THE UNIVERSITY AND WOMEN'S WORK 73 



will tax the resources of any university student to exhaust. 

 Applied chemistry, sanitary science and applied hygiene, 

 bacteriology, general biology, physics these sciences of course 

 accompanied by practical work ; economics of the household, 

 general and child psychology, ethics ; practical work and 

 demonstrations in the actual household arts here is a syllabus 

 which in the hands of skilled teachers will provide an education 

 which may be fairly placed on the same plane as the special 

 education proper to any learned profession. It is not a 

 question of whether we can get along without this knowledge or 

 of imposing a formidable curriculum on all who aspire to 

 manage a home. The question is this is there not here a 

 store of knowledge lying pent-up which ought to flow into the 

 human calling to which it relates, knowledge which is certain 

 to improve, enlighten, and elevate that calling and to contribute 

 to human well-being ? If so, it is surely worthy work for a 

 university to disseminate this knowledge as best it can. 



The possibility and advisability of organized instruction in 

 reference to some sections of home life have long been recog- 

 nized, and for many years we have had schools of domestic 

 economy where the household arts have been taught by those 

 who are specially skilled in them. It is admitted that among 

 the poorer classes of the community the condition of things is 

 such that passable competence in even the most primitive 

 domestic arts such as cooking, washing, and sewing is not 

 secured if things are left to take care of themselves. The 

 crudest facts of hygiene, the importance of cleanliness and 

 fresh air, the simplest means of protection against disease are 

 not learned or respected. It would be possible and legitimate 

 to paint an appalling picture of the misery and suffering which 

 exist in the homes of quite respectable poor people simply and 

 solely because of their ignorance. The facts have forced 

 themselves irresistibly on public attention, and the State has 

 found itself compelled to give more and more time and money 



am K 



