0)1 the Medical Aspects of Education. 



By W. G. Kemp, L.E.C.P. London, M.E.C.S. England. 



[Read before the Wellington Philosophical Society, 23rd August and 13t/i September, 1879.] 



The subject that I have chosen to address you upon this evenmg is one of 

 such immense importance, that I feel no apology is necessary from me in 

 asking you to give me your attention, while I try and bring before you, as 

 clearly and simply as I can, some points connected with it, that to my mind 

 are not sufficiently considered by those who have the ordering of the educa- 

 tion of childi-en. I think I have not used too strong an expression when I 

 say the subject is one of immense importance ; for, if we consider that the 

 boys and girls growing up around us are those who will ere long become 

 the parents and educators of the generation succeeding them, we cannot 

 over-estimate the importance of any means that will enable them more 

 perfectly to carry out the duties that will be imposed upon them. In order 

 that you may, at the outset, understand the line of argument that I intend 

 to follow, I have set myself to answer the following question : — " Is the 

 present system of education that best calculated to improve the physical as 

 well as the mental condition of om- children." I am of opinion that it is 

 not, proofs of which I shall try to give you as I proceed. It seems to me 

 that in the present day children are not so well off as animals, in the care 

 given to their physical training ; how much time and thought are bestowed 

 upon the training of horses or dogs ; what care is taken that they shall have 

 their proper amount of exercise, proper quahty and quantity of food 1 Is 

 similar care paid to the food and exercise of children in order to keep them 

 in good health ? "When they are sick they have as much or more care 

 bestowed upon them, but surely it were wiser to have as much forethought 

 for our children as for our animals, for without that forethought how can 

 we expect to keep them in such a state of health as to fit them for the keen 

 competition to which they must be subjected, and also to make them physi- 

 cally fit to bear the strain that will be put upon them. 



The conventional usages of modern life, in ordering the education of 

 childi'en, have a tendency to push them forward without sufficient care being 

 paid to physical training, the mere acquisition of knowledge being considered 

 of more importance than the healthy growth and development of the bodily 

 frame. The influences which increase the general health and strength, and 

 produce strong muscles and sound limbs, are counteracted in their good 

 effects by the undue pressure which is put upon the brain when it is least 



