Note 1 — MARIA MONTESSORI (continued 7)
Reading edition
Of course, should the child of the wet nurse have died, there can be no question of an infringement of its rights. But such cases have no relation to those in which the rich mother requires a nurse for the child she is unable to suckle herself, owing to pathological reasons.
I may draw attention to a precautionary measure which has become a law in Germany: this prohibits the acceptance of a post as wet nurse by a mother until six months after the birth of her own child. This interval is considered sufficiently long to guarantee the health of the infant. Moreover, the special care devoted to artificial feeding in Germany provides a satisfactory substitute for wet nursing, in the case of children who are deprived of maternal nourishment. Such laws and provisions are a first step towards the recognition of the "civil rights" of poor infants.
[2] These two examples are taken from the well-known review, I Diritti della Scuola, Year xiv.
[3] This was published in the review, La Voce delle Maestre d'Asilo, Year viii.
[4] The children are expected to know that the stove gives out heat, by an effort of memory.
[5] F. Alengry, Education based upon Psychology and Morality.
[6] Bronardet and Mosny, Hygiène Scolaire. Boillière, Paris, 1914, pp. 142, 143, 430, 496.
[7] But a great physicist, unable to share amusement, wrote: "It is sad to see a municipality giving credence to the babble of the vulgar in a protocol, and to see authentic testimonies to an occurrence which is obviously impossible."
[8] From Haeckel's Anthropogenie.
[9] At present some very interesting experiments in religious education are being carried out in the "Escola Montessori" at Barcelona, under the direction of the Provincial Deputies of that city.
[10] The moral question is barely indicated and is not even comprehensively indicated. Such a work, indeed, represents an experimental contribution to the education of the intelligence. At present an experimental study of the moral and religious education of children has only just been initiated at Barcelona (Spain). A book on this subject should form a sequel to this volume.
I cannot foresee whether I and my colleagues will be able to bring such a heavy task to a successful conclusion.