New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-02-18
YOUNG DoLrS AND WISE DocroRs


Feeding the brain Is much Ike feeding the
stomach. If il is truc that happiness depends
as much upon the eater as the eaten. it Is
doubly true that educatlon-whlch is happiness
Of the second degrce-depends as much upon
ones receptivity as upon the information prof
fered for mental digestion. School children
must accordingly be made 10 like their work
at least with some warmth, before they can
exc sense and profit out of Il You can't make
everybody like everything though: there are
pretty definite flesh and blood limits to each
mans powers OF appreciation. But often the
apparent limits are fictitious boundary stones
set up by caper cutting Nature 1t has been
discovered, for instance that obstinacy and
stupidity in school children are often due TO
hypertrophied tonsils. adenolds growths and
cranial depressons: simple surgical opera tons
in such cases will radically change both tenn
permanent and interests.
Superintendent Maxwell proposes to make the
most of this discovery He advises the Board
of Education to subject all bad bows and
naughty girls. all little stupids and young block
heads to medical examination. and In case i'm
proper tonsils or other things he found 10 rem
edy the same by scalpcl and forceps AS the
present laws apparently fail to empower school
authorities to operate upon pupils without the
consent Of parents or guardians the superin-
tendent recommends that the statutes he suita-
bly, amended.
The aim Of this recommendation j. praise.
worthy. But are the means to the end the best?
We have n suspicion not altogether wayne
that diplomacy under the present laws might
succeed more brilliantly than autocracy under
new ones. There can he question that
our school teachers should do as much toward
putting children into the right mood for study
they do toward furnishing them with facts
and precepts. If tonsI stands between 10
norance and wisdom or SmOthers virtue beneath
bad nerves and irritability. away with il! But
all the after effects of the cxtirpatIon must be
taken into consideration Shipping adenoids
and tOnsils usually involves bloodshed shivers
and wailing. Youthful patients are positive
that they are being killed entirely and fond
mammals and papas of the Ghetto are all too
prone to accept the verdict of their progeny
We have not yet forgotten how the mere inspec-
ton Of tongues and outlets preclpitated manic
among East Side pupils and ri0tous assault
of the schOohOuse by their frenzled relatives
This happened not once but several times
Heaven only knows what would occur AZ the
scions of unwilling houses We're 20 come home
with scissOred noses and threats.
Due regard for the cost Of window glass and
broken heads ought to convince the board that
1t might be well TO gain control over the source
of trouble, namely, the ignorant parents Might
these persons not be won over through tho oid
of rabbits, priests and nelghborhood PHYSICIANS
We imagine that these gentlemen would gladly
assist by assuring the obstinate parents of tho
good will of the school authorities and tho no
cesslty for the proposed treatment The number
OF truants and backward pupils is not so great
as to make such programme impracticabIe
Here and there we find traces of n tendency
TO regard any law which does not operate an
tOmatically as hopelessly bad. The fancy Is q
dangerous one and thoroughly false. Every
statute depends for its success upon the tact
and resourcefuness of those who enforce II
And the present laws assaied by Mr.. Maxwell
prove the rule by their failure, If they really
have failed If brute power Is ever inferior
TO diplomacy, IL surely is so in the present case
where the gulf between the law enforcers ond
those upon whom the law is enforced is so wide
Probably the physicians and surgeons win be-