Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-04-03
STUDY OF. CHILDREN
LAST LECTURE or THE THOMAS
COURSE By PROFESSOR HALL.
FROM INFANCY TO DAYS OF MATURITY
strange Developments In the Infant.
4 Careful Selection of TOys-The
tuition of College Cap and Gown.

tuition of College Cap and Gown.
Professor q. Stanley Hall, president
Of Clark University. delivered the fourth
and last lecture of the Thomas Memo
rial Course in the chapel OF Richmond
College last night before large and
distinguished audience. The series has
been one of uncommon interest, cover
ing the vast field Of the new psychology
and has attracted the attention not
alone of the scientific and literary CIR
ces in the city, but OF nearly every So
ciai element. The College chapel mas
been crowded TO its capacity on each
occasion and the lectures have been
so intensely interesting that they have
been followed with the closest attention
and received with demonstrations oil en-
thusiasm.
DR.. Hall is a peculiarly impressive
speaker. He does not strain a1ter
rhetorical effects, but appears to speak
ont Of the fulness of his knowledge.
He speaks from notes, but his finger Is
ALWAYS on the pulse of his audience. and
he dwells particularly on such points
as appear to be the most entertaining:
His addresses scintillate with dashes oil
bumor. and are Illuminated with anec-
dote and story. that make even the
most deeply scientific parts bright and
| clear.
APPEAR IN CAP AND GOWN.
1t was nearly $50 o'clock when Pro-
fessor Hall and Professor Boatwright en-
! tered the college in scholastic cap and
gown. They were greeted with loud ap-
| plause. ,,.,.,..
Professor Boatwright, In introducing
| Dr Hall said that the lecturer had IN
sisted that he should make some eN-
planation Of the regalia in when they
anneared. IL had been suggested some
| time ago that the faculty shouiu auop.
| the intercollegiate cap and gown, ana
| the present had been selected as the oc-
| casion 10 anpear i'm them for the first
time In the northern colleges ana all
| the colleges and universities in Europe
no said the cap and gown were woIh'
| the colors of the college at Whlch tne
! degree was obtained appearing III lhe
| hood Having made this explanation
| professor Boatwright took occasion 10
compliment the people OF Richmond Ioi
| the interest they had mamiesteu III ~
| Halls lectures Never before, ne aS
serted. i'm the history OF the cohese' hau
| such large audiences gathered 10 near
on,,rso of lectures. He then introduced
| Dr Hall who. he said. would speak on
Genetic Psycholo gy and Child STUDY
crr-nv oF CHILDREN TAUGHT.
The study Of children said Dr. HsI, Is
now being taught from seven acadsnllc
| chairs i'm eleven normal schools, Dy dout
teen State associations, ana over ,{,S ~ 'S.e h
| and city organiZauohs. ~. ENeiS "a hrip~s
said. is a bearer OF here1htty' tTaits s'i nf lis
| into the world not only the lalls ol ~
| fatber and mother, but or ts grdilu-
narents. great-grandparents, an9, an9 lls P5, Pa5E
qenitors for many generations. IHs sttus
Sf a child begins not at its birth. but pc
fore II The saying that it takes twenty
generations 10 make a gentleman al alrdd
such like statements, however aosJii aroaiiv
they may appear on their race, are ieaiy
or,iie Correct. There are l54 dinerent
T,1dimentary organs in the adult DOuy'
which suggest animal forms OF eHlslehhSSiSii
Some of these are larger III lis, III are
man in man; some of the largest arr arr
reVer used in the life OF man. by way
Of Illustrating this, DR.. Hall SPOKE OF lne
tadnole's tail 1t was rudlmentdIy oI-
gan. but if IT was cut on, the llo5 iHbo bo
which the tadpole developed Moulu nc
'.itbout hind legs Professor ROBINSON
had made a number of eXpeTlmenls MI MI
| newborn babes in hospitai WIN MHtrn t
he was connected. He had lifted the IN
fants, clingng 10 cane INTO tne az,
! baIine first prepared feather Deds 80
! mai When they fell they could not huIt
| themselves. and had tuned lhein 10 STe
ho,w long they would hold on 10 the SUCK.
! Over 200 had been submitted by professor
| Harrison TO this test. and the shortest
| time that any of the babies had heIu on
to the stick was three nllhutes, WI VIZ
| The longest was seventeen minutes ana
half. a feat which no athlete could per-
~ Why IN has the infant this power; and
| uhv does IL lose it? asked DR.. Hall. II
W. he ne said, that some rudmentary
! nrean has survived in the muscles OF the
! forearm of the human infant, rom INC
| time when our progenitors were apes
CHARACTERISTICS OF MEMBERS.
The lecturer then went on TO the DIS
| cusslon of characteristics as evidenced III
! the different members of the body; the
, hands. the tips Of the fingers, the fore
! arm. trillng, or the growth OF accuracy
! i'm muscular discrimination; the nose
! and the form and function OF most Of The
| features of the body. The American boy
and girl are taller, he said than those OF
any other country. Growth in children IN
| dicates immunity from disease. Directly
| child stops growing H. Is the nrst mar
! binger of the slow incubation of disease.
Much was TO be learned, he said. from
! the study of an infants skin. An lnfant
! is one ninth the size of the adult. yet IN
its little body il contains the same number
| of nerves and all the sensitiveness of the
! adult. The growth OF power and the
! vigor Of motion in the baby is exceeding
/
! its head bObs; later comes the power 10
| sit up, then to creep, then 10 stand. The
! first conscious step Is full or equilibrium.
! and is made with as much care as that or
| the rope walker.
Growth in infancy focuses first upon
! one organ and then another II Is the
regularity of adolescence when all the
| functions begin TO grow more or less.
CONTENTS OF INFANTS MINDS.
Professor Hall then spoke Of The recently
| conducted study In the Boston public
| schools Of the contents of the infant mind;
! 123 tests had been made aud Ii was
amazing how little the children knew 1t
! had developed a new science-the science
| of ignorance. They were totally ignorant
! of the commonest things in nature though
/ one half of the questions had been based
| upon the primer.
| DR. Hall then went on to the gradual
unfoldment OF the childs mind, which
presented a most interesting field. First
J of all there was an universal passion for
/ dolls: boys are generally teaZed out Of IL,
! and IL eliminates in girls about tine age
/ of S or 81 2
gathering: then the passion for showing
| off. which is very pestiferous, and analo
/ gous to animals. Bullying in the animal.
| as well as the human life. begins early
| and continues until maturity.
! Anger begins in children by violence 70
| themselves. later by screams, and then
by striking others. Anger said DR.. Hall.
! is a disease like epilepsy. He had visited
a murderers' ward In penitentiary re-
| Gently made careful Investigation OF
| the cases, and having persuaded several
/ 10 give him their confidence. found not
| single case wherein the murder had not
| been committed I'm moment or blind rage.
The study Of toys said Or. Hall. is most
| important The Russian Government APP
| pointed a committee to conduct toy con-
/