Santa Fe daily New Mexican., 1897-10-07
Tne Trouble With the Children.

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Professor M. Y. O'Shea of the Univer.
sity of Wisconsin. 1t explains what is
the matter with many of the children
who seem dull, lazy and irritable at
home and at school The condition
arises largely from insufficient brain
and nerve nourishment.
Intellectual effort is attended always
with the using up and destroying of the
nucleus of cells in the brain. The brain
is the source of nerve power, hence Of
all effort. 1t is stimulated to action by
outside things. When thus stimulated
and set in motion, the contents of mil
lions of its cells are rapidly used up
The result is brain fatigue. When the
brain is fatigued, all the rest of the
body is weak, languid and apparently
lazy Being thus weak, children some-
times are liars and towards when it is
only the result Of their physical con-
dition.
Whether the brain cells are worn out
with mental and emotional work or
whether they are starved by unsuitable
or insufficient nourishment in the first
place the result is the same-a weak,
languid and irritable state Of mind and
body. Three times out of four infants
that are called ''cross" are SO because
their nerves are starved. The brain cells
are nourished by foods containing much
albumen, or the proteids as chemists
call them. Such foods as bread made Of
whole wheat, good and pure article Of
milk, lean meat, fish and oatmeal may be
mentioned as containing the albuminous
elements. The raw white Of egg is almost
pure albumen. There are some infant
food preparations on the market that con.
tain the proteids in generous proportion.
Every infant food ought to have an
official analysis made Of 1t before it is
permitted to be put upon the market, to
insure sufficient amount of the brain
feeding element in 1t. Professor O'Shea
mentions several instances in which
weak, peevish and dull children were
made bright, strong, healthy and sweet
tempered by simply changing their
food and giving them to eat palatable
substances containing brain and nerve
food. The perfect brain and nerve food |
requires also due proportion of such
fats as are found in pure cream and but
ter and the vegetable oils.
Professor O'Shea contrasts the above
diet with that on which children are
usually supposed to be nourished They
are fed on white bread and cakes and
sweet stuffs and watery vegetables till
their brains and nerves are starved. Then
they become weak and irritable and
dull and are blamed at school and at
home when it is their stupid and wick
ed parents and teachers who are to
blame.
Mental and emotional stimulants use
up the brain cells rapidly After az
hours steady intellectual work at school
the child becomes fatigued. It's memory,
perception and Judgment are impaired.
A good way to test when o child be-
comes fatigued is mentioned by Mr.
O'Shea. Have the child pick up light
rod, and with it touch a point or GER
tain spot O few feet away, but within
easy reach. The well nourished pupil
will be able to do this readily in the
morning, but after about 21a hours
work the hand will become unsteady
and the sight, perception and Judgment
less quick and accurate The brain cells
are emptied and want norlrishment and
time to rest till they fill again
The horrible way many semi-idiotio
persons have of tossing infants up and
down and constantly chucking and
clucking at them under the mistaken
impression that they are thus Janus
ing the young ones is direct way to
ruin their nervous systems and deplete
their brain power for life. A child's
tender nerves need, first of all, gener-
GUS nourishment and repose to gather
for growth and development.
Many hapless young one is kept up
nights to suit its parents convenience,
is clucked at and poked and trotted till
it's nervous system gives way altogeth-
er, and it cries and has commissions.
Then the doctor comes and gives it med
icine for Mysteries. +" A hysterical child
is monument to it's mothers incompe-
tency
When such information as is contain
ed in Professor O'Shea's paper is gener-
ally diffused, then that most important
Of all matters, the proper development
and educating Of children, will be bet
5er understood and different race Of
human beings will result