104 KANSAS CITY REVIEW OF SCIENCE, 
result of purposed investigation, and the result illustrates the truth that the mind 
is not a crib for storing away forms of finished knowledge, like the above defini- 
tion, unless those forms have become the child’s possession by tentative and expe- 
riential efforts. The mind, rather, is an instrument fitted for hewing out or mod- 
eling the knowledge products which it will possess. To begin with a definition is 
to begin at the wrong end of the educating process. It is much like getting a 
warranty deed to real estate before ascertaining its location, desirability and value. 
A definition, a generalization, a rule, a law, is a product of numerous observations 
and comparisons—a conclusion, the fimale of a thousand experiences. The same 
truth is even more strikingly illustrated in the student’s attempt to know the 
meaning of chromatic aberration, if presented to him in the form of a definition, 
clearly stated, with not more than fifteen words. Correct instruction requires 
the teacher to take his pupils to the glad fountain of experience, where the ele- 
ments of knowledge and their symbols are severally known; where they may be 
individually studied in their relations to each other; where they may personally 
encounter obstacles and feel the glorious enjoyment of surmounting them; 
where, individually evolving the finished forms of knowledge for themselves, 
their exact contents will be known rather than solely the esthetics of expression. 
_ The necessity of perceiving completely and the trained ability of interpreting 
sensations are not outranked by any other department of educational science. A 
single illustration: A child sees a rock-salt prism for the first time. Vision alone 
is concerned. The child’s conception of the prism consists of color, form, trans- 
_ parency and position. On the following day it handles the instrument. Now, 
the child’s conception embraces, besides color, form and positicn, smoothness, 
temperature, resistance, solidity, weight, etc. Upon the third day, the senses of 
sight, touch and hearing are applied to the study of the prism. Now, its concep- 
tion becomes far more complex. At the close of the fifth day, when the experi- 
mental process has been tolerably complete, let the question be asked, ‘‘ Upon 
what day does the child possess the most perfect idea of the prism?” The answer 
is self-evident, likewise the reason. The greater the number of sensual experi- 
ences, both in number and in kind, brought to bear upon an object, the more 
accurate, positive and considerable is our knowledge of it. The mind has been 
reached by different avenues of sensation, the soul has been awakened to new 
life, true conceptions have been formed, and these have been correlated and har- 
monized by the individual activities of the mind to be improved, while they pos- 
sess all the force, weight and power which it is possible for those conceptions to 
possess. Here is the practical question which more deeply concerns every parent: 
Should the schools possess the apparatus which will furnish the opportunity for 
these experiences? ‘There can be but one answer. 
I know it is a great mistake to think that when pupils arrive at their “teens” 
they have passed the period which makes experimental work a necessity. This 
common belief might have some probability in it, did they receive the proper 
training before arriving at that age. Prof. Cook, our American chemist, in a lec- 
