The Portland daily press., 1898-11-12

fGy IN the SCuUOl IOOtIi, uilCH t6bGlUR MIN
guess at the temperature of the football
field and finally by explaining the temper
al ure of the body and the effect Ct going
suddenly from warm room TO q cold
street. without proper protection. In the
high school by following similar meth
DDS. the teacher could go much further.
DR., Thayer said that he believed In the
use Of question and answer, the euestions
fra med by the teacher herseiI. put ne hao
NO ouarrel with those who could impart
knowledge by reading from Dook or
asking the questions found at the emu OF
the chapter.
AS to teaching physiology In the prim
ary schools, DIR. Ihay6r doupUeo ths w
visibility Of attempting 1t but teachers
might do much good by pointing ou9 W
their young charges correct habits. ".
Thayer believes that physiology is pleas
an study to the pupil He found during
his experience as teacher that the teacn :
ing of Greek was a task and the teachlng
Of physiology picnic. And why should
not the pupil take an interest In pnysi-
ologys Herbert spencer placed IL first.
Teaching is a noble profession. Not the
least among its functions il impartlng TO
pupils knowledge which will enable them
to preserve their own health.
PHYSIOLOGY AS 1T is LEARNED.
The discussion on DR.. Thayer's paper
was opened by President Russell and he
showed BY some questions and answers
taken from school examinations that what
pupils do not lind out about physiology
Is both humorous and extensive. MI.
Russell said that the answers he should
read were not made by the ounces of the
schools but were taken from papers pre-
pared by pupils who passed successful tests
in other branches and who had graduated
from the high and grammar schools. As
the president read there was good deal
of merriment among the teachers. The
first question was, Name the principal
parts OF the digestive tube. and tell what
is done to the food in the mouth" To
this there were five answers IN Mr.. hus-
sells collection. These were the answers:
Throat. Don't remember any more
parts. The food is masticated. then
swallowed.
"1he different parts of the digestive
tube are the mouth nd throat.
'slhe digestive tube is the esophagus
running intouthe stomach. The food Is
m liked with silvia in the N out h.
DO not know the parts OF he digestive
tube
1he asophagus the large and small
intestine. ha food is masticatsd and
secludedsin the mouth. /"
Next came the question Locate the
heart, tell how it is protected and give Its
uses -
To this the answers displayed the same
Kind of ideas on the subject of the human
frame az those to the first query. -Four
of the answers were given as follows:
's1he heart is located IN the left hand
side of the body. 1t is protected by mem
hrane. and its use is to keep life IN the
body Whsn the heart ceases to beat the
body ceases to exist.
1.-THE heart is located on the left side of
the organic system little below the front
side Of the. lunes. 1t Is pi detected by The
rush of blood which is continually max
ing circuit around 1t. Its object is to
give life ~
rThe heart lie located below the lungs
Its object is to keep the blood from flow
ing too rapidly and the veins and arteries
from conveying and taking away the
blood"
ssThe heart is located on the left side
It's object is to purify the blood. !"
Questions as to the changes which take
place In the blood brought out answers
which displayed an equal lack Of knowl-
edge. Then came the nervous system in
the list of questions q md the answers
were as surprising as those which had
gone before. The pupils were asked to
name the principal parts of the nervous
system and to Il how the brain is protect
GO ltl6Sc AE0 bu0 ltlC0S VI uAAp pups
W hose answers were quoted by Mr.. Rus
sell:
g cannot name the principal parts of
the nervous system, think the spinal
column is the most important.
"The principal parts of the nervous sys..
tenn are the spinal cord and 81 pairs of
nerves extending to all parts of the body
and ID pairs of nerves in the brain. "
The principal parts OF the nervous sys-
tenn are the spinal column, etc., an an
swer br ief and comprehensive
"The principal part of the nervous sys-
tenn is the spinal column composed of 26
vertepra. The brain is protected by
soft substance called cerebelum."
The brain and eye. The brain is pro-
tects d by thick bone"
~ he kprincipal parts of the nervous
system are the nerves, muscles and
The different parts Of thes nervous sys-
tenn are the head and the different limbs
of the body"
Finally came request for information
as to the supporti ny system OF the body
and the pupils evidently rewarded thi- as
an easy one, several Of them promptly
declaring the supporting system to be the
legs The question was: What is the
supporting system of the body, and what
organs enable the body to move? Name
a voluntary muscle" sThe answers quot
d are:
1.-THE legs support the body. The elbows
are voluntary muscles
s'The lei s support and enable the body
tn move. A voluntary muscle is the
muscle which moves the elbow"
'sThe spine supports the body and the
muscles enable 1t to move The muscles
of the heart are voluntary muscles"
'tThe spinal column supports the tody.
The voluntary muscles are those of the
heart and brain and spinal column"
Mr.. Russell attributed the state Of
things revealed by these answers to three
things: Indifference on the part Of school
authorities. indifference on the part OF
many teachers, and the use of text books
more as readers than as means of impart-
ing knowledge of physiology.
DR.. DOLE'S IDEAS.
DR.. Daniel Il. Dole of Portland agreed
with DR.. Thayer in most of the positions
he took. DIR. Dole spoke particularly OF
the method Of teaching in Its relation to
the limited time which osn be devoted to
the study in the already crowded school
course. AS hygiene, especially in its re
latinns to the effects of stimulants and
narcotics, isions OF the chief end of the
study in the schools, DR.. Dole would
4..an ~