Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-06-13
MENTAL FATIGUE.
Scientific Measurements Regarding
Methods of Work and Rest.

From the London Globe
A volume of over GOO pages has just been
Issued by the board of education, contain
ing thirteen reports, written by experts on
education In Germany. Not the least inter-
esting Is an account given by Mr.. c. {.
TIL. Parez, German master at Merchiston
school, Edinburgh, on the Measurement
OF Mental Fatigue in Germany"
He states that the latest comparative
post-mortem examinations have been sue
cessful in fixing the order of development
of the brain In children and in showing that
those parts of the brain which serve the
purpose of systematic thought, commonly
known as the reasoning powers, are the
last to mature; but at what age these por-
lions of the brain have arrived at stage
of development sufficient to meet the de-
mands of the first school work, and in what
relation their development stands to the
advancing claims of the latter, physiology
cannot determine. Tie systematic study OF
mental fatigue, however, as lately under
taken by various invest igators. particularly
in Germany and the careful comparison OF
the results obtained by various methods
have served to throw flood OF light on
this subject Chance speculation has given
way to a spirit of earnest inquiry, which
has led to Investigations conducted in
scientific manner.
After giving an account of these investi-
cations, he says in his concluding remarks:
Passing in review the Investigations here
described one is struck much by the
methodical and unsparing labor which has
been devoted to the subject Of mental
fatigue both by educa tionists and physf-
clans in Germany, as by the close agree
ment in the results of these Investigations,
although conducted independently, In vari-
Gus schools and on three entirely different
systems. This agreement affords a strong
presumption of the general correctness Of
the means employed to detect mental IA
tigue, and of the intimate connection be-
tween that phenomenon and the variations
in the mental or physical state. on the OBJ
servation of which the Investigations in
question were based. In many cases these
were of more or less tentative character,
and the conclusions drawn from them could
authoritative had they not often been cor
roborated by the results drawn from other
independent sources The connection be-
tween work and fatigue, with its concomi-
tant mental and physical symptoms. is, Of
course purely relative and varies for each
individual as well as in each individual I'M
der varying circumstances.
The most serious and most frequent cases
of mental exhaustion from overwork seem
to have been noticed among pupils under
twelve years of age, serious indictment
considering that the years from nine to
twelve are generally looked upon as those
of feeblest development, particularly in the
consensus of opinion among investigators
that the hours in vogue at most schools are
too long for children of this age. Thirty
minutes Is regarded the limit of time
during which the serious attention Of chill
dren to one subject can reasonably be de-
manded; though with skillful introduction
Of variety into the lesson forty to forty
five minutes might be devoted to it with
out entailing too severe a strain on the
mental powers.