The San Francisco call., 1904-03-06
TITLE DETERIO GRAFTON OF 4

@ AsOSSG earrnIy blessings there
IS rene greater than the posses
sion OF physical health and
strength. but how few there are
ttat give acrious thought to the sub
sect As soon rs we become conscious
ihat lie Wheels OF the machinery OF
i1e arc running heavily. generally
19aGlsh oar own negligence, we rush
ID The professional re7airer. or even to
i1e aGvc-t.sine qaack. and are willing
to p~- heavily Ger assistance which can
only be temporary. II we neglect to
a..cr tce .aases which have occasioned
,he evil How much wiser would it be.
T. Individually ard collectively. we
woke make q Study OF The laws which
ad to heath or disease. and. as far
as circumstances permit. would regu-
.2:o or lives in accordance with them?
As a nation we insist. Sad rightly in
sisl- iEst alr children shall be educated.
IVc draw I'd codes OF instruction.; we
appoint AID pay schoolmasters and
schoolInistresses 10 impart this knowl-
edse. we spend thousands OF pounds
n order 1i,at every child, however poor.
may be given ~ equal chance in life:
and yet. how small a part Of al this
thought. trouble and expenditure is di-
Tected toward imDarting TO children
knowledge which IN after years shall
enable them 10 understand the laws OF.
nature and TO maintain their own and
their future children's bodies in health
ana strength.
More KnowIedge-Dcss Learning.
What is the good Of book learning if
we are ignorant of the nature of our
own bodies and of those laws which
were intended TO make life happy. but
II neglected made ii burden and
misery?
What avails material prosperity. if
either by our own fault. or that Of our
parents. We are unable. through i'll
health. either 10 enjoy life or TO be of
use 70 our country or our friends?
Let us consider what are the sub
iects, a knowledge OF which lead II
properly applied, to an increase in
physical health
Surely such as hygiene, sanitation.
PHYSIOLOGY. dietetics, cookery and
hOusewifery. OF course il would be
foolish TO attempt to teach children
more than the mere elements. of some
Of these subjects. but the general prin-
ciples which underlie the preservation
Of health might we'll occupy the atten-
tion Of teachers and scholars for a rea-
sonsble number Of hours in each year.
If We look through the branches of
knowledge studied by our children at
school. how seldom do we come across
any subjects which may be Of use TO
them in after years in assisting them
10 preserve their bodies in health, and
when these subjects are taught how
thinly attended are the classes? Why
is this?
1t is due in a large measure to lack
Of teachers qualified to instruct in
these matters. TO incapacity at head
quarters to understand the real needs
Of the people. and in no small degree
on the part Of the parents TO a misap-
prehension OF the present conditions of
life
Parents are apt TO argue that be-
cause they never learned these sub
Jects, which in plain English only
mean the study OF how best to keep
the body in health, it is unnecessary
for their children TO do so. They for
get, however, that the most rapid
transformation in the character Of the
British people is taking place before
their eyes, that the England OF their
youth is not the England we know.
and that the England of ten. twenty
and OF thirty years hence will be en-
tirely different from the England of to-
Cay. The fact is that the British.
from having been mainly an agricul-
tural. are rapidly becoming an urban
people In other words, whereas for
nerly they lived in the country, now
they live in the towns.