The development of the child / by Nathan Oppenheim.

  • Nathan Oppenheim
Date:
1898
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The development of the child / by Nathan Oppenheim. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    normal nutrition for body and mind that its value is doubtful. The need for a substitute then becomes im- perative, and the whole question resolves itself into an inquiry about the best methods of accomplishing the desired ends. In looking over the matter, the observer notices a curious fact: that the oldest and most civilized com- munities are not necessarily the ones that have made most progress. Rather, they are the most conserva- tive, where the belief in old-time rights is most firmly held, or where the feeling for non-interference is strongest. In such communities one is most apt to find great institutions for the care of orphaned and abused children, which are architecturally fine, richly endowed, which are sedulously visited by the chari- tably inclined. Nevertheless, in spite of these advan- tages, their wards commonly do not turn out well; as a rule, they do not grow into men and women of the highest type. In fact, this is what people expect, and all manner of consideration for shortcomings in a per- son is made who has had the misfortune to grow up as an asylum child. The cry again is heard: “Any home is better than a Home ! ” In dealing with institutions of this kind, one comes across certain phenomena which occur regularly in almost all cases. One finds large masses of children marked off from the rest of the community, commonly wearing a special uniform which emphasizes their