The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1911-11-18
A DANGEROUS FAD.

DR.. Woods Hutchinson OF New
York, in the course of an address
on "Heredity and Civilization, =
advocated the teaching of sex hy-
giene in the public schools. He
declared that such a course Of
study would, in a few generations,
raise the standard Of physical and
mental strength and do away with
many of the evils which now
harass mankind. AS the first step
in this propaganda for the uplift-
ing of the race he would tear
down "the fence behind which are
hidden the things that ought to be
put as they are before the child. !"
We are not surprised that one who
holds such views denounces as sell
fish and immoral s'the type Of
goodness that prides itself upon
it's holiness, its saintliness, it's pure
and upright way Of living" and
declares that 'modesty is a mock
virtue made up chiefly of pru-
derry
DR.. Hutchinson is not recognized
as an authority on educational
matters; but he has achieved some
notoriety as a popularizer of medi-
cal subjects and, no doubt, feels
confident to discuss any number of
allied topics. His suggestion in re-
gard to the teaching Of sex n.y.
giene was not barren of results,
for the members of the Mime
sofa Educational Association,
many of whom had never heard of
the learned doctor prior to the
convention, went on record as
favoring such a course in the nor
NAL schools for those who are pre-
pairing to become teachers in
order that it may be introduced
into the public school curriculum.
lie such a course is ever foisted
upon the public schools it will be
nothing short Of a calamity
Those who advocate it seem to be
obsessed with the idea that knowl-
edge necessarily begets virtue,
that an acquaintance with evil
makes one good. If this were
true, then, a class of people no
torious for their immoral lives
ought to be among the most viz
tuous. The teaching of sex hy-
giene as means of checking i'm
morality is a dangerous proceed
ing, an educational fad which has
no scientific foundation. No sane
person believes that a child can
be made moral by familiarizing
him with immortality and it's con-
sequences. To introduce a course
of sex hygiene in the public
schools would, in the opinion of
competent medical men, have the
result of increasing immortality
instead of diminishing its harm
fulness. 81 To force upon the
youthful mind knowledge which
| cannot fail to produce injurious
effects on the life Of the. child
is nothing short Of criminal. Even
the discussion Of the subject is
immoral and harmful in it's conse-
lquences and the less one dwells
upon it the better for his morals.
lie the child is to be Informed on
matters of this nature the instruc.
ton should come from the parent
and not from the teacher of a
public school where pupils of both
sexes and of all conditions in life
congregate. The way to keep a
child pure is not to fill his mind
with knowledge of. those things
which cannot with propriety be
discussed publicly and which, by
their very nature, tend to sug.
Igest unholy thoughts and to
arouse unruly passions, but by
placing before him lofty ideals OF
purity and modesty. The princi-
|ple which underlies the advocacy
of the teaching of sex hygiene in
the public school is false one,
namely, that a knowledge of evil
will, of itself, obviate the practice
OF evil and preserve one from sin
/ There is a special danger in
any attempt to teach this subject
IN the public school, because OF
| the fact that no religious safe
| guard is thrown around the child.
1.-THE atmosphere which he breathes
is, of necessity, non-religious and
without the wholesome restraint