Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1840-11-12
From The Charleston (iory;tr.

. Genttcmen.-By Inserting roIIuw;ur
href:cx,raci in Your paper, Won will o;vc
ihe.ieachers in our schools some uscfti
Inns, which, if practically obscrved hu
hem, may be Of ncalculahIc beneGt ~
heir scholars. 1t is from a letter Of Dr
Sami. B. B.Woodward, Superintendent ~
The State LunnIic Hospital, at Worces,.r
Mass. "the Secretary of The Board of Edu,
cation. Of said Stale, in reply to some o,,e.
rIes respecting The construction of ScbouI
Rooms: "oo' J.
First, as 10 the i'll effects of Rir6 and
narrnw benches, and seats wilhour bscLs
High and nanoiO seats are nor onJv ex.
lrenely uncomfortable for the young schoI.
#rr tending constantly TO make. him rcs,-
'ess, aud noisy, disturbing hrs t6rnper a1;,f
preventing his attention 10 his books. bnr
'hey.e'so have direct tendency 10 induce
desormi'y of the limbs. Iflie seal Z. Ioo
narrow half,he thigh only resls upon H. If
100 nigh The lee. cannot reach tile floor.
The consequence is. thai The limbs are sns:.
pended on The centre Of The thieH. Now
as the lIlnhs Of children are piaLle or ary;,
HE, they are easily made to grow on oe
shape. and become crmked by such ap
awkward and unnatural position. sr..,".f =
Seats tcithout backs have an eoral,vi nm.
favorable influence upon the sn;ns,J ~
nnn. IL NO resi- is afforded the backs IF.
children while seated, they almost neces-
sarIIy assume benr and crooked nosi,on.
such apos'Ion often assumed, or long con.
lInucd, tends 10 that deforurity, which has
become extremely common with children
in modern times, aud leads to disease of
the spine in innumerable Instances. osne
cially with delicate female children.
The seats in school rooms should be so
constructed that The whole thigh can resi-
upon them, and al the same time the foot
stand limIy on the fnor. All seats should
have backs high enough 10 reach The sbo,i1-
der blades. Low backs, although better.
than none, are far less easy and aU.eGhI
than high ones, and will NOT prevent; pnir
aud nneasiness after sitting a considerable
time. Young children should be .per-
change their position often. 10
stand an their feet, to march an6 10, visit
the play ground. One hour is as long as
any child under ten years of age, should be
confined at once and four hours as long ns
re should be confined 10 his seat in one dayn
To this. lei me add Il. few lipcs from
eclurt oil Physical Education. bv,ha, eel
.brnrrd Surgeon Dr.. John r. Warren of
Boston. He says, ~
The nosnres which children assume.
while seated al their studies, are not in
iilr"rnl. They should be frequently war
led against The practice Of maintaining
he head and ncrk long in stopping posi-.
ion: and the disposition 10 'Io il should be
es-ened, Ivy giving proper elevario aud
lnpc to the desk, and the seat should have
support or back.
"ln The course Of my observations, !
,avc been able To satisfy myself, thar about
lalf the young females brought up as they
ire AT present, undergo some visible aud
obvious change of srructnre-that n con-
nnmbr are The subjects of great
md permanent dcviations, aud that not n
rw entirely lose their health, from tho
manner in which they are reared.
81 feel warranted in the assertion, thar
{ the well educated females within nv
pIlerr oi experience, about one half are
.0ected 'cith some drgne Of distortion of
he spine.
'''Th" lateral distortion of The spine is al
most wholly confined to females, and is
carccly ever found existing in the olher
ex.
"The difference results from difference
habits during The school education. S.