SCIENCE IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS. 181 
with the laws of health based upon a knowledge of the working of a living 
body. It is preferable that this should be given at a late stage in the school 
course, both on account of the greater maturity of mind and body which 
has been attained, and also because sound elementary knowledge of physics 
and chemistry is a necessary antecedent. It is best to put such a course 
between the years of 17 and 18, and it might well be given to all at this 
age, even if specialisation has begun; where, however, the majority of girls 
leave when they are about 16, some part of it at least should be allowed to 
run concurrently with Science lower down the school. It should, if possible, 
be prefaced by a course of general elementary biology, and in any case as much 
experimental and cbservational work should be introduced as will give the girls 
an understanding of the metabolism of a green plant, a fungoid plant, and an 
animal, transformation of energy being dealt with as well as transtormation of 
matter, and the interdependence of the three types being clearly brought out. 
The actual processes in the human body may be dealt with more in detail, the 
work being given a definitely human trend and used, not only to instruct the 
girls in personal hygiene, but still more to give some knowledge of the social 
problems of the present day. Thus the nutrition of the body leads directly to a 
consideration of dietaries and to the effect of an insufficient or badly balanced 
diet, and this especially in the case of growing children. The function of 
yespiration will lead to a consideration of methods of ventilation and to the 
harm inevitably resulting from lack of ventilation and from overcrowding. 
This will be followed by some consideration of present housing conditions in 
town and country, the powers of local authorities in the matter and steps 
already taken for improvement. The functions of nerve and brain lead to the 
influence of narcotics and stimulants and also to the study of fatigue. An 
account of the growth of legislation with regard to work in factories and to 
child labour naturally follows. 
This last course goes considerably beyond the work usually undertaken by 
the Science Mistress, but it is very valuable that such questions should be 
studied in a scientific manner and with a sound scientific background. It is 
of the utmost importance that the general mass of citizens shall learn to think 
more biologically on such questions, and this link between live human interests 
and their scientific studies is invaluable for the girls. 
In every school course much is necessarily omitted, but it is understood that 
voluntary work done in connection with school societies will supplement the 
laboratory teaching to some extent. Thus through a Field Club may be given 
familiarity with common plants and their habitats, or, again, a knowledge of 
the geological structure of the neighbourhood with its effect on scenery and on 
history. 
