The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-06-21

y
Chronicle. commenting ed
II toriallv on the discover,
that Miss Mabel l.. Burt tn,
young woman who confesses to the
theft Of watches and jcwelry from hel
fellow W-StudcntS at Smith college Mas
sachusetts. is the victim of mental de.
rangement brought on by ovcrstudy il
the Brighton preparation high school
and it's affording a possible cXplana.
lion of her otherwise unaccountable
conduct. makes some pertinent re.
marks on the evil fruits oc the fore
ing process"
1t relates what came out in the legal
investigation of the case, that three
days before her graduation al Brighton
she was notified that her rank as a
scholar entitled her to valediCtory hon
ois, and she wrote the address on a
difficult subject in time for the com
lnencement. "'The previous strain of
Intense application was thus supple
mented by unexpected pressure. and,
young as she was. her mind seems to
have received an abnormal bias in the
direction of kIeptomania."
Our Rochester contemporary makes
note of the existence of Il habit in the
press to speak sneerngly of this mania
as simply d fine name for plain steal
Ing. But. making all due' allowances
for cases in which this may be true,
there are real instances of it as insane
mania. 1t goes on to quote the con-
clusions of several eminent physicians
who have examined Miss Burt and
have taken into account not only the
pecuiarities of her conduct, but the
conditions apparently leading up to
them, and have pronounced her ment-
ally deranEed.
AS the Democrat and Chronicle says,
the case deserves general notice only
because of the suggestions it affords
regarding the perils of ovorstudy in
our schools OF the results these per-
lis brlng about in great numbers of
cases it summarizes whole classes of
them in way that every thoughtful
reader of the daily news knows to he
true. 1t says: sometimes the effects
take the form of nervous prostration.
The system suddenly breaks down
completely and the victim becomes a
mental and physical wreck In other
cases the brain alone is affected while
the physical powers retain their acc,ls
toned vigor. Melancholia often cnsucs
and the newspapers repeatedly an
nounce the suicide of students upon
some trivial pretcXt, such as a rcbuke
from parents or teachers. or a failure
TO pass an examination. In nearly
every such case the trouble is due to
unnatural and cruel over-stimulation
as a result of Il system of study in
many of our schools which goads
young and growing youths into un-
tagging eXertion to pass creditable cX-
amina tons."
or this jugSernaut idol of written eX-
aminations and averages made up from
them instead of from each pupils daily
school work, our contemporary goes on
10 speak, and to answer the false and
Wornout excuses for it made by its adj
vocates: 1T is said by apolosists for
this system that it Is adjusted to the
average intelligence of pupils, and that
while the brighter ones easily cover
and exceed it only the duh but consci-
entious scholars have to subject
themselves to the strain which imper-
lis health That is plausible but not
always in accordance with tho facts.r
1t proceeds, with clear insight into
the truth that this paper has been en-
gagged In stating, to point out that "the
new plan now in vogue in some cities,
Of permitting the ready learners to adj
vance TO higher grades as they excel
their shower classmates, is a rational
one and, if intelligently applied, will
put an end to much of the trouble
caused by. the old system under which
efforts We're perpetually made to force
dull pupils into killing pace so as to
secure general high standing for
their grade.
THE schools are maintained not for
the benefit of teachers, superintendent
or school boards. hut for the benefit of
the pupils. To sacrifice the welfare OF
the pupils to the ambition of teachers
or officials is in high degree censur-
able"
Our Rochester contemporary is glad
to saysthat under the present admin
istration of the schools there the new
and better way has largely come in.
We wish the same could be said here.