The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1909-01-01
CHILDREN's RESORT.
Refers to Anceint Grecian Methods
and Their Loss in the Middle
Ages-Proper Training Of
Infants Essential.
By A. Trego Shertzer, M. D.

) By "A. Trego Shertzer, M. d.
Fleet Surgeon, U. s. Naval Volunteers
sAll future events of the entir,
world depend upon the children O.
; the present and coming generations
as it has upon those in the pas
ages. Every department in tht
worlds future will be under the
control OF the present generation an6
those yet unborn; hence the great re.
sponsibility involved upon those hav.
ing the care of the rising generations
II we go back to the dark ages and
remember the ancient Greeks, whose
intellect must be sought in the psy-
chology Of Plato, In the science OF
Aristotle and in the medical doctrines
LOT Hippocrates, who were once chill
dren and whose writings will be
handed down to the end Of time be-
| sides many thousands of others,
whose deeds fill both ancient and
modern history; is not the subject the
most important of any in the world s
history, which they make and un,
make? 4af
The question is only part of the
larger question, how it came to pass
that the high aesthetic culture and
brilliant intellectual development Of
the Grecian era, which might have
seemed possessions of mankind for
ever, were lost in the darkness and
barbarism of the middle ages. To
trace the course of this sad decline
would be far beyond my purpose, suf-,
flee it to say that philosophy, which
thad mounted SO high, was sunk SO
low beneath the waves of supersti-
tion and ignorance that it might well
never have. been in existence,
through the mothers of those times,
who were guided by the hand of sup
erstition, ending in the downfall of
empires and nations.
Then, as now things were little
better; empty scholarship subtleties
and metaphysical mysticisms en-
gagged the whole attention of man
kind, at the expense of the present
and coming generations. Then, as
now, knowledge was nothing more
than a process Of ingenious excogi-
tation; they made no attempt to OBJ
serve the phenomena of nature and |
search out the laws governing them.
1t is fact, apundantly exemplified
in human history, that a practice in !
the care and welfare of children often
lasts for long time afteh the theory +!
which inspired it has lost its hold on
the belief of mankind. The laws of /
nature never intended that the close
alliance of dress and confinement
should take entire possession of the
domain Of body and mind of children,
and thus prevent the proper develop
ment OF their physical and mental
faculties.
1t must be remembered infants are
not born with the capacity of at once
putting into full play their mental
the contrary, long
ind patient education is necessary
o develop the faculties with which it
S endowed, such education being on
he physical side, be it noted--a grad
lal development of the nerve centers
which minister to mind and it's mani
estations.
So much in human development be-
ng due to education, it is evident
hat the training, which an infant un-
ergoes must have great influence
n the growth of its intellect and the !
ormation of its character.
What the infant shall be and
that it shall do will be determined in
reat measure by what has been
one to bring into full activity the
capabilities of it's nature"
But great as is the power of educa-
ION, 1t is yet sternly limited a
over; it is limited to the capacity of d
lie individual nature, and can only Il
ork within this larger or smaller Il
rcle of necessity. The power of d
influence in determining
d individual nature, which when
lainly stated must needs appear a
uism, has been more or less dis o
nelly recognized in all ages. b,
When antagonistic forces are at fl
ork in the determination Of the or fl
t of human thought, a centrifugal b.
revolutionary force giving the ex-
lnsive impulse of new ideas and a
ntripetal or conservative force
orking in the restraining influence M
habit; the resultant of their OPP VI
sing actions is the determination of ne
Q path of the evolution of mind,
Itch requires very careful training
the young, both physical and men,
|, in order to properly develop its
entail faculties. With physical in
the co-ordinatrng powers wi