Chapter XIV: The Nervous Child and School

At the onset of puberty childhood comes to an end, and the period of adolescence begins. Into these further stages of development it is not proposed to enter, but it may be well to consider a question which is apt to present itself for answer at this period: "Should the boy, or girl, of nervous temperament, or whose development up to this point has been accompanied by symptoms of nervous disorder, be sent to a boarding-school?" So long as the child remains at home the home environment is the force which alone is concerned in moulding his character. We have seen how plastic the young child is, how imitative, how suggestible, how prone to form habits good or bad. The diversity of type shown by the homes is reflected in the diversity of character and conduct exhibited by the children. The home is the culture medium, and in no two homes is its composition the same. For each child home influence remains to a great extent unchanged, and in great part unchangeable. Its action upon the child is constant and long sustained. Hence, it is not surprising that the growth of his character and powers is commonly unequal. At one point we may find a good crop of virtues, at another a barren tract; and the home influences which have ripened the one and blighted the other are calculated by the lapse of time to increase the contrast rather than to diminish it.

I suppose it is for this reason that the custom of sending children to boarding-schools has so firm a hold among us. The boarding-school forms an environment selected to correct the inequalities which result from the special action upon the child of individual homes. The life of a boy in one of our large public schools is well calculated to act as a corrective in this way not only by reason of its ordered routine and discipline, but still more because it is affected, perhaps for the first time, by the strong force of public opinion. It is the strength of this public opinion which gives to our public schools their peculiar character and produces their peculiar effects. That which the schoolboy most despises is what he calls "Bad Form," and he bows down and worships an idol he himself has set up, the name of which is "Good Form." Public opinion forms the code of morals observed in the school. The standard set is commonly not so high as to be very difficult of attainment. It demands many good qualities. To lie, to sneak, to tell tales, to bully, to "put on side," are bad form. In some respects the definition of what is virtuous may be a little hazy. Thus it may be wrong to cheat to gain a prize, but to copy from one's neighbour only so much as will enable one to pass muster and escape condemnation is no great sin. In short, good form demands that a boy should have all the social virtues: that he should be a good fellow, easy to live with, and possessed of a high sense of public spirit--good qualities certainly, though perhaps not those which help to make the reformers or martyrs of this world.

The school life is the life of the herd, and to be successful in it the boy must mingle with the herd, not break from it or shun it. Good form--if we came to analyse the conception that underlies it--consists only in a close approximation to the standard pattern; bad form, in any deviation from it. It is this similarity of type and community of ideals which makes it so easy for most public-school boys to get on well with one another. When in after life they are thrown among a set of men who know nothing of their conception of good form, and whose training has been on completely different lines, there may be a corresponding difficulty.

Now what is true of public-school life is of course also true of the larger life after schooldays are over for which all education is a preparation. These qualities of sociability and good sportsmanship will stand a man in good stead throughout life. Even the most ardent and active spirit will benefit by being subjected for some years to this steady pressure of public opinion. The most part will learn from it good sense, consideration for others, and self-control. As they pass from the lower forms to the higher in the school they will learn too to support authority without doing injustice, and to bring the weight of public opinion to bear upon others. And to all this training many a man owes his happiness in after life--a happiness which he could not have secured if his character had been moulded only by the environment of his home, or by the home in combination with the less-powerful corrective of a day school. For the nervous child the passage from home to school life may involve considerable mental strain. He may be morbidly self-conscious and timid, or, unknown to himself--because he has as yet no power of self-analysis and has no opportunities of comparing himself with others--he may have developed certain eccentricities. In most cases the plunge into school life will be taken well enough; in a few the little vessel will not right itself, and proves permanently unseaworthy. No doubt as a rule a private school will have preceded the public school, and this gradation should make the entrance to the public school a lesser ordeal. But it often happens that it is just in the case of the nervous child that this intermediate stage has been omitted, and that his thirteenth birthday finds him still in the home circle.

If the boy's father has first-hand knowledge of life in the lower forms of public schools, his experience may enable him to form some estimate of the effect of school life upon the nervous system of his son. It is when parents or guardians have no such experience of their own to guide them that mistakes are most liable to be made. I can myself remember the unhappy state of some solitary and eccentric schoolfellows of mine who aroused the resentment of "the Herd" by their behaviour or opinions. If it is clear that the boy has a peculiar temperament and is likely to suffer in this way, some _via media_ must be found. The home has failed so that he must leave home and come under the influence of some one who understands the nature of the difficulty and can adapt the boy to school life. A change of environment of this sort as a preliminary to the public school is often all that is needed. If his age permits, every effort should be made in this way to obtain for the nervous child who has developed peculiarities or faults the benefits of a public-school education.

Some types of nervous children will show immediate improvement when they go to school. The boy who is passionate and disobedient, and whose parents cannot control him, is best at school. Boys who, from being much with grown-up people, have become too precocious and have acquired the habits and tastes of their elders, will dislike school at first, but it will do them good. Their fault shows that they are quick to learn and sensitive to the influences of others, and they will soon adapt themselves to their new surroundings. Boys who are dreamy and imaginative, who early adopt a "specialist" attitude towards life, who, however ignorant they may be of everything else, cultivate a reputation for omniscience in some particular subject, such as Egyptology, astronomy, or the construction of battleships, are usually nervous boys whose symptoms will disappear at school. Where undue timidity, phobia, or habit spasm is present, the question is more difficult to decide. Every individual case must be studied as a whole, and our object should be not unnecessarily to deprive the boy of the wholesome training of public-school life.

There are parents who from sheer ignorance add to the difficulties which the boy encounters in going to school. Failure to appreciate very small points may cause unnecessary suffering. To be the only boy in the school to wear combinations is not a distinction that any new boy craves, however strong his nerves may be. A friend of mine still relates with feeling how, twenty years ago, he arrived at school with shirts which _buttoned_ at the neck! At night when every one else in the dormitory was asleep he sat for hours on his bed, miserable beyond words, removing the buttons and doing his best in the dark to bore buttonholes which would admit what every other boy in the school had--a collar stud.

With girls perhaps this question of fitness for school life does not arise in so urgent a way. Girls are usually older when they go to school, and girls' schools are perhaps less terrifying and more like home. There is, however, one important point which should be borne in mind. The date of the onset of puberty varies much in both sexes. If the boy grows to a great hulking fellow at fourteen, and even displays a desire secretly to borrow his father's razor, he is at no particular disadvantage as compared with his fellows. He is so much bigger and stronger than the others that he may thereby early enjoy the distinction of playing at "big side," or of getting a place in the school Eleven. He is probably much envied by those of the same age who, with the aid of their youthful aspect, can still occasionally extract compensation by inducing the railway company to let them travel to school at half fare. But with girls it is different. Many at fourteen or fifteen are children still; some are grown up, with the tastes, feelings, and attraction of maturity. Those who have developed fastest are often, for that very reason, kept backward in school learning. Often they are nervously the least stable. Now that large schools for girls on the model of our public schools are become the fashion, such precociously developed and nervously unstable girls are apt to find themselves in the very uncongenial society of little girls of twelve or thirteen. The elder girls commonly hold aloof, while mistresses are apt to view this precocious development with disapproval, and to attempt to retard what cannot be retarded by insisting that the young woman has remained a child. I remember being called in consultation by a surgeon who had been asked to operate for appendicitis upon a girl of fourteen. I found a tall, well-grown girl, with an appearance and manner that made her look four years older. I could find no signs of appendicitis, but I learned from her that she had been for three months at a large girls' school, and that in a few days' time her second term was due to begin. As we became friends, she agreed that her appendicitis and her resolve not to return to school, where she was unhappy, were but different ways of saying the same thing. She was an only child who had travelled a great deal with her parents, had found her interests in their pursuits, and had grown backward in school work. The little girls with whom she was expected to associate seemed to her mere children. The elder girls did not want her friendship, and snubbed her. I prescribed a change to a small boarding-school with only a few girls, where age differences would not matter so much, and where she could make friends with girls older than herself, though not more mature.

Into their school life we need not follow the children. Happily the time is past when schoolmasters and schoolmistresses were incapable of understanding their charges, and confounded nervous exhaustion with stupidity or timidity with incapacity.

And so we come back to the point from which we started:

The nervous infant, restless, wriggling, and constantly crying! The nervous child, unstable, suggestible, passionate, and full of nameless fears! The nervous schoolboy or schoolgirl prone to self-analysis, subject-conscious, and easily exhausted! And how many and how various are the manifestations of this temperament! Refusal of food, refusal of sleep, negativism, irritability, and violent fits of temper, vomiting, diarrhoea, morbid flushing and blushing, habit spasms, phobias--all controlled not by reproof or by medicine, but by good management and a clear understanding of their nature.

The hygiene of the child's mind is as important as the hygiene of his body, and both are studies proper for the doctor. Neuropathy and an unsound, nervous organisation are often enough legacies from the nervous disorders of childhood.

INDEX

Abdomen, prominent

Abdominal symptoms of neurosis

Accent, local, facility with which acquired

Acetone, in breath and urine during cyclic vomiting

Acidosis, accompanying cyclic vomiting

Action, imitativeness of
liberty of, in early childhood

Activities in the nursery
not to be restrained
without intervention of grown-up people
wonderful nature of

Adenoid vegetations, night-terrors aggravated by
removal of, in treatment of enuresis

Adolescence, and education on sexual matters

Adults, child in relation to the society of

Æsthetic sense, in early childhood

Affection, in the child

Air hunger, in cyclic vomiting

Air swallowing, habitual action of

Albuminuria, associated with faulty posture
cause of, in neuropaths

Allimentary disturbances, symptom of

Alkali, in treatment of cyclic vomiting

Anæmia, of neuropaths

Anorexia nervosa
A case illustrating

Apnoea, fatal cases of
following burst of crying
twitching of facial muscles in

Appetite, emotional states affecting
loss of,
case illustrating
causes and characteristics
treatment
means of stimulating
nature of the sensation of

Apprehension, causes of
growth of neuroses in atmosphere of

Artificial feeding

Aspirin

Asthma, treatment of

Attention, child's love of attracting
examples of

Authority, delight in defying
over-exercise of, by parents, results of

Babies. _See_ Newborn Baby

Backward development
signs of

"Bad form"

Bad habits

Bath, baby's first experience of

Bed, dislike of
how overcome
efforts to resist preparation for

Bedroom, airing and temperature of

Bedtime
management at

Bed wetting. _See_ Enuresis

Behaviour. _See_ Conduct

Bladder, hydrostatic distension of, for enuresis

Boarding-schools, object of

Bodily ailments, and instability of nervous control, connection between
_See also_ Disorders

Body,
and mind, development of
development of
environment influencing
effect of mind on
gradual alterations in the shape of
infantile characteristics in later childhood

Bone, and muscle, changes in, in infantile children

Books,
child's attitude towards
educative value of
kinds most suitable

Brachial nerve, pressure causing tetany

Breast-feeding,
best time for
causes of failure in
observations on
_See also_ Lactation

Breath-holding
action during
fatal cases of
phenomena of

Bromides, administration of
to newborn baby

Cajoling, futility of

Calcium bromide, in treatment of spasms

Calcium metabolism, disturbance of

Care, ill effects of excess of

Carpo-pedal spasm

Catarrhal infections
connection of rheumatism with, 155

Cerebral anæmia

Cerebral circulation, stagnation of

Cerebral exhaustion. _See_ Mental Exhaustion

Cerebral functions,
rapid growth of
unstable in the child
_See also_ Mental

Character,
formation of
during school life
home influence in the development of
ideals of, how inculcated

Children's parties, disadvantages of

Chloral, administration of
to newborn baby
in treatment of spasms

Chorea,
and rheumatism, association between
symptom of cerebral irritability
treatment of

Chvostek's sign, characteristics and nature of

Circulation, cerebral,
stagnation of
nervous control of

Claustrophobia

Clothing,
kind suitable
new, child's delight in

Coaxing,
futility of

Cold douches, improving vasomotor tone

Coldness of extremities

Conduct,
control of, factors in
errors of, and sexual instincts
control of
correction of
due to faults of management
in neuropathic children
excessive introspection influencing
ideals of, how inculcated
influence of environment on
influenced by suggestion
mother's influence on
of neuropaths
perverse
suggestion in the control of

Constipation,
mental causes of
negativism in
perversion of suggestion a common cause of
suggestion in relation to

Constitution, delicacy of

Convulsions, fatal cases of
generalised

Convulsive disorders

Cough, nervous

Counter-opposition, child's opposition growing with

Crying, constant
formation of habit of
in emotional and excitable children
management of
mechanism of
phenomena of
purposeful

Cyclic or periodic vomiting. _See_ Vomiting

Day-dreams, indicating nervous temperament

Deceit

Defæcation, inhibition of
painful

Delicacy of constitution

Delirium, tendency to

Depolarisation of ideas

Depression, recurrence of periods of

Dexterity, lack of
manual, advantages of
toys developing

Diaphragm, spasm of

Diarrhoea, mucous

Diet, likes and dislikes for articles of
opposition to
of newborn child, changes in
_See also_ Food

Digestion, emotional states affecting

Digestive disorders, mental causes of

Digestive neuroses

Digestive system, symptoms of extreme sensibility of

Dirt eating

Discipline
in later childhood
in the school
misdirected efforts at enforcing
severe, effects of

Dishonesty

Disobedience,
growth of
habit of
personality and
perverse attitude of
reproof and coaxing causing

Disorders, ætiology of
associated with neurosis
common
environment as cause and cure of
of neuropaths
treatment of
trifling

Diuresis, excessive

Doll, child's care of, an example of imitativeness
educative value of

Douches, cold, improving vasomotor tone

Dover's powder

Dreams,
nature of, indicating nature of mental unrest

Drugs, in sleeplessness

Ductless glands, in relation to infantile characteristics

Dullards

Dyspepsia, complications of
course and effects of
mental aspects of
nervous symptoms of
symptoms in newborn infant
treatment

Early childhood, care during
impulse of opposition in
love of power in

Early childhood, nervousness in
reasoning power in
three common neuroses of
toys, books, and amusements in
_See also_ Newborn Baby

Education, aim of
by games and toys
on sexual matters

Educative value, of books, games, and toys

Emotional states, appetite affected by
causing spasm
management of
of neurotics, exaggeration of
physical disturbances due to
producing laryngismus stridulus

Emotional storms

Endocrine glands

Enuresis,
causal factors in
characteristics and peculiarities of
condition of urine during
mental aspects of
mistakes in treatment of
perversion of suggestion as cause of
removal of tonsils in
treatment, essentials in
hypnotic suggestion in
methods of

Environment, body moulded and shaped by
change of, beneficial effects of
effect in developing child's powers
effect on common disorders
errors of, and neuropathic children
essentials of
faulty contact with, in neuropathic children
for neuropaths
influence on conduct in later childhood
influence on mental processes
influence on personality
irritating nature of the adult mind in
of the home, reflected in the child
of school life
stimulus of
susceptibility to influences of

Epilepsy, cyclical character of

Evil, inborn disposition to

Excitable children, management of

Exercise, sleep in relation to

Exhaustion. _See_ Mental Exhaustion

Expostulation, frequent, bad effects of
_See also_ Reproof

Expressions, to attract attention

Facial muscles, twitching of
associated with apnoea

Fæces, incontinence of

Fainting fits,
cause and characteristics
control of
of neuropaths

Fatigue, mental, physical, and visceral

Fats, lowered tolerance to

Faults, correction of
not corrected by too frequent reproof

Fear,
causes of
phenomena of
prominent psychical symptom of neuropathic children
treatment of

Feeding,
artificial
factors in
of newborn infant, regularity in

Fertilisation, method of imparting knowledge of

Food, force of suggestion in relation to
healthy desire for
likes and dislikes for
how overcome
phenomena of the desire of
refusal of
nervous causes of
persistent, factors encouraging
suggestion in relation to
treatment of

Force and cajoling, futility of

Freud, teaching of

Functional disturbances, in combination with organic disease

Gait, peculiarity of

Games, educative value of

Gastric disturbances

Gastric juice, psychic secretion of

Gastric symptoms, of neurosis

Gastro-intestinal derangement, causes of
environment as cause and cure of

Gentleness,
inculcation of

Girls' schools

Glottis, spasm of, strong emotion causing

"Good form"

Grasping habit, reproof in relation to

Growing pains

Habit spasms, age of appearance of
cause of
definition of
examples of
spread of
suggestion in relation to
treatment of

Habits, regulation of
suggestion in relation to

Habitual actions, infant's pleasure in
mental unrest in relation to
of the parent, reproduction in the child
varieties and characteristics

Habitual wakefulness

Hands, control of movement of
expressionless

Happiness and contentment, of child when playing alone

Headache, periodic. _See_ Migraine

Heat and cold, newborn baby in relation to

Heat and flushing, sudden sensations of

Heredity, and temperament
and type of child
nervous disorders in relation to

Home influence, in development of character
reflected in the child

Hunger, of the newborn baby

Hypnotic suggestion, in treatment of enuresis

Hypnotics

Hysteria,
age of appearance of
suggestion in relation to
symptoms of

Hysterical girls, characteristics of

Ideals, inculcation of

Ideas, polarisation and depolarisation of

Illness. _See_ Sickness

Imagination, abnormal, correction of
child's stories and tales in relation to
developed by toys

Imitativeness, age at which apparent
extent of
illustration of
lack of
of action
of speech
tell-tale child an illustration of

Incontinence of urine

Incorrigible children

Infantile characteristics,
ductless glands in relation to
nervous system in relation to

Infective disorders,
convalescence from
producing nervous symptoms
relation of neurosis to

Inflammatory reactions

Insomnia. _See_ Sleeplessness

Intellect, compared with physique

Intelligence, in early childhood

Intestinal disturbance
of neurosis
symptom of

Intoxications, violent reaction to

Introspection, and neuropathic children
excessive, evidences of
influencing conduct

Irritation, child to be free from

Joint pains

Kindergarten school, artificial symbolism of

Kindness, inculcation of

Lactation,
care of child during
care of mother during
causes of failure in
establishment of
tongue-tie in relation to

Laryngismus stridulus. _See_ Breath-holding

Later childhood,
infantile characteristics in
management in
mental backwardness in

Likes and dislikes

Lordosis
and neurosis
producing albuminuria

Manual dexterity, advantages of

Massage, improving tone of muscles

Medicines, sensitiveness to

Melancholy children

Mental aspects, of digestive disorders
of enuresis
of management in early childhood

Mental backwardness,
and infantile characteristics
in later childhood

Mental disturbances,
cyclical character of
indicating neuropathic tendencies
irregularities of sleep due to
psycho-analysis of

Mental exhaustion,
during convalescence from infective disorders
easily produced in nervous children

Mental irritability, chorea a symptom of

Mental life of the child

Mental power,
active before beginning of speech
in early childhood

Mental processes, development of
age at which most apparent
in later childhood
effect of unconscious suggestions on
heredity in relation to
influence of environment on

Mental training
compared with physical training
objects and advantages of

Mental unrest,
avoidance of
crying in relation to
digestive disturbances due to
growth of neuroses in atmosphere of
habitual actions in relation to
in the adult
in the child
negativism due to
of newborn infant, effects of
_See also_ Nervous Unrest

Micturition,
functional disorder of
negativism in
regulation of
_See also_ Enuresis

Migraine,
periodic vomiting associated with
symptom of nervous exhaustion

Mind,
and body, development of
effect on the body
vigour of, in relation to that of body

Money, theft of

Montessori system of training

Moral degeneracy

Moral standard of school life

Moral training
importance and effects of
negative virtues and
objects and advantages of
parents' responsibilities in

Morals, public opinion forming code of

Morbid introspection

Mothers,
ability and inability to manage children
attitude in regard to temperament of child
care of, during lactation
conduct of child influenced by
inability to understand nature of child's disorders
influence of, on tone and manner of speech
mental environment of child created by
personality of
relation to the child

Motionless children

Mouth, habit of conveying everything to, cause of

Movements,
precision of
purposive, development of
self-command of

Muscular atrophy, and neurosis

Muscular system,
changes in infantile children
weak development of

Muscular tone, how improved

Myopathy, primary

Nasal obstruction
and failure of lactation
night-terrors aggravated by

Natural history, sexual matters taught by

Naughtiness, child's delight in

Naughty, use of the term

Negative virtues, and moral training

Negativism,
cause of
characteristics
factors developing
in constipation
in micturition
spirit of
treatment of
want of sleep depending on

Nerve centres, controlling movement, development of

Nervous control, instability of, connection between bodily ailments and

Nervous cough

Nervous disorders,
and psycho-analysis
common, causes, characteristics, and treatment
frequency of

Nervous exhaustion, cyclic vomiting and migraine symptoms of

Nervous instability, stigma of

Nervous system, abnormal in children
in relation to cyclic vomiting
increased irritability of
infantile characteristics of

Nervous unrest, environment in relation to
factors increasing
manifestations of
recurrence of periods of
symptoms of
_See also_ Mental Unrest

Nervous vomiting. _See_ Vomiting

Nervousness, and digestive disorders
and neuropathy
in early infancy
in older children
parents' attitude causing

Nettlerash

Neurasthenia

Neuropathic children, common symptoms of
conduct of
faulty contact with environment in
fear the prominent symptom of
introspection and self-consciousness of
management of
training of

Neuropathic tendencies, evidence of, in older children

Neuropaths, adult
faulty management in child life leading to
phenomena of
phobias of
selection of suitable environment for
symptoms of

Neuroses, and psycho-analysis
association of albuminuria with
constipation frequently due to
examination of
growth in atmosphere of unrest and apprehension
relation of, to infection of the body
treatment of

Neurotics, and physique
characteristics
exaggeration of emotions of

Newborn baby, administration of sedatives to
artificial feeding of
breast feeding of
case of
effect of mental unrest on
first impressions of
formation of habits of sleep and crying in
heat and cold in relation to
hunger of
induction of the sucking movements of
of nervous inheritance
personality of
prevention of restlessness and crying
reduction of sense stimuli in
reflex action of sucking in
sense of taste of
symptoms of dyspepsia in
times of feeding
weaning of

Night-terrors, aggravation of,
causes of
of neuropathic children

Nursery, activities in, child's interest in
importance of child's being alone in
observations in

Nursery life, advantages of

Nursery psycho-therapeutics

Nurses, ability and inability to manage children
influence of, on tone and manner of speech
mental environment of child created by
personality of

Nursing, during sickness
of the newborn infant

Obedience
and perverse pleasure
growth of

Obsession of bed wetting

Opposition
and counter-opposition
during sickness
force of, factors influencing development
habit of
impulse of
love of, in early childhood
to food

Organic disturbance, in combination with functional trouble

Pain, frequent loss of sense of, in neuropaths

Pallor
sudden attacks of

Palpitation, example of visceral fatigue

Parathyroid glands, function of

Parents,
and children, conflict between
and silence on sexual matters
habitual actions of, reproduced in the child
mental attitude of, in relation to conduct
over-exercise of authority by, results of
responsibilities in moral training of child
suggestions unconsciously conveyed by, evil results of

Parties, disadvantages of

Patient, temperament of, physician in relation to

Pelvis, development of

Peripheral nerves, increase in irritability and conductivity of

Personal adornment, delight in

Personality,
and disobedience
child's own conception of
environment influencing
in early childhood
of newborn baby

Perspiration, abundant, sudden attacks of, 141

Phobias,
characteristics and varieties
frequency of
treatment of

Physical defects, accompanying neurosis

Physical disturbances, due to emotion

Physical exercise, lack of, causing want of sleep

Physical fatigue, easily produced in nervous children

Physical phenomena of neuropaths

Physical training,
objects and advantages of

Physician,
and the temperament of his patient
examination by
diagnosis by
difficulties of

Physique, intellect compared with

Pica and dirt eating

Picture books,
educative value of
kinds most suitable

Play,
happiness of child during
in the nursery
with grown-up persons

Pleasure, sense of, in early childhood

Polarisation of ideas

Postural albuminuria

Posture, faulty
prevention of

Power, child's love of

Precision of movement, development of

Psycho-analysis,
dangers of
observations on

Public schools, character and effects of

Punishment,
deserved and undeserved
frequent, disadvantages of
observations on

Purity, inculcation of high ideals of,

Purposive movements, earliest,
cause of
encouragement of

Pyloric spasm

Pyrexia,
organic disease in relation to

Rational hygiene

Reasoning power,
active before advent of speech
factors influencing development of

Regulation of habits

Repression, by older children of younger

Reproduction, method of imparting knowledge of

Reproof,
cases in which useless
causing disobedience
effects of
extreme sensitiveness to
perverse pleasure of
too frequent repetition of, futility of

Restlessness, during sickness

Rewards, use and dangers of

Rheumatism,
and chorea, association between
characteristics in childhood
subacute
treatment of

Rickets,
mental and intellectual condition in
in infantile children
occurrence with spasmophilia

Right and wrong, appreciation of, in early childhood

Round shoulders

St. Vitus's dance

Salts, excretion of

School life,
and sexual matters
moral standard of
moral training and
moulding of character during
of boys
of girls

Schools, public, character and effects of

Scoliosis, prevention of

Secretions, anomalies of

Self, child's conception of

Self-conscious children, complaints of

Self-consciousness, of neuropathic children

Self-discipline, development of

Self-education, in the nursery

Self-feeding

Self-preservation, morbid instinct of

Self-sacrifice, not to be expected in early childhood

Sensations,
acuteness of
bodily, of neuropaths

Sense perception, of neuropaths

Sense stimuli,
cultivation of perception of
in newborn babies

Sexual matters,
education on
method of
errors of conduct and
parents' silence in regard to
psycho-analysis in relation to
school life in relation to

Sickness
evil effects of suggestions unconsciously conveyed by parents during
management during
nurse and mother during
opposition during
temperature during
therapeutic measures in
therapeutic procedures concentrating child's mind on his symptoms

Sleep, estimation of the amount of
force of suggestion in relation to
formation of habit of
light and broken, cause of
of newborn infant
sound, beneficial effects of

Sleeping attire

Sleeplessness, breaking of the habit of
causes and characteristics
drugs in
in older children
lack of physical exercise causing
suggestion in relation to
treatment of

Sleep-walking

Snatching, habit of

Spasmophilia
ætiology of
drugs in treatment of
occurrence of rickets with

Spasms, control of
fatal

Speech, beginnings of
facility with which local accent is acquired
imitativeness of
infant's reasoning power present before advent of
influence of nurses and mothers on tone and manner of

Spinal deformity, prevention of

Spinal muscles, atrophy of

Spoon feeding

Status catarrhalis

Status lymphaticus

Story-telling

Sucking movements, of newborn child, induction of
_see also_ Lactation

Suggestion, and habit spasms
appetite in relation to
bed wetting in relation to
bodily habits in relation to
characteristics
conduct influenced by
constipation in relation to
effect on mental processes
food in relation to
force of, on child's mind
hysteria in relation to
perverse influence of
bad habits due to
causing constipation
want of sleep depending upon
refusal of food in relation to
sleep in relation to
susceptibility to
unconsciously conveyed by parents, evil results of

Suicide

Suspicions, aroused in the child

Syncopal attacks, causes and characteristics

Tactile sensation. _See_ Touch

Taste, perversion of
sensations of
how controlled
sense of, in newborn infant

Teething convulsions

Tell-tale child, characteristics

Temperament, diversity of
heredity and
mother's attitude in relation to
of the patient, physician in relation to

Temperature, during sickness
inexplicable rises in

Terror, causes, of

Tetany, liability to, in increased irritability of nervous system
pressure to brachial nerve causing

Theatres, disadvantages of

Theft

Therapeutic conversation

Thigh rubbing,
avoidance of
characteristics
habitual action of

Thorax, development of

Thumb sucking
persistence of the habit

Tongue-tie, in relation to lactation

Tonics

Tonsils, removal of, in treatment of enuresis

Touch, sense of,
cultivation of
early development of
organs with greatest development of

Toys,
child's interest in
educative value of
kind most suitable

Training, early, importance and object of

Trousseau's sign, nature and production of

Truthfulness
inculcation of

Twitching of facial muscles

Tyranny of tears

Unkindness, habitual, of children to others

Untruthfulness
over-exercise of authority encouraging

Urine,
condition in enuresis
incontinence of, methods of treatment
_See also_ Enuresis
increased secretion of
irritation of

Vasomotor instability
conditions indicating
in neuropaths

Vasomotor tone, how improved

Virtuous, definition of the term

Visceral fatigue, easily produced in nervous children

Vocabulary

Voice, tone of

Voluntary movements, development of cerebral centres controlling

Vomiting, cyclic
ætiology of
age at which it occurs
case illustrating
causes and characteristics
class of child affected by
condition of the child during
frequency of attacks
migraine in association with
nervous system in relation to
treatment of

Waking states

Weaning, difficulty in

Will, strength of, absence in childhood

Work and play, differentiation between

Writing, correct posture during

Transcriber's Notes

The following typographical errors were corrected: Page 4: 'sensisive' changed to 'sensitive'. Page 48: 'self-abnegnatio'n changed to 'self-abnegation'. page 61: Fixed 'and and'. Page 125: 'acount' changed to 'account'. First page of index (191): 'ullimentary' changed to 'Allimentary'; also 'ilstrating' channged to 'illustrating'.

End of Project Gutenberg's The Nervous Child, by Hector Charles Cameron