36 JOURNAL AND PROCEEDINGS 



taught which will make him of some benefit to his fellow crea- 

 tures ? While it may be admitted that every well educated per- 

 son should have a knowledge of Classics and Mathematics, 

 should he be turned out from our schools a useless drone, trying 

 to eke out an existence upon the proud satisfaction that he could 

 write Greek Iambics or work problems in Conic Sections? No, 

 our schools should throw around him more protection than that. 



The physical training of boys should be attended to in our 

 schools as well as the mental. A boy should know how to take 

 his part against ruffians that might assail him. He should know 

 how to swim and should be taught how to rescue the drowning, 

 so that in the hour of need he might not have the mortification 

 of being unable to render that manly assistance which he would 

 like to render, and which he might attempt to the loss, from 

 shere ignorance, of his own life. This knowledge our boys are 

 left to pick up for themselves as best they may, or never acquire 

 at all, as the case may be. Boys should be taught biology or 

 the science of life. It should be faithfuU}' unfolded before them 

 so that they might know at least, in a proper scientific way such of 

 the mysteries of life as their elders are able to impart to them. 

 Many a boy for want of this knowledge has gone through untold 

 misery and has learned through an unhealthy channel, from 

 shere curiosity, what might have been imparted to him as a 

 matter of course in his school trainmg. They should be taught 

 the first and leading principles of hygiene,or the science of health. 

 They should know scientifically what is injurious to the human 

 frame and what is beneficial to it. Everything connected with 

 ventilation and the right use of food. The study of pneumatics or 

 the properties and laws of the atmosphere ; an accurate know- 

 ledge of their own frame, or anatomy, so that bones might be 

 set when the surgeon could not be reached, and bleeding stop- 

 ped till at least a physician could be secured. Knowledge of 

 practical every day subjects which would make useful men and 

 women, useful for every emergency that might arise in the dis- 

 tresses of humanity, should be attainable in the training places 

 of the young. It would be better than knowing the signs of the 

 zodiac or the names of the moons of Jupiter, though knowledge 



