The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-07-08
TEACHERS ANGRY
Physiology Questions In Recent
Examination the Cause.
Don't Know What Is a
PlateIet.
VERY DEEP PROBLEMS
What Is COrti's Organ OF the
Ear Anyway
Prof. 8. w. WillistOn Is Severe
ly Criticised.
VERY DEEP PROBLEMS

There is a mighty wall going up in
Kansas this week It is just getting
under way, but it bids fair to be OF
good sized proportions before it dies
out. 1t comes from the school ma ans,
and is relative to some of the examina-
ton questions at the examination last
Friday and Saturday.
The offending questions are those in
physiology, which are sent out under
Chancellor Shows name, but which are
really prepared by Professor ). w.
Williston, who is professor of physl-
Ology, biology, and kindred SUBJECTS IN
the State university. It is claimed that
the questions are not practical for the
examination of teachers who are sup
posed to cover the subject as it is treat
ed in the text books; that they would
be more suitable for graduates from a
medical school than for common school
teachers.
4. Describe the anatomical structure
of muscle.
80. State the functions of the liver.
80. Give examples of proteids, car
bOhydrates, and hydrocarbons, and tell
how each is digested.
"a By whom and when was the cir
culation of the blood discovered?
IS. What is a blood platelet?
IS. Describe the different terminal
nerve organs.
a. Name the seven known senses.
O.
what abnormal condition of the eyes is
it due?
80. Where is the function of speech
located in the brain?
10. What is Cortfs organ of the
carp
The questions most objected to are
the third, fifth. sixth and tenth. A few
teachers say the third is all right, but
the majority consider that it goes too
deeply into medical science for COM
mon schools 1t is said that it requires
100 pages of a large medical work to
cover the latter part of the question,
and that it is not touched upon by the
average physiology.
The word 'platelet" in the fifth ques-
ton was one that even the examiners
in many instances knew nothing about.
Some of them guessed that it meant
cOrpuscles, but they were not sure about
it. Some physicians say that they
know nothing about the term, and 9TH
ers do not agree as to its meaning.
The objections to the sixth question
are the same as the objections to the
third. Physicians say that there are
many different kinds of terminal nerve
organs, and that a description of them
is something that would be expected
only of an advanced medical student.
Some teachers raised objections to the
eighth question, but the experienced
ones think it is a perfectly legitimate
question and one on which teachers
should be expected to be informed.
The objection to the last question is
that COrti's organ is mentioned in only
q uSeQ
as text books. 1t is a minor part of the
ear that is described in medical works
and understood by ear specialists, but
the majority of physiolOgies do not
mention it.
This is not the first time Professor
Williston has offended the teachers of
Kansas. His questions have been sub
jected to more or less public criticism
at nearly every examination since he
has been preparing them. At the annual
meeting of the county superintendents
of the state last spring resolutions were
passed cOndemn1ng his questions, and
now they are more technical than ever.
I think the trouble is that Professor
WilistOn is a specialist in this line and
does not realize how difficult his ques-
tons are, said one Topeka educator
today. 1T is his business to keep up
with the most advanced thought in
anatomy and kindred lines, and he is
continually reading medical journals on
these subjects. New discoveries and in
tricate physiological questions are per-
fectly clear to him He teaches them
and thinks all teachers should know
them. He does not realize that the aver
age country school teacher, who gets
$25 to $50 a month for five or six months
in the year, has not the same adVan-
tages that he has"
County Superintendent J. w. Stout
is one of the insurgents who are re-
belling against Professor Williston's
questions, and he is open in his criticism
of them.
Il am free to confess he said today,
chat I was net sure about some of the
questions myself. I have been to sew
eral doctors here in Topeka to find out
what blood p1atelets' are, and they do
not agree. DR.. Roby, who is said to
have the finest medical library in the
state, said the term was not in his
books. Several physicians to whom I
have shown the list of questions say
that it would be sufficiently difficult for
an examination for medical students
I was the one who introduced the
resolution into the county superintend-
ents' convention criticising Professor
Williston, and we sent him a copy of the
resolution. It looks as though he is
getting even with US now by making the
questions harder than ever for the
teachers. If we should grade on technf-
calities on that list of questions large
number of excellent teachers would not
secure certificates. I know of but
one physiology that mentions Corti's
organ of the ear. One young lady said
to me during the examination last week
Mr. Stout, 1 don't know what kind of
an organ Mr.. Corti had in his ear. but I
don't think I have any organ like he
had And there were plenty of others
in the same predicament''
Cun-shot wounds and DoUdaT br7rus