Amarillo daily news. [volume] (Amarillo, Tex.) 19??-current, 1912-07-12
DiscOurses Problems of Ed
ucatiOn Related to Health
of Pupils
SCORES THE DRUG HABIT
DBPRECIATES THE USE OF COCA
COLA AND OTHER SOFT
DRINKS RY SCHOOL
CHILDREN.
by Associated Press.

ny Associated ffcss
Chicago, H., July 1.-THE follow
ing address was delivered before the
general session of the National Edu-
cational Association tonight on the
subject. Problems in Education Re-
lated TO the Public Health" by DR..
Harvey w. Wiley:
One great object in education
should be the development OF a sound
intellectual training in connection
with q sound physical body. The in
creasing tendency to insanity, neuras-
thenia and kindred diseases, is awak-
ening a marked interest among all
those who are laboring for the pub
lie health. While we see dimin-
ution in certain contagious and in
fectious diseases, such as yellow few
er, smallpox, typhoid fever and tu-
berculosis, there seems to be an in
creasing number of so-called nervous
diseases, including mental irritability,
physical weakness, and general inab-
illty to perform the duties OF life,
whether of mental or a physical
character.
Teachers snould have their atten-
ton called to some of the prevailing
conditions which tend to produce this
increase in nervous troubles. II is
not my purpose here to speak of the
necessity OF the ordinary principles
of sanitation, pure air good food.
abundant exercise and freedom from
,oversTertion Of the intellectual fac
ultie rather 1 would Gu atteasfoa
10 some of the factors which are little
talked about, much neglected. ana
not generally understood.
wish to confine myself specificai-
~ 10 the prevalence of the drug
habit among school children. Either
through neglect carelessness, or con-
sent of parents and teachers, thou
sands of school children are becom-
ing addicted to drug habits. There
Ia no nation under earth in which
the children take something as often
as thew do In this country. Begin
ming almost with birth, there seeras
~ be an incessant craving TO fill the
baby's stomach with drugs instead
nj foods. This tendency, establish
ed In early life. is not perceptibly
diminished during the ages oil child
hood and early maturity. Every
household has its cupboard with so
called household remedies. consist
ing mostly OF synthetic preparations
of ouack medicines. Each OF these
Is advertised to be good for almost
every disease which may befall the
child. No matter what ails him. the
all-potent bottle or pill box contains
the sovereign remedy.
Very often these are dangerous
drugs. hablt-forming drugs, depress-
ing drugs. The age OF opium and It's
compounds. acetanilid. phenacetin,
antIpyrine and chloroform has not
passed by In the realm of infant pre-
parations. The country Is still flood
ed with these deadly preparations,
none OF which should ever be given
10 children except In rare cases, and
then only under the personal super
vision OF a competent physician.
In addition to these drugs. many
children are allowed to drink tea and
coffee. and thus take into their sys-
tens an alkaloid, caffein. which has
the tendency to take away the sense
OF fatigue, stimulate the hearts ac-
ton. and. in general. to urge the
child forward to greater physical and
mental activity than he should be
called upto to endure. In the nor
NAL child the brain and the body give
timely notice OF fatigue; In the alb
normal child, fed partly on tea and
coffee, these danger sienals are
struck down. and the child has no
sense either OF physical or mental
fatigue. Thus he keeps on working
when, II nature had her way. he
should be resting. Physicians and
teachers should combine TO urge up
on parents the deslrabllIty OF not al
lowing school children 10 use teo or
coffee.
In addition to these drugs contain
ing caffein. there are about a hun
dred so-called soft drinks on the mar
kets OF the country. sold under DIFF
ferent names. and TO which oaffein
has been added so as 10 make the
beverage. when consumed. have
about the same quantity OF caffein
that tea and coffee contain. Cocoa
cola IL a type OF these beverages. and
l' Is sold right around school houses