Volume 2

Health lectures for the people.

Date:
1883-1892
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Health lectures for the people. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    59/600 (page 47)
    however, briefly refer to the all-important influence which a properly conducted system of education—and by the term edu- cation I mean the whole training of the body and mind during the period of development and growth from childhood until adult age — necessarily exercises upon the health of the body. Now it may be stated broadly that no system of education is sound which in any way interferes with the robust development of the body. It is unnecessary to insist upon the importance of robust health for those who have to work with their hands ; but good health is no less essential for those who work with their heads. It is, of course, perfectly true that much good brain work is accomplished by those who are very far from healthy and strong. It cannot, however, be denied that for great success a certain measure of good health is indispensable. In these days of keen competition rapid success is comparatively rare; it is the staying horse which most frequently wins the race. You must remember, too, that good mental work is impossible without healthy brain structure,—the one is directly dependent upon the other. The nutrition of the brain cells is conducted in exactly the same manner as the nutrition of all the other cells in the body, and anything which interferes with the nutrition of the body necessarily interferes with the nutrition of the brain, and so impairs its function and functional products (mental work, &c.). Now the question which naturally occurs here is, Is the system of education which is at present in operation in this country calculated to produce the highest possible state of bodily as well as of mental development? There is probably little if anything to complain of in most of our great public schools for boys. It is, however, very much to be doubted whether the same thing can be affirmed of many of our best schools for girls. But on this point I have no time to enter into details. With regard to the health of children in our elementary schools, the statistics which Sir Lyon Playfair quoted in his recent address to his constituents show that there has been a lessened mortality since the present system of national education came into operation, of from 30 to 35 per cent,