November 13, 1914] 



SCIENCE 



691 



lish many and diversified sources for the 

 supply of mental pabulum. Symmetrical ex- 

 ercise is as essential to the normal develop- 

 ment of the nervous system as it is in muscu- 

 lar training. Athletes are not made by put- 

 ting all muscles save one in plaster casts and 

 exercising the free one, neither can the func- 

 tions of the brain be properly developed in 

 such a way. 



What are the fundamental subjects vrhich 

 should form the basis of education? It goes 

 without saying that the educated man must 

 know his own language thoroughly. He 

 should possess a large vocabulary and should 

 select his words and shape his phrases and 

 sentences with reference to smoothness of dic- 

 tion and clearness of statement. 



Language is the medium of exchange in 

 mental commerce and it must be on a gold 

 basis. Fortunately in this country dialects 

 are not sufficiently developed to interfere with 

 intelligent transfer of information. However, 

 we are known for our diversified richness in 

 slang. Some of these expressions are highly 

 illustrative of multum in parvo in speech, 

 sound in sense, rich in humor and forceful in 

 meaning. The function of the educated man 

 in regard to these colloquialisms consists in 

 the suppression of the atrocious ones and the 

 regulation of others. Next to color, speech is 

 most powerful in fixing dead lines across the 

 paths of individual advancement and useful- 

 ness. A man who is constantly blundering in 

 the use of his native language can not be long 

 tolerated among the educated, whatever his 

 virtues may be. In European countries, dia- 

 lect is a potent factor in class distinction. I 

 never fully appreciated this until I met 

 with the following experience in south- 

 ern Italy. On a drive I saw a beautiful 

 villa, picturesquely situated, quite new aud 

 untenanted. On my return to the hotel I 

 asked an intelligent appearing man concern- 

 ing the villa. He became quite excited and 

 in broken, but plainly intelligible English he 

 made the following statement : " I was born 

 a peasant in this community. I never spoke 

 Italian and knew only the local dialect. At 

 sixteen I went to New York. During the 



forty years of my residence in that city my 

 highest ambition was to accumulate enough 

 wealth to enable me to return to Italy and to 

 participate in its aflfairs, concerning which I 

 kept myself thoroughly posted. Four years 

 ago I closed my business in New York and 

 returned to this place. My dreams were now 

 to be realized. With much pride I purchased 

 land and built the villa you have seen. But 

 the moment I attempted to move in econom- 

 ical, social or political matters, I found a dead 

 line I could not cross. I did not speak Italian. 

 I do not blame those who repulsed me. You 

 would not have at your table an American 

 who did not speak correct English. In New 

 York I spoke only broken and incorrect Eng- 

 lish, but all said Mr. Blanco is Italian and we 

 do not expect him to speak correct English. 

 The villa can rot. I am going back to New 

 York." Even in this country and in university 

 circles I have known men who show lack of 

 fundamental education by lapses in speech. 

 Some years ago I was called one morning 

 into the country where a German farmer asked 

 me to lance a " bile " on his arm. On my re- 

 turn to town I saw a university instructor 

 who told me that he had been vomiting " boil " 

 all morning. A temporary colleague of mine, 

 a man of much merit, frequently said : " I 

 done it." Another said: "them there things." 

 It is needless to add that these men found 

 themselves out of place in a university fac- 

 ulty. There is one peculiarity about men of 

 this kind; they are infuriated at the most 

 delicate attempt of a friend to help them in 

 their defects. Every educated man should 

 speak and write correctly by habit. 



The study of Greek and Latin is a great 

 factor in the comprehension of other lan- 

 guages partly derived from these. Moreover, 

 one who is limited in his reading to transla- 

 tions, whether the original be in ancient or 

 modern speech, loses much of the force, 

 beauty and spirit of the author. It is true 

 that there are translations which equal and 

 a few which improve the originals. As one who 

 has made scientific work his special endeavor 

 during the entire period of his adult life, the 

 speaker believes that the student who has 



