98 IMPORTANCE OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION. 



thundered in their ears, it might arouse them to a sense of then 

 duty, and perhaps induce some reform in their shortcomings, in the 

 persons of their daughters. 



IMPORTANCE OF PHYSICAL, EDUCATION. 



A proper development of the physical system should be 

 ensured during childhood and early youth, for otherwise the oppor- 

 tunity is in a great measure lost forever, and a comparatively puny 

 and delicate body and a life-time of suffering and disappointed 

 hopes are almost inevitable. But if the intellect be neglected dur- 

 ing the same time, while a healthy body is secured, the result is 

 much less serious. An individual may not even know his letters at 

 the age of sixteen or eighteen years, and yet with industry get a 

 good practical education. The following important facts are lost 

 sight of, or not known or attended to by many parents and educators, 

 namely: If we strive prematurely to develop the intellect of a 

 child by undue application, an unnatural flow of blood is directed 

 to the brain to supply the great activity and consequent waste which 

 are thus created in this organ; therefore, the rest of the body 

 suffers, because an excessive amount of blood has been diverted 

 from its legitimate uses. Nor is this all, for the premature develop- 

 ment of a part of the system is necessarily but an imperfect 

 development of even that part. For this reason we rarely hear of 

 our precocious children in after life as distinguished men or women. 

 It is a matter of no small surprise to many that such " smart chil- 

 dren " do not attain a higher rank in after life. 



Consequence of Neglect. The secret lies in the fact 

 before stated. No one disputes the very great importance of physi- 

 cal education for the young; yet we have but to look around us at 

 the puny, pale-faced, deformed children to see how fearfully this 

 important part of education is neglected. And this is not only the 

 case with young children ; the neglect extends to older ones ; to the 

 students in many of our higher institutions of learning, in which 

 many of the teachers are very censurable for permitting their 

 studious pupils to work too much, and to have too many studies at 

 the same time, to the neglect of physical culture. We are glad that 

 in some few of our cities and towns men are becoming awakened 

 to the importance of this matter. A change is greatly needed in 

 our system of education, from the common school up, for in its 

 present condition it is productive of much disease, insanity and 

 physical deformity. 



Students Principal Sufferers. It is melancholy, 

 indeed, in our institutions of learning to see so many puny -looking 

 young men and women: hollow chests, round shoulders and bend- 

 ing body are characteristics of our students, and premature old age 

 and disease carry off but too many of our most gifted men and 



