The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-08-03


at a sound and healthy body no less
than the Christian, but it has addi-
tional or different motives. The aim
of Christian hygiene is to train the
body to health and strength, chiefly
for the labors and duties and RESPONSE
bilities OF life, not merely to increase
its capacity for enjoyment. The chill
dren are soon to be the parents of the
land, not merely the laborers. They
will need strong bodies to produce fine
children. to support and educate them.
to withstand the immense sorrows of
parenthood, TO overcome the fearful
temptations forced upon them by the
horrible immortality of this hour The
pagan hygiene prattles about training
the children for duties and responsible
flies. but it really means to increase
their capacity for pleasure, to show
them how to evade certain duties and
responsibilities and to escape the PEN
alties attached to the evasion. What
else is the yelled hygiene Of the popu-
lar publications? What other ex-
PLANTATION Of the insane enthusiasm.
private ara printed. In behalf OF the
crimes called race suicide, birth con-
troll and prophylactic measures?
It may safely be said that the pagan
character of modern hygiene has
forced a Christian hygiene into exist
ence as a measure of elf-defence. Sir
Francis Cation may lay claim to the
honor of forcing the Christians into
line on this matter. His efforts to ap-
ply stock farm methods TO the pro-
creation of mankind, at least by its
terrible irony, aroused the Christian
thinkers. 1t was self-defence and pity
too that forced the American schools
to clean up the children Of the i'm
migrants. and this process will have
to go on until the last child Is fixed
in habits Of cleanliness. But IL this
had never acted compassion would
have taken its place, intelligent COM
passion, which carries interest much
further than handing a beggar his
daily fee. What a poor teacher he
would be who could drill his class for
years In the daily schedule and take
no further interest In them. It hap
pens that in this world there are sew
eral thousand such teachers, intelli-
gent, conscientious, Industrious. but
who draw the line at the duty paid
for per hour and wilfully remain blind
to the good which they might do. 1t
is so easy for the teacher to note the
deficiencies Of the little ones and to
interest them in their removal
The lower sort of immigrants chill
dren are a robust lot, but full OF little
defects and troubles. connected with
the eyes and ears, the nose and mouth
and the shape of the body or its car
rage. These matters are noticeable to
the teacher, who has to take but little
trouble in order to have them re-
moved. The poor are SO accustomed
to hardship that deficient sight in one
eve. Door hearing, adenoids, decayfng
teeth, crooked limbs, irregular Shout
ders and the like hardly get their at
tention, being bearable troubles. An
insistent inquiry from the teacher
about them would result In their
speedy removal. Harsh speaking and
singing voices belong to some children,
owing to conditions at home. Many
have peculiar habits in walking, sit
ting. standing, moving about speak
ing An occasional admonition from
the teacher if regularly delivered will
bring about a change for the better.
The elaborate system of the State
school with its costly and complete ap-
paratus should have perfect results.
but the church school through its de-
voted and industrious teachers should
secure good results among the immi-
grants children even without a, thor
ough system and fine apparatus.
We are now told by the experts
that the nervous strain Of American
life is apparent in the unnatural in
crease of heart and kidney diseases
among the more comfortable citizens.
1t is certainly apparent in the native
children who cannot compare In ro-