Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1906-02-15

like attention. We might here with
profit go into some undesirable de-
tails, but let this allusion to
them awaken those in authority to
appropriate action. While the various
disinfecting solutions, gasses, powders
and the like are exceedingly valuable,
and should be frequently and judici-
ously used, there is no one of them,
nor any combination of the different
ones, that can take the place of, or
equal in effectiveness, perfect cleanli-
ness. They are mere adiuncts to
cleanliness for all hygienic purposes.
Personal Cleanliness: This is highly
important and should be religiously
insisted upon. Clean hands, clean
faces, clean bodies, clean clothes, clean
words and clean actions should be the
rule not the exception with every in
dividual in every school. 1t should
therefore be the duty of the educator
whether director or teacher to realize
the great need of and insist upon the
educating the children both in the
knowledge and in the need of obtain
ing and applying knowledge on this
great subject. We owe it to every
child to teach him The palmer errors
of living which bring disease and
death When in the home and school
the known principles of sanitary
science are inteligently applied, we
may expect great diminution of sick
ness, suffering and premature deaths,
and corresponding increase of Ion
gevity, moral purity and physical
happiness.
Mental Hygiene: Contrary to the
popular opinion, studions habits, even
hard study, are not injurious to the
general health. Rather, in we'll regu-
lated schools, wherever part of the
laws of health are moderately observ-
ed, and where mental pressure is not
pushed beyond its proper balance with
the physical being, the average health
of the students will be found to be
above the same age out of school.
There is at our disposal only
definite quantity of energy. This is
transferable to some extent, and If
used in one direction it is lost in the
other. The law applies to the whole
being and may be seen in both the
physical and mental life. In order
that the mind may be developed, even
where that alone is had in view, proper
symetry between mental and physical
must be scrupulously maintained.
The entire being must be considered
as whole. The brain not over stimu-
lated at the expense of the body, nor
phyical training forced beyond due
bounds.
We can go further and declare that
the same laws which control the nutri-
ton of the body in general apply to
mental food and growth, and since the
physical is prior in order of develop
ment to the mental, reason would seem
to demand that we grant it a foremost
place in care, as if this is soundly kept
the mental, which is so largely depen-
dent upon it, will naturally and more
easily attain to its highest excellence.
Some suggestive writer has said ''the
first requisite to success in life is to be
a good ANIMAL" and Herbert Spencer
fttingly adds land to be a nation of
good animals is the first condition of
national prosperity" 1t was Archi-
bold Maclraen who said ''mind and
body should be viewed as the two fitt-
ing halves of perfect whole, designed
in true accord mutually to sustain and
support each other, and each worthy
attention, to be given with full faith
and reverent trust that He who uaited
us in our two fold nature made them
compatible and harmonious. Their
fitness each for the other lies in the fair
nurture of both and their mutual cult
walton.
| have but briefly touched upon a
few of the most saliant points of this
great subject. To discuss it in its full
ness requires volumes. If | have sue
ceeded in making prominent its inn
portance this paper will not have been
in vain.
May this body of intelligent citizens,
the school directors of Cameron county,
in whom is vested almost absolute
school authority, rise to the situation
of proper school hygiene, and see to it
that the boys and girls, who are being
prepared in our schools for the future