THE COPTIC.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7319, 4 May 1885, Page 5

THE COPTIC.

[BY TELEGBArH. —OWN COBBESPONDENT. ] Wellington, Saturday. It is blowing a heavy gale from the south, with squalls of rain. The Coptic, "under sealed orders " for an unknown destination, will scarcely venture out of port to-night.

National Education.— Whatever view* may be held reUtire to the question of religious instruction in oar publio ichoole, there i» never any question of the importance of a universal and thorough (rounding; in secular subjects. The man who cannot read or write in these days is out of the race of life, and, except in the case of extraordinary natural force, will remain behind for the whole of his natural life. This belief is now so general that it meed not further be discussed; our only duty now being to make the system of instruction as perfect as possible. It ie in this regard that we join our voices with those who are asking for greater attention to the study of natural science, and we would especially refer to that much neglected science—physiology and anatomy—the construction of the human body. No education can be considered complete that does not provide for an intelligible conception of the position, structure, and functions of the great vitnl orgnns, the commoner diseases to which they areiiubject, with the remedies, and a knowledge of the nutritive qualities of different kinds of foods. We are awsre that no complete knowledge of these things can be communicated in the short period of a school course, but it is absurd to pretend that, whilst boys and girls can be turned out with a fair smattering of languages and mathematics, they cannot also be taught the functions of liver, stomach, heart, brain, etc., together with the causes which produce and the symptoms which indicate derangement. How many a man for instance, goes around in a state of settled melancholy, moping and growling, because he doesn't know that he has a liver, and thai by diet and Hamburg Tea he uiay be restored to cheerfulness ? But ten times worse is the case of a man who tosses for years racked with torture from sprained tissues, neuralgia, rheumatism, etc., when thousands of testimonials from known persons are forthcoming to show that his suffering may be permanently banished by the use of St. Jacob's Oil,