THE PENNSYLVANIA SCHOOL JOURNAL. 34928 VOLUME XXXVII. hat which makes a good Constitution must keep it, viz.: men of wisdom and virtue; LIPKAR AFB 22 1300 E. E. HIGBEE, EDITOR. LANCASTER, PA.: INQUIRER PRINTING AND PUBLISHING COMPANY. 1888. IT T was a maxim of Raffaelle's that the artist's object was to make things not as nature makes them, but as she would make them, as she ever tries to make them, but never succeeds, though her aim may be deduced from a comparison of her effects, just as if a number of archers had aimed unsuccessfully at a mark upon a wall, and this mark were then removed, we could by an examination of their arrow marks, point out the probable position of the spot aimed at, with a certainty of being nearer to it than any of their spots. We have most of us heard of original sin, and may perhaps, in our modest moments, conjecture that we are not quite what God or Nature would have us to be. Raffaelle had something to mend in humanity. I should like to have seen him mending a daisy, or a pease-blossom, or a moth, or a mustard seed, or any other of God's slightest work! If he had acccomplished that, one might have found him. more respectable employment, to set the stars in better order, perhaps (they seem greviously scattered as they are, and to be of all manner of shapes and sizes, except the ideal shape and the proper size), or to give us a corrected view of the ocean, that at least seems a very irregular and improvable thing; the very fishermen do not know this day how far it will reach, driven up before the west wind. Perhaps some one else does, but that is not our business. Let us go down and stand on the beach by the sea-the great irregular sea-and count whether the thunder of it is not out of time-one-two-here comes a well formed 'wave at last, trembling a little at the top, but on the whole, orderly. So, crash among the shingle, and up as far as this gray pebble. Now stand by and watch. Another! Ah, careless wave, why could not you have kept your crest on? It is all gone away into spray, striking up against the cliffs there-I thought as much-missed the mark by a couple of feet. Another! How now, impatient one! couldn't you have waited till your friend's reflux was done with, instead of rolling yourself up with it in that unseemly manner? You go for nothing. A fourth, and a goodly one at last! What think we of yonder slow rise, and crystalline hollow, without a flaw? Steady, good wave, not so fast! not sost! Where are you coming to? This is too bad; two yards over the mark, and ever so much of you in our face besides; and a wave we had so much hope of, behind there, broken all to pieces out at sea, and laying a great white table-cloth of foam all the way to the shore, as if the marine gods were to dine off it. Alas, for these unhappy arrow shots of Nature! She will never hit her mark with those unruly waves of hers, nor get one of them into the ideal shape, if we wait for a thousand years. John Ruskin. TH JULY, 1888. STATE BOARD OF HEALTH ON SCHOOL HYGIENE. IMPORTANT CIRCULAR ADDRESSED TO TEACHERS. HERE is a wide-spread opinion among medical men that children during their school years are subject to grave dangers to health; that these dangers, many of them at least, are avoidable, and ought to be prevented. From unhygienic conditions in the school room and its immediate surroundings, we have headache, nervous diseases and nervous exhaustion, impaired eyes, and diseases arising from improper and deficient ventilation, from inefficient and excessive heating, from uncleanly conditions, from insufficient and improper physical exercise, and from contagious diseases. This circular is issued by the State Board of Health, to warn teachers of the dangers prevalent, and to point out simple means for remedying the same. Care of the Eyes. In the school-room, the eyes are very frequently injured. It is asserted that 68 per cent. of educated Germans over 21 years of age have impaired eyes. The eye troubles of highly civilized. countries are rare among savages and those who have never been in school. Children should not sit facing the light. Let the desks face a wall without windows. The school-room should be so well lighted that every pupil can see to read readily with the book held at 15 inches from the eyes. On dark days be sure that pupils in the middle of the room can see to perform their work. If curtains are used they should have the roller at the bottom of the window, No. 1. as the most valuable light comes in from the top.* Windows should not be filled up with plants. A dazzling light is nearly as bad as insufficient light. The best light comes over the left shoulder and from above. Sunlight should not fall directly upon the books or slates of the children. Blackboards should not be between windows. Where pupils are required to copy work from the blackboard, the teacher should be very careful to write in a ge and legible hand. The board must be kept clean, for pupils cannot see what is written on a greasy surface. Pupils should sit erect and not bend over their work. They should not "strain" the eyes at any time. Whenever a child complains that its eyes "ache," it should be excused from its duties and a note sent to the parents. Pale inks and greasy slates are injurious to the eyes. Children should not read when lying down, riding, or when sleepy. They should be seated so that they can perform their work properly. They should be encouraged to sit near the lamp at night and not as far as possible from it. Teachers should remember that the eyes are often too weak for purposes of study after measles, diphtheria, scarlet fever, whooping cough, and other diseases of childhood. Some inflammations of the eyes are *A prominent educatior in the State has declared to the writer that all curtains should be excluded from school wnidows, since they are a constant cause of deficient light. They must be used with great care. contagious. Young children are somtimes | permitted to use the same basins or towels called obstinate when they really cannot see. Children should be instructed to use their eyes on distant objects as much as possible when out of doors. So far as possible children should be placed on seats of a proper height, their feet resting upon the floor, and the desk not too high above them. The back of the seat should curve in at its lower third, to fit the small of the back, and thus prevent stooping. In all cases where a child is thought to be injuring the eyes, the teacher should send a note to the parents. The Water Supply.-Children growiug rapidly and taking healthful exercise, need much drinking water, as more than 70 per cent. of their bodies consists of this substance, which is constantly being lost from the excretory organs. It is no "mere habit to drink water," as has been affirmed by some. The drinking water should be pure. In country places, the well should be cleansed at the opening of each school year, and the water should then be carefully tested as to its purity. No privy should be within 200 feet of the well. The water bucket and cup should be clean. The bucket should be filled with fresh water each morning before using. Drinking moderately at meals is not ordinarily injurious. Hydrant water should be let run awhile each morning before using. Cleanliness.-Nothing is more certain to sanitarians than that disease revels in dirt, dampness and darkness. The school-room and all its surroundings should be kept scrupulously clean. The school-room should be well cleaned and ventilated some days before the opening of each term. The walls should be whitewashed each term where not painted or papered. Dark paper should never be used on walls of school-rooms. The air of the cellar is sure to find its way through the house. Hence it should be clean, not lumbered up with rubbish, not dark, damp, musty, unhealthful. The privy should not be in the cellar. The cellar should be cleaned every year and its walls whitewashed. as the others. Every school should have a privy in good order, and pupils should be able to reach it without exposure to inclement weather. This is a matter which, though generally neglected, should receive much attention. The earth closet is preferable to any other form of privy. This may be disinfected with a strong solution of carbolic acid in water, or in country places, by completely covering the contents with fresh earth, or dry coal ashes. Much good will be accomplished by giving a few plain talks to the children on the vital importance of the functions of excretion, and the consequent importance of promptly attending to all the calls of nature. Sometimes children are compelled to leave the room very frequently on calls of nature. Teachers must be very careful not to detain such when it is really necessary for them to go out, as serious organic disease may thereby be produced. The teacher should frequently give plain talks on bathing and personal cleanliness. In Wet Clothing.-It is very injurious to sit with wet or damp clothing. Children who arrive at school in this condition should stand about the stove or heaters until dry, or in some cases be sent home. The children should not run out on wet days during recess, getting feet and clothing wet. door games should be devised for such days. The wearing of rubber overshoes and coats should be encouraged. Children might be encouraged to have an extra pair of shoes and stockings at school, that the wet ones be removed. It is an unhealthy practice to wear rubber boots or shoes all day, and the practice should be discouraged by teachers. Ventilation and Warming.-Foul air produces listlessness in schools perhaps more than any other one cause. Beware of it. In modern hygiene, nothing is more conclusively established than the fact that vitiated atmospheres are the most fruitful of all sources of disease.-Playfair. Headache, nausea, and lassitude, great debility, impaired digestion, severe colds, consumption, and other diseases of the respiratory system, as well as other serious diseases, may be caused by confinement in the foul atmos phere of an unventilated room.-Dr. Frank Wells. The floors of the school-room should be kept as clean of dust as possible. Spitting on the floor should be prohibited. The clothes pantry should be clean and ventilated. There should be a wash basin, soap, towel, and mirror in every school-room, and all children should be required to keep their hands and faces clean and hair neatly adjusted. The dustless crayon is preferable to the ordinary soft ones. Children having sore eyes ac-fect ventilation is secured when the inside companied with a discharge should not be Though foul air is a slow poison, we must not forget that a blast of cold air may slay like a sword.-Dr. Angus Smith. The air in the school-room should be pure, and warm, but not overheated. Per air is as pure as that outside. The only way |