Kemp. — O71 the Medical Aspects of Education. xxix 



energy, both mental and physical ; there is such a demand made upon 

 nature to supply sufficient blood for the growth of the body, that she cannot 

 at once do it, and so, the supply of blood being less than the demand, as a 

 necessary consequence follows more or less impaired health in proportion 

 to the demands put upon the natural resources of the individual. 



These injurious abstractions of energy take place as certainly when the 

 undue demands are slight and constant, as when they are great and sudden. 

 Hence, if, during youth, the expenditure in mental labour exceeds that 

 which natm-e has provided for, the expenditure for other purposes falls below 

 what it should have been, and evUs of some kind are surely entailed. The 

 abnormal advance of any organ in structure involves premature arrest of its 

 growth — (I mean by structure, increase in quality ; by growth, increase in 

 size). The brain, which during early years is comparatively large in size 

 but imperfect in structure, will, if required to perform its functions with 

 undue activity, undergo a structural advance greater than is appropriate to 

 its age ; but the ultimate effect will be a falling short of the size and power 

 that would else have been attained. When the brain becomes altered in 

 structure, we have, as a necessary consequence, imperfect nutrition or 

 growth of the whole body. For perfect nutrition there are certain con- 

 ditions absolutely necessary : — 



1. A proper state and composition of the blood, from which materials 



for nutrition are derived. 



2. A constant supply of such blood to every part. 



3. The healthy influence of the nervous system. 

 4; A natural state of the part to be nourished. 



Of the first two and last, I do not purpose to say anything, though it 

 might be shown how they are affected by impaired nervous influence. I 

 only purpose saying a word or two upon the influence of an unhealthy 

 nervous system upon nutrition. I have endeavoured to show you that 

 premature or excessive demands put upon the brain, cause it to undergo 

 alterations in structure ; this unfits it for the healthy performance of its 

 functions ; the processes of cu'culation, respiration, secretion, assimilation 

 of food, etc., are all under the dh'ect influence of the brain and nervous 

 system, and as this is not in a state of perfect health, it follows as a logical 

 sequence that they cannot be carried on as they ought to be ; — to the injury 

 of the whole constitution. 



We might, I think, with advantage, copy somewhat the educational 

 system of the ancient Greeks and Eomans, barbarians though we are wont 

 to call them. Amongst the former, education was divided into two parts : 

 music and the gymnasium, or mental and physical training ; that is, they 

 made physical as well as intellectual training, a science, as well as a study. 



