New-York tribune., 1902-08-26
AHh BOUDOIR IAfa
EbsSD | CHAT 3sa
zHs2 <ZzzzaG& 20
4 CHILD'S HEALTH

Florence Hun Winterburn. In her book The
Children's Health number OF interesting
and sseful rhing3 the training OF children S
nerves. especially under the artificial conditions IN
which they must be brought mp In a city
The chief point in the physical training OF chill
dren.' she says. is TO educate their nerves and
the time 10 take this matter deliberately in hand
Is they born We may suppose the
infant. upon entering the world possessed Ger
tain burden Of energy held the command Of cir
cumstances. The first suggestion made his brain
starts a portion Of il on upon path. This
plorer beckons more to follow. Rapidly infaIlibly
the habit of energy flying that direction IS esta b.
Ilshei for nerve tissues have memory and tend to
do over again the thing they have done before
50 il is Of the utmost Importance to make the
first acts which impose upon the infant and
which II automatically carries out. a good
example for lis Before ba bies haze done
anything they don't know anything do although
they have less strong tendencies; but after
We have set them in motion by handling they
know now to do some one thing, and quickly
up the knowledge in their brain as a precedent
The absurdity Of declaring little ba bies know
nothing, and it makes no difference what sort of
habits they accustomed at first is at once
apparent when we realize that memory is not CON
fined to the mental acts of person but relates TO
his physical acts also. and 1t is misnoner TO say
that hts very fingers and toes, his vocal cords
have memory OF their own.
ESTABLISH GOOD HABITS
consequently by establishing good habits IN the
child's life, beginning his nerve training In
the right way. Everything that s natural is reg
ular. and acts in regular, methodica fashion
AS nervousness is a revolt against law and order
against what Is seemy and appropriate to the in
dtvldual. everything which is effectual in bringing
nerves under the dominion Of will power and rea-
son is valuable in physical training
Two great lessons to be impressed upon the
child's nervous system quiet the power of re-
framing from action and deliberate activity which
is carrying out rightly impulses which have been
normally aroused. The first is the more difficult
and belongs to a more advanced stage of life as
involves a greater degree of self-controI We
first cultivate the childs body to act rightly
and afterward desire of 1t that degree OF sef-re-
straipt which involves a comparison and choice he
tween right and wrong. The physical and moral
natures are so dependent upon each other. and the
laws Of each so intert wined, that II is Impossible
speak of bodily things without Introducing con
s:dcrations which are ethical So when | speak of
training the chiid's body rightly | mean to
act in obedience TO the laws Of development which
it should krow through having practised them long
before conscious acquaintance with them takes
place.
''AIl intellectual culture, all moral education,
stands upon the basis of training. What are
nerves? Threads of communication between
outward surroundings and brains A
picatedr neryons system Is sign Of fine organza-
tion is whose every nerve is toned up do its
duty. responsive every call. like the notes of
is accompanied by the great disadvantage of liza
bInty shocks from what Is unpleasant and in
furious. And particularly in America there are
too many stimuants 10 nerve action. In the first
place, climate. with its extremes of tempera-
a typographical map. showing the effect of
different attitudes upon health, charges the north
eastern part Of our continent with the severest
strain upon the nerves; the Middle States, west
of the Mississippi River. far less exigent. ard
the South and extreme West most favorable.
Generally moisture is conducive phlegm, al
though a high and dry climate. If eduaole. is the
very best for health Our climate. as whole. is
less squabe than that Of any other nation upon
globe. and its sudden. startling changes OF
weather keep alive much of painful suscep
tibiity, for human nature cannot become Injured to
shocks.
AVOID NERVE STIMULATION.
I'm all attempts made to attract young childrens
notice and train their perceptions
avoid arousing In them strong sensations of either
Measure or pain The eff ect of all the commun-
cations established between our outward surround
ings and our brains is create little shock
thrill in the OF being and arouse one Of
three feelings-pleasure pain or mental gratiflca-
ton the last Of which Is the most neutral feeling
the that makes US recognize Things without
their affecting personal consciousness