The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-03-17
TOO MUCH SOCIETY
Often the Cause Of the School Girls
Breakdown.
so SAYS MISS ADELE EvERs
In Answer to DR.. S. Weir MitcheIIs
Remarks on Education
of Girls.

Miss Adele Evers, principal OF Stan
ley Hall, does not entirely agree with Dr..
S. Weir Mitchell, the eminent neurolo-
gist, in the stat ement that it would be
better if American girls were not edu-
Gated at all until they are II than that
they should be overweight by st udy ''as
| they are at present.
DR.. Mitchell says that girls study seven
or eight hours day, when two or three
would suffice to keep their intelligence
In training, and they pay for it in after
years in sick room-a burden instead
of help to those dearest to them. He
| thinks that every girl ought to be exam
| ined as to her nervous temperament when
about to go to school, and at frequent in
| tervale thereafter; that leisure, exercise
and wholesome food ought to be insisted
upon, and that studies ought to be COM
pulsorily diminished or discontinued al
| together the moment the we'll known
| signs of over-strain appear.
Says Miss Evers: ..~ 80.
There several points in the remarks OF
DR.. Mitchell concerning the education Of girls
which one would like to hear him explain
before commenting on what he has said. For
example, what does he mean by "for all the
best purposes of female society it would be
better that American girls were not educated
! at all until they are IT,? What does he re-
gard as the ''best purposes of female soci-
the first place, I. for one, am not sure that
/ there are many girls who STUDY seven OF
! eight hours a day" Indeed, girls of fairly
bright minds do not need. to spend that
length of time over their lessons each day
unless they are making a foolish mistake OF
| examining to accomplish more than a regular
| course as laid down in the curriculum Of any
first-class institution. 1t is true that girls
do sometimes break down before they are II
years of age, but is DR.. Mitchell justified in
assuming that the cause Of their i'll health Is
due to over-mental strain from school work
Every thoughtful American teacher engaged
in the work of instructing academic students
will, am sure agree with me that it is not
the school work that kills the Vitality of ou1
young men and women, but the over-strenu-
Gus life they must live to serve God and
mammon both. Too many social demands
| improper diet, insufficient rest, the mad craze
to 'haqe a good time while I am young, .
and the apparent inability on the part of the
parents to prevent such a condition Of affairs
even when they see its tendency, are the CHIEF
causes of = the nervous breakdown among
young girls which DR.. Mitchell SO justly In
weighs against and wishes to see warded off,
| The psychology of the question cannot but
call attention to the established fact that las
the twig is bent, the trees Inclined and
the chief OF all mental habits, the power OF
concentration, if not we'll established before
the age of II, is more than likely never to be
acquired. The young mind will busy Itself
over something: is it not better to have II
| properly directed under skilful teaching than
IN he left to aimlessly have it's Town sweet
wilP'? .t,&. .jT'.s -
Let US by all means have more rational
simple living among our young people, both
girls and boys; less striving to get and keep
them in the so-called best society; less effort
to have them shine in 1.-THE accomplishments,
at an early age; fewer studies. and conse-
ouent1y better mental results from what are
studied. '' ".a 80. ss
In my Judgment, this reform in American
methods in the education of the young has
for wears been approaching US and Is sure to
come as soon as the leisured class who, as
rule. lead the van in all such reforms. de-
mand a more genuinely wholesome training
and life for their children. >-t'" .-@2" VI
- Agrees With DIR. Mitchell.
DR.. w. A. Jones, an authority on brain
and nervous troubles, agrees heartily with
DR.. Mitchell. There is no question, says
DR.. Jones, but that the tendency in the
! modern system of education is to seno
| girls to school too early. This is espec-
tally true, he thinks, In cases where thev
! have inherited an unstable nervous sys-
! tenn. Care should be taken IN such cases
he believes, to adjust carefully the hours
Of study to the pupils capacity for sucf
application.
| 81 believe with DR.. Mitchell" said he
that there is too much of a disposition
| in our modern educational methods t.
push young scholars on rapidly in thel1
studies Cramming inevitably results, II
which scholars are often taxed far be-
yond their mental resources. Even where
| the scholar is exceptionally bright, hei
powers are quite likely to be overtaxed
and when the breakdown comes 1t leave:
her in state of nervous collapse from
which she may never recover. wouldn
make my deductions quite as broad al
those of DIR. Mitchell. Just when the CIR
should enter school should be entirely
question of Individual temperament. II
some cases it may be a good thing for
girl to enter school much earlier thar
others, but it is my belief that the grea
increase of nervous diseases amons
women is the result of over-study ant
too close confinement to the schoolroon
at tender age" 49, :. .s.,g,. -