shall come for II to assume the
duties Of parcnthood.
The literature of the earliest years of
Child-life Is not very extensive as yet;
but the material out of which to con-
struct such a literature is coming to be
enormous. Mr.Prcycr's book Is care
full record of one child-his own SON
during childhood. and is divided into
two parts, the physical development
and the mental development, Mrs.
Moore has given us n similar careful
an accurate account OF the psyche
genesis of her child. The near future
is likely to be much more prolific in
this branch of psychology.
THE TOPICAL METHOD.
The methods thus far named may be
called the historical, since they proceed
In chronological order. new method
the group or topical method is be-
ing followed in the child-study depart
ment of Clark University.
From "A preliminary sketch OF the
history of child-study in America"
by Sarah T.. Wltse. 1 Gull following
items not given by DIR. Hail, but in line
with his lecture: In 1851 DR.. Hall
printed the first comprehensive sylla-
bus for the study of children. and has
since been an active contributor to the
literature of child-study. Among his
contributions many OF which have
been published in other languages, are
the following: The study of chlldren's
lies" The contents of children's
minds" "Chidrens recollections."
The story Of a sand pile" and "a
study of fears" During lS94-5, he got
ont series of fifteen syllabi, circulated
them among the public schools, and re-
celved over twenty thousand answers
thereto, which are being collated for
publication. Here are the SUBJECTS /,
anger; ., dolls; 3, crying and laughing,
:, toys and playthings; 5, folklore
among children; 6, early forms of vo-
Ham tl,.. .arIxF 80
self; S, fears in childhood and youth
=, some common traits and habits TO-
some common ambitions, nerve signs,
etc; IL, feelings for inanimatc nature;
H. feeling for objects of animate ma
ture; 10, chlldren's appetites and foods;
"a, affection and its opposite states In
children; 10, moral and religious expert
ences.
There are perhaps n hundred ques-
tons in every syllabus. and then touch
every side of child-life. In 1895 a new
series was gotten out, and still another
in 1896. The generalization to be made
nom so wide an area of facts cannot
iail to be of intense interest to parents
and teachers, and will, as DIR. Clark
maintaines, furnish a new and more
scientific basis for philosophy OF edu.
cation.l
THE PARENT INSTINCT.
No better way can be named of In
iated subjects, childhood and parent
hood, than the scientific methods nov
followed in the study of children. In
terest them in the life of children
and you stimulate the instinct which
leads TO the fatherhood and mother,
mood. And education can do nothinf
better for the race than thusto stinu
late the source OF fits perpetuation.
Not long ago l was travelling in 6
car In which number OF young lady
graduates from n famous female col
lege were returning to their homes
one of them remarked that sh,
dreaded reaching her destination OF
account Of having to live with so man,
little children. II hate babies" wal
Inc response Of her seat mate, where
upon the conversation became gener
A. Judge of my establishment to fint
that all shared the antipathy agains
small children.
Here was food for reflection. VIVA
can such creatures contribute to thu
well-being Of mankind? Highly edu
Gated though they be, and cultured M
the word goes, they will yet exert onl!
a negative influence upon society
Ihelr deadened instincts will act as
blight upon the life of the race. The,
probably will not bear children; bu
tered; for what good to the race cal
be expected of unwelcomed offspring
rear down the female colleges, ] say
Whatever be its other merits, whicl
units girl either In capabllity or II