Any physician who has the intention of having his son follow the same vocation, and would make of him a capable physician, should give the boy, first, a beautifully illustrated zoological work written somewhat in the style of Brehm's "Animal Life." After that he should give him an interestingly written book on zoology, in which the anatomical parts are also presented with pretty illustrations. Following this, he should give him a botany with good illustrations, in which the practical value of the plants and their medicinal qualities are pointed out. If thus in the boy be awakened pleasure in animals and plants—in regard to minerals the same could be done—he would surely then enjoy strolling around in the open country, in the woods and the field, making his own observations. In this way he would sharpen his eyes; he would learn to see everything and note it, and such acute observations would be the best foundation for making of him a capable physician. Further on, thanks to his awakened love for nature, he would follow up with interest other branches of the natural sciences, physics, and chemistry; and this could be encouraged by putting at his disposal well and clearly written— not in the dry teaching style—books on physics and chemistry. If he sees in addition, in school, experiments with various chemical substances, he will, conforming with the taste of youth, read at home with still more pleasure, not in his short textbooks, but in popular works written with greater interest and supplied with beautiful illustrations.
Such private reading, such private diligence, which is worth gold, should be encouraged by all possible means, because, as the examples of many great men show, they have been eager readers during their childhood. Albrecht von Haller began as a child to study grammars of various foreign languages, even the Chaldean, spending the whole day in reading, which he was, by the way, compelled to do on account of his delicate health. The great physicist and mathematician Ampere was, as Moebius said: "A vulture in reading" (lesegeier), who read through all the twenty volumes of an encyclopedia, which fell into his hands, one volume after another. At the age of 14 he received from a bookseller the works of the great mathematicians Bernouilli and Euler. When he was told that the books were written in Latin, he learned Latin for the purpose, and then studied the books. This child was, moreover, so gifted for mathematics that even before he knew the numbers he was figuring with little pebbles and beans. And when once he was sick, and after three days fasting received a piece of zwieback, he did not eat it, but broke it and used the pieces for figuring. Even in his boyhood days Francis Bacon read philosophical treatises, and already then showed an aversion toward Aristotle, on account of "the unfruitfulness of his ways." How smart the child was is shown by the answer he once gave to the queen when she asked him how old he was, he answered: "Only two years less than the happy reign of Your Majesty."
Pascal engaged himself with mathematical problems as a child, and at the age of 14 he published his paper about the conic sections. Abraham Lincoln, also as a boy, was so eager to read that he borrowed all sorts of books from the farmers in the neighborhood, and read them all day. I am inclined to attribute to this private reading of a child great importance for his future life, of course, only when useful books are read and not backstairs novels. The latter, as well as robber novels, may often do great damage to children with their undeveloped experience and judgment. They can even be the cause of crimes in minors, or even induce them to leave their parents' home for adventures, and imitate the life of Robinson Crusoe in some distant parts of the world.
When a child shows such a craving for reading—usually they are intelligent or early matured children—we must consider it as a manifestation of nature, as a kind of instinct driving them to gather experience about this world. We must, then, direct this passion into the right channels, and as much as possible encourage them; of course, without doing harm to the development of the body. It is very important that only good books should be given into the hands of children, preferably such where useful knowledge is presented in narrative form. The selection of the subject is best made according to the congenital inclinations of the children, or the educational purpose set in view. At any rate, a congenital inclination for a certain subject should be encouraged by all means, and particularly private reading of valuable books in the direction of their inclination. The present-day school, with its levelling of everything to one pattern idea, is averse to such one-sided inclinations and abilities, even killing all originality, and so appeal must be taken to the private diligence of such children. Of course, it may then happen that by giving themselves up entirely to such studies the subjects taken up in school are neglected, and then talented children make bad pupils. This has, however, very little to do with their future position in life. Indeed, it can be observed often enough, and I saw it in my classmates, that those who have been hardest pluggers in school occupy only a very moderate position in life, and the so-called bad pupils attain the highest positions or become distinguished men, and this not because of the school instruction which they had received, but due to the privately pursued studies. In school they were bad pupils because they had to learn there, by compulsion, subjects which they did not like, but when out of school they could devote themselves to studying subjects which they preferred, and have accomplished great things. This private application, perfecting congenital abilities through much reading, observation and exercise, I consider as the surest road to future greatness. What was acquired by private studying I rate much higher than what was learned by more or less compulsion. If anyone gets continually deeper into the same subject, he very soon finds in it something new every day which remained unnoticed to other investigators, and thus the way becomes paved for important discoveries and inventions. Such strong private diligence and private study—wherein all compulsion is gone—has led many a poor boy to highest positions, for example, Gottlob Nathusius, once a poor errand-boy, became a millionaire, and one of the greatest merchants in Germany. As he had no means to buy books for himself, he saved every piece of waste-paper whereon was printed an article on commerce and industry to read them over during the earliest morning hours. The love for reading induced him to use all the money he could spare from his meagre wages in buying valuable books, for instance, the works of Adam Smith "On the Nature and Cause of National Wealth," which he read through so often that he knew it by heart. His knowledge acquired in this fashion has then brought him forward. The great physicist Faraday became a bookbinder apprentice only to satisfy his desire for reading. Rousseau, even as a small boy, swallowed all kinds of books which got into his hands: novels, also Virgil, Horace, books on astronomy, etc. Helmholtz, as a boy, read with passion all books on physics which he found in his father's library. Liebig, again, read as a boy all books on chemistry which he could find in the court library. Humphry Davy, when a boy, also read everything that fell into his hands. The future course of development of these great men was undoubtedly very favorably influenced by the diligently pursued private reading. Leibnitz had, as a child, a great desire for reading, and so his father opened his library for him, and said, "Tolle, lege." Also when an old man he was so very eager to read that he hardly got up from his seat for days.
A similar example of a ravenous desire for reading was also presented by the distinguished optician, Frauenhofer, who served as an apprentice to a hard-hearted master who prohibited him reading. He was mostly compelled to go outside of the city limits to be able to read undisturbed. The great mathematician Fourier, who, as a son of a poor tailor, was brought to the school of the Benedictines by a bishop, remained up whole nights to study by the light of small candle stumps which he collected in the kitchen and the passageways of the college. The great physicist Arago, from whose speech delivered in memory of Fourier the above data are taken, is the instructive example of the success of private diligent study and ravenous desire for reading. He was such a bad pupil that he was hardly able to read properly at the age 12 years. Then a lieutenant awakened in him the desire for mathematics by telling him that with the knowledge of it he could enter the school of polytechnics. He then had sent to him mathematical books from Paris, and thus studied alone the analysis of the infinite by Euler, the Mecanique Celeste, by Laplace, etc. When he, at the age of i4 years, was examined by Monge for entrance into the school, the latter was struck by the wide mathematical knowledge of the boy. From the example of Arago, and from my own experience as well, I draw the conclusion that what a man knows really well is mostly not what he learned in school, but by his own diligent private study. I look upon the object of school to be mainly not so much the acquisition of knowledge as the instruction in the ways and means as to how the knowledge can be acquired by private studying. It should encourage private home study without compulsion. A boy learns something much more willingly when it is not done by compulsion, but when impelled to it by his own inclination. Those parents may be considered lucky whose children have such a desire for reading; of course, only if it is directed into the proper channels. Reading without selection should not be permitted, because this may lead to overexertion, and do rather harm. Only that should be read which is of value and can be) used; and, first of all, it should be read critically. Corresponding with the grade of their intelligence, readers will proceed differently. The intelligent would overlook what is evidently false and untrue, and would not overburden his memory with it, whereas the stupid would harm himself by much reading without judgment. Just as little as the dull may be made wiser by teaching can he be made so by much reading. Moreover, it can be very often observed that only intelligent children and adults manifest a desire for reading useful books. By extensive reading a man can enrich his knowledge; and, if it is carried on in a rational way, also his store of experience, and thus, the same as with learning, increase his ability of judgment, because much reading means much learning. Descartes said that study should be for the purpose of being able to judge better. Just as what was studied, so also what is read, can be retained best if, as Albrecht von Haller did, one reads always with the pencil in his hand and continually makes notes. Plinius, senior, was a great reader, or, more properly speaking, he had somebody reading to him all the time, whether he was eating or taking a walk. At the same time he had a secretary with him whose duty it was to make extracts for him. A more ardent reader and student than the great Albrecht von Haller has hardly ever existed. He was reading while on the street, at the table, and even on horseback. His knowledge was astonishing, and it also was many-sided, just as we admire it in other great old masters, such as Erasmus of Rotterdam, Boerhaave, Swammerdam, in contrast with frequently one-sided dry scientists of the present day. He was not only a great naturalist, but also a poet and historical writer; and, besides that, also a kind of Mezzofanti. While he was making a post-mortem examination he learned from a Swedish hearer the principally used Swedish expressions. He asked him the meaning of the different words, and thus, after a short time, he was able to speak Swedish!
The old great masters were, in general, exceedingly well read and of such many-sidedness that they could put many of our present scientists in the shade. Boerhaave was not only a great physician, but also at home in philosophy, in the various dead languages, in Chaldean, and in Hebrew. He also delivered lectures in mathematics and in philosophy. Pascal was a mathematician, a physicist, a philosopher, and a writer. His "Lettres Provinciales" passed through sixty editions. Kant was very efficient in astronomy and mathematics, and, at the same time, one of the greatest philosophers in the world. Most-sided, however, was Swedenborg. Besides his medical publications, which some years ago were recommended by Professor Neuberg in Vienna, and in which were expressed views which have now been confirmed, he was editor of the first journal on natural history in Sweden, of the "Daedalus Hyperboreus," and regular assessor of the Swedish Miners' College. By a number of publications he has proven to be a genius in the domain of mathematics, astronomy, geology, mineralogy, metallurgy; and his cosmological publications made great impression, and have shown him to us as a forerunner of many great discoveries. He also published great medical and theological books. He was also one of the founders of the Royal Scientific Society in Upsala. At that time many distinguished theologians and philosophers were also studying medicine. Bossuet, the distinguished preacher, described the stomach-juice as a very sharp-tasted watery substance which so cuts the meat apart that it entirely loses its original form. He called the arteries the peripheral hearts, and foresaw the life doctrine of Flourens long before him. Descartes also diligently pursued anatomical studies in Port Royal to find the seat of the soul, and was recklessly cutting into living animals, as, according to his philosophy, animals have no soul, therefore present only dead matter, and consequently cannot feel.
Such stupendous many-sidedness would be indeed an exceedingly rare occurrence in our days. We must not forget, however, that the general enormous increase in our knowledge in all domains makes it, in comparison with former times, very difficult to acquire universal knowledge. Many-sidedness is, anyhow, a qualification which is only seen in geniuses, as in Goethe, for instance; and in such geniuses our century is lacking. The eight to nine years of study in a school takes away too much energy and leaves no time free for ardent manifestations and continuous practice of ingenious dispositions, which is the only way possible to accomplish something really great. It is, therefore, no wonder that there were great classics and geniuses only until the beginning of the nineteenth century, when the introduction of the college and school examinations began to show their fatal effect. Nowadays we live more in the age of one-sidedness. A scientist, for instance, becomes absorbed in metabolism work of a certain branch, and he cultivates that until his death; everything else leaves him entirely uninterested; besides he would never have the time for anything else, even if he wished it. Until first youth is nearly over, one is engaged nowadays in compulsory studying for the sake of getting some position, and only then does it become possible to devote one's self to studies of inclination. And just such studies that a man pursues with pleasure are those which may lead him to something great. If a father wants to make of his son a distinguished man he can best accomplish that by arranging so that his boy may learn everything with pleasure, and then devote himself with pleasure to those subjects which are connected with his career. If, however, he takes up a vocation by compulsion, he will never show any diligence privately, and will never accomplish anything of importance. He will only be a man of mediocrity.
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