Infantile Education. 377 MISCELLANY. INFANTILE EDUCATION. AN individual who is anxious to educate his infant child as it should be, and who from the first hour of its birth, has kept a record of facts, observations and reflections respecting it, makes the following remarks on pages 1 and 2 of his manuscript. Up to this hour I can think of but two mistakes we have made. One of these consists in having the room, during the first hours, too light; and the other in allowing the nurse to jostle the child too much, and especially to trot him, on the knees. I want no such unnatural or artificial motions in the education of infants. Their position may and should be changed, often; and they may be soothed, if practicable in a thousand ways; but I do not like rocking, swinging, hard trotting, &c., I believe them directly and indirectly injurious. 'We have, however, made a third mistake, after all; but we are fast correcting it. This was in dressing him a little warmer than was necessary. We shall dress him more lightly hereafter, as long as this hot weather continues.' It may be proper to remark here, that these remarks were made when the child was less than fortyeight hours old; and that it was in the middle of July, and the weather very hot and sultry.-The following is another extract from pages 3 and 4 of the same record. During the night of the 17th, (July,) the seventh night after the child's birth, he was much affected with nausea and vomiting, and some griping and purging. What could be the cause? The mother had been quite careful about her diet. She had lived on coarse bread, water gruel, a very few boiled peas, and a little fruit, and water. Among her fruits, she had indeed sucked a sweet orange; but we could not believe that would produce such a strange effect. 'One thing I had observed the evening before the child was taken sick, which was that the water in a tumbler from which the mother drank, tasted very badly. She had first complained of it, and asked me to taste it; but I could not think what ailed it. It appeared, on examination, that it had stood sometime in a pail which was just painted internally, with a thick coat of lead paint, and which was not yet dry. 1 also found that the mother had been herself affected with a degree of tenesmus, just at the same time that the child was a sufferer; also with a little soreness of the mouth. 378 Educational Discussions. 'I am now quite certain, upon reflection, that the peculiar taste of the water in the tumbler was owing to the paint; and so is the mother.She drank a gill or more of it. This was quite enough to produce the disturbance, as every one knows who knows the nature of the process of secreting milk; and I am now almost as certain that it was the true source of the mischief, as I am that the mischief existed. How much it injured the rest of us, who not only drank it, but had our victuals cooked in it, remains to be determined. 'How strangely do we err in our management in this artificial world! I am quite opposed to the use of so much lead in painting; but if we must use lead paint at all, let it be under such circumstances as will not expose health and life.-My little boy may feel the effects of this poisoning to his dying day! 'So fully assured am I that I have found out the cause of my child's illness, and so much do I regret that as his natural and special guardian I did not watch over him with more care, that I cannot think of the circumstances without pain; and I sometimes wish-vainly I know-that lead paint had never been used. I wish, at any rate, that people would not paint the inside of wooden vessels. It is a very bad practice, and thousands have probably been injured by it.' We may, at some future time, inake further extracts from this record of facts,' in infantile education; though we hope we shall not have it in our power to present any more accounts of poisoning, from lead. We are afraid, however, that this slow but certain poison-in the form of paint, or glazing, or sweet wines, or in some of the thousand ways in which it may get into the system-is a more frequent cause of bowel complaint than is supposed. It ought to be more generally known that every form of white lead, sugar of lead, &c., is downright poison, and may show its effects for the first time for years after it is received, provided it is received only in small quantities. SUBJECTS FOR EDUCATIONAL DISCUSSION. We have alluded on a former occasion to the bill of fare' for an education convention at Detroit. It has interested us so much that we have resolved to insert it. Perhaps it may afford hints to those of our neighbors who need a little prompting on these occasions, if any such there should be. 1. The necessity of general education, as a safeguard of liberty, and as conducive especially to the stability of a republican form of govern ment. 2. The influence of the practical spirit of this age upon good education, and upon the proper development of mind. 3. The influence of periodical literature, and the political press in Educational Discussions. 379 forming the taste, the tone of feeling, and general character of the American people. 4. The best methods of improving the character of primary schools, and enlarging, by additional branches, the field of elementary instruction. 5. Would the interests of general education be promoted by legislative provisions adequate to the entire support of common schools? 6. In what way can the most efficient system of inspecting common school teachers be secured? 7. Is it expedient or practicable to have entire uniformity in the class books for common schools or academies? 8. Have the late attempts to simplify the books used in elementary instruction been productive of any great advantage? 9. The utility of models in mechanism, and of demonstrative apparatus for schools. 10. The benefit of libraries for common schools. 11. The influence of studies, which are too general, upon the minds of the young. 12. The best construction of school-houses, with reference to size, internal arrangement, warmth and ventilation. 18. Vocal music as a branch of common education. 14. In what way can the study of grammar be more conducive than it is, to the end of 'speaking and writing the English language with propriety?' 15. The system of instruction pursued at the Rensselaer Institution, requiring the pupils to lecture in recitation before their classes. 16. The importance of a higher standard of female education. The capacity of females for acquiring the highest branches of science, and the advantage to them of the study of Mathematics. 17. To what extent can the monitorial method of instruction be incorporated with the common system? 18. How far ought the catechetical form of instruction to be introduced into school books? 19. Is the method of communicating instruction by lectures, adapted to develop and exercise the mental powers? 20. The best method of teaching the several branches of common education. 21. Ought the principle of education to be appealed to and fostered, as an incentive to proficiency and good conduct in school? 22. How far can an appeal to the sense of honor, and to the moral sentiments, be made a substitute for corporeal punishment in the government of youth? 23. How far ought the theory of our republican form of government, 380 Hartford Young Men's Institute. and the history of its administration to be made a subject of study in schools? 24. The comparative efficiency of the classics and the natural sciences, in disciplining the mind. 25. The moral discipline of schools, including the best methods of correcting vicious dispositions, and of impressing a sense of moral obligation. 26. The importance of making the business of common school teaching a profession, by affording to that employment more adequate compensation. 27. How far should religious instruction be introduced into schools and academies? 28. In directing the studies of the young, how far should reference be had to the practical utilities of life. SOCIETIES FOR INQUIRY. The receipt of the thirteenth Annual Report of the Society of Inquiry of the Hamilton Literary and Theological Institute, has reminded us of a long neglected duty. Their object, when connected with theological institutions, is usually to ascertain the moral and religious condition of the world in which we live, and to devise means for promoting its improvement. Some of these societies have libraries and museums and reading rooms; of which the Society to which we have alluded, is an example. But there are societies of inquiry connected with some of our teachers' seminaries; and it is the duty of making these known to the world, to which we have just referred, as long neglected. There is one connected with the teacher's seminary at Andover, which has long been in operation, and which, as we are told, has been productive of great good. We commend societies of this sort-societies of inquiry rather than of dictation-among young men of suitable age. These, if properly conducted, have no tendency, that we can discover, to make youth over forward or immodest. It is the new fangled notion of forming children's associations, as children's temperance societies, anti-swearing societies, anti-tobacco societies, &c., to which we sometimes object. HARTFORD YOUNG MEN'S INSTITUTE. This is an association of spirited young men, for promoting their own intellectual and moral improvement. It recognises no distinction of politics, creed or occupation. The following extracts from a communication on the subject, in the Connecticut Observer, will explain better than any description of our own, its purposes and character. We hardly need to add that we rejoice in these efforts of our American young inen, and cordially wish them success. The Orphan's Home. 381 'The institution has been organized in the hope of giving such of our number as have had the advantages of systematic education, an opportunity to continue their mental discipline, and still further to accumulate knowledge. To those whose leisure and opportunities have been more restricted, it is intended to afford for a trifling sum the means of educating themselves, and to redeem from every class some portion of that large amount of leisure which all enjoy, but which many among us now waste in unprofitable idling, and too many others squander in the pursuit of pleasures which end in sorrow. 'The by-laws of the institution provide for the procuring of a library and reading-room, organising a debating society, and classes for mutual instruction, and the delivery of popular lectures on literary and scientific subjects, all of which are to be under the superintendence and direction of the Executive Committee. 'As soon as sufficient means can be obtained, it is the intention of the Committee to collect a library of select standard works in the various departments of literature and science, which can be consulted daily, by any member of the Institute, and out of which books, from time to time, can be drawn. They are also desirous, as soon as possible, of providing a readingroom of ample size, to be open every day and evening, which shall be furnished with all the leading public journals, and the principal scientific and literary periodicals, both of the United States and Great Britain. Several gentlemen of acknowledged talent and established reputation, have already been consulted on the subject of delivering lectures and have pledged their services to the Institute for this purpose.' THE ORPHAN'S HOME. We have seen several notices, of late, in the Cheshire Republican, printed at Keene, N. H., of the Orphan's Home, or Self Supporting Manual Labor Institution, of Mr Rich of Troy, in that State, which we have repeatedly noticed. It was founded four years ago. At first, it consisted chiefly of Mr R.'s own family, but it has since increased to nearly 30 scholars. The following account of a visit to this school, is by J. Conant, Esq., and A. Belknap, of Jaffrey. The date was May 7. 'Having heard much said unfavorable to this institution, and being desirous to satisfy ourselves, we attended the examination, on Tuesday the 24th of April last. There were 26 permanent scholars at this school, besides we understood there generally attended several day scholars. These scholars we learned were mostly orphan children, or the children of parents in indigent circumstances-they appeared in general healthy and well. The scholars were examined in reading, spelling, grammar, arith |