social circle. He would feel with Hugh Miller, that "the commonest things are worth looking at; even, stones and weeds, and the most familiar animals." In his daily walks he would see something more to admire in nature than its mere external beauty. His enjoyment in its contemplation would be enhanced by his knowledge of those wonderful processes by which all this varied beauty is evolved, in the plants and the trees with their leaves and flowers and fruits, and in the endless variety of animals that are so busy all over the world's surface. He would look upon the tree, for example, not merely as a beautiful and majestic object, but he would also think of the amusing chemistry that is going on in all its leaves, as so many laboratories, and of the action of the absorbents in the roots, drinking up from the earth the material out of which are made alike the under trunk, the leaves with their delicate tracery, the flowers with their bright colors, and their delicious fragrance, and the luscious and succulent fruit. The same would be true of other objects. Even the inanimate world would be to him full of this scientific interest. The rocks that, solitary or in masses, project from the earth's surface, would interest him not merely as giving variety to the scenery, but as uttering great geological truths. Even the common stones that he treads under foot would have to him an interest of this kind. He would find " sermons in stones" in a higher sense than was contemplated by the bard of Avon.

In this study of nature, which would be made so

common to all classes by the mode of education indicated, there is no subject to compare in interest with the physiology of man. The phenomena of life are always more interesting to most minds than those which are presented by inanimate objects. In man these phenomena appear in their greatest diversity and complication, and in the human structure we find contained a more extensive collection of various mechanisms than in any other of the Creator's works. No where else are the principles of so many departments of science exemplified as in the human system. But, what gives the highest interest to this study, is the fact, that the immaterial and immortal soul is so closely united with every fibre of the material and perishable body. In the physiology of man, therefore, besides the wonderful processes of that inscrutable thing which we call life, we study the still more wonderful phenomena resulting from this mysterious union of mind. and matter. This study is different from all other studies from the fact that, while in them we look at matter alone or spirit alone, in this we look at matter and spirit united, and often as acting together. For these reasons there is no study which is capable of being made so interesting as this. But it should have a prominent place in our plan of education, not merely from its intrinsic interest, but also from its importance as the basis of a proper understanding of the laws of the preservation of health.

The study of such subjects as I have alluded to in this lecture need not be confined to the few, as it

now is for the most part; but it can be made general by the plan of education which I have pointed out. They are not involved in such mystery as to be locked up from the view of common minds. Men that are educated in colleges have no exclusive right to them. We are all free not only to roam, but to study in nature's wide domain.

There is

The advantage which such a training in the observation of nature as I have indicated would give to mothers in the early education of their children at the fireside, is not to be passed over. no experience more common or more annoying, not to say painful, to intelligent mothers, than the inability to answer the questions prompted by the hasty observation of their children. But if they themselves had been in their childhood educated in observation, this difficulty would be done away, and the education of the fireside would be to them a delightful work. I cannot dwell on this interesting point, but must dismiss it with a remark which was made by a very accomplished and intelligent mother. When at school she stood above all others as a scholar, and excelled particularly in mathematics. Her remark was that she regretted every day of her life that most of the time which was spent in teaching her mathematics was not spent in teaching her what would enable her to answer the continual questions of her children.

I might dilate to almost any extent upon the advantages which would result from a general prosecution of the study of nature in our schools. But in addition to those already alluded to I will only

remark upon one point which is especially interesting to me as a physician. I refer to the genial influence which the resources supplied by this study exert upon an invalid in the hours which would otherwise hang heavy upon him, retarding, perhaps even preventing, his recovery. I have often pitied the invalid student or professional man, who is banished by a stern necessity from his books and his ordinary occupation. The relaxation from which he hopes to recover health becomes wearisome. He tires of the society which he has, even though it be to his mind, which is not always the case. He is wearied with doing nothing. Some agreeable but light employment of his mind would do him good, not only by making him forget his morbid sensations; but also, by giving him the satisfaction of feeling that he is doing something. It would thus be a cordial to his depressed vital powers, and might prove thus the means of his restoration. Now, if he had been educated after the plan which I have indicated, his habit of studying natural objects would furnish him with just the kind of mental employment which he needs. In his daily walks his thoughts would be taken away from himself, and would be occupied with the observation of the beautiful and wonderful in nature. And thus his exercise, which is taken by the invalid in most cases as one takes medicine, as a necessity, would lose its irksomeness, and as an agreeable diversion would exert its genial influence upon the system. But unfortunately it is seldom that the student or the professional man has such resources to fall back

upon, when driven by ill-health from his usual occupation; for the study of nature is so thoroughly excluded from our educational systems, that even liberally educated men have little real knowledge of the wonderful phenomena that natural objects offer in such abundance to their contemplation.

If time would permit, I would remark in this connection upon the influence which the plan of education indicated would exert in confirming the vigor of the young, from the fact that it would necessarily lead them out so much into field and forest in their observations of nature.

The ideas which I have advanced in this lecture have for some time floated, as I may express it, in my mind, as they have in the minds of many others who are interested in education, without assuming any very definite arrangement. There has been

much coincidence of thought in different minds on this subject. Accordingly, many of the ideas contained in this lecture have been brought out here and there in educational publications, and have been pressed upon the attention of teachers. But they have as yet become firmly and definitely fixed in the minds of comparatively few, and therefore exert but a limited influence upon the general character of instruction. I was led to the view which I have presented of the subject by the thoughts which were suggested while preparing, during the past year, a work to be used in instruction, and some of the ideas now offered to your consideration appear in the preface of that work, but much less expanded of course than in the lecture. The sub