THE NERVOUS SYSTEM AND EDUCATION 529 



come by our knowledge through, experience, and in what manner 

 experience acts upon our nervous system. 



It is, therefore, the nervous system which we have to do with 

 in every system of education. It will go with the saying that 

 the better the condition of health in the nervous system, the 

 better will it be for the plans of education. One of the funda- 

 mental laws that must govern all methods of education is the 

 care of the health of those who are being taught. A normal con- 

 dition of the conducting nerves and perceptive centers is neces- 

 sary to a normal type of the perceptions gained by experience. 

 In all schools and colleges sanitary principles ought to have the 

 most thorough consideration. Impure air, either from bad venti- 

 lation or drainage, may do more harm to a number of children 

 than the most eminent teacher can do good. If the brain is not 

 well supplied with an abundance of nourishing and pure blood, 

 its functions can not be well performed. It is a poor waste of 

 time to teach a child, unless what is taught is imparted under 

 such circumstances as to be remembered; and how can impres- 

 sions made upon the brain become fixed and retained unless it is 

 in a fit condition of health, activity, nutrition, and rest ? Mens 

 sana in corpore sano is now and always will be true. 



Granting that the school or college is in a sanitary condition, 

 and that there is a proper mixture of recreation in the hours of 

 study, the individual characteristics of each pupil deserve to be 

 taken into account. No teacher does his duty who does not make 

 each pupil placed under his charge a careful character study. It 

 is true this takes much time and requires much judgment ; but it 

 is far more than repaid by the greater progress that can after- 

 ward be made by the teacher with such a pupil. Some children 

 who may be naturally truthful are, nevertheless, extremely sensi- 

 tive to pain, and as a consequence will lie to escape punishment. 

 Others, again, are instinctively prevaricators ; while some are so 

 constituted as to have no fear of corporal punishment. The hope 

 of reward will stimulate one child to diligence ; but no such result 

 is produced in a second. One will study from a love of the work ; 

 whereas another looks upon all study as a useless waste of time, 

 and a weary drudgery. Individualism should therefore play an 

 important role in the management of every school. The teacher 

 must ever fall far short of true success who does not or who can 

 not become familiar with the many differences thus to be found 

 in the mental and ethical qualities of his class. 



Prenatal and postnatal influences may have seriously im- 

 paired the child's health, and especially that of its nervous sys- 

 tem. Nature has done much to protect her works from the 

 destructive and injurious effects of their environments. But, in 

 spite of this, the conditions of life and development may have 



