North Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1850-1852, 1851-11-08
from the Wilmington Journal.1
EDf1CATION-No. z.

he
,i,or though essential requisite, is good school,
houses have said in a former article that eoucd-
tion was two-fold, physical and mental anu tla'
sound and vigorous mind could not long 49, s
nnsound and unhealthy body. II equally follows as
true that if anything binders the growth OF one It,
in like manner, thwarts the development OF 'he o
er and that if good water, exercise ana cIedtll
ness, and a free and unrestricted use ana Poslo" u
,ho main narts of the human organism, are lndspen-
sable prereou isites to good healrhthat tney, IN d
equal degree, necessary c0''c0mtfd"IS oi Roouf
schooi-houses. The better to illustrate our ioeas "
the imnorsance and necessity OF good schoonous
let ms briefly appeal to a few of the more obvious
laws of human physiology-that very useful science
of the functions OF Office OF The human SYSTEM SO
strangely and lanentably neglected IN most OF our
seminaries of learning. {" Know myself" IS OF di,
vine origin and is of great value in physical as well
as mental science, and in our systems OF educauon
should stand prominently forth, teaching that " we
fearfully and wonderfully made. Inc Crea'ol
in his goodness and wisdom, gave US our lungs 10
breathe our limbs for exercise and labor the brain as
the of the mind the nerves as seminars 10
NIT sensations the throne OF the Intellect ana 10
convey the volitions OF the mind ana Inc ue'eIlla
ton of the will the muscles and voluntary organs
and these their turn to obey the conceptions
and directions of the mind and have the various
parts which 90 make up that beautiful, well-aoaP
ted and wonderful machinery-the human oooy-
their respective and appropriate duties to perform.
So long as these duties faithfully performed as
nature Directs so long is the whole system in health
and the mind in a suitable condition for study.
n,
air to Breathe or the SYSTEM both mental and corPor-
eal is more less deranged, and the mlnd IN con-
sequence, unfit TO study to advantage. Two lmPol-
tant elements of the atmosphere are oxygen and car
bonc acid these invisible gases are indispensable 10
the life OF animated lungs, and when, from want OF
due ventilation, the all we breathe does not contain
them in the relative proportions OF nature-when Iree
egress is not allowed to the non-essenals, ana Tree
engress the essentials of good air. the body be-
comes langud, the lungs oppressed. the head aches,
the mind becomes inactive and unfit for study; ard
all this follows from that necessary Decentralization
of the blood, which cannot GO IN our bodies with
good air, and, therefore proper ventilation School,
houses, then, should be properly ventilated. There
should be ample space in every one to allow the re-
jected vapors constantly issuing from the body TO E.
scape, and to allow the pure and healthy elements OF
respiration to have free entrance. And when we con-
slider the large number of scholars often hnddled to-
gether in small, pent-up, contracted schOo-house,
built from mistaken notions of economy, and each
pupil breathing and ebreathng through the day this
pestiferous atmosphere increasing 1t does In Its
poisonous effects the school session advances,
wonder al their pale faces, or drowsy, hsess ac-
ton, the unconcealed aversion to these Calcutta
holes of confinement? Nor, indeed, are we sur
prised at the number constantly absent from such
schools through indsposition, which their very kind
parents to the unhealthy locality OF the school,
house. Says recent writer =: A physician in
Massachusetts selected two schools, of nearly the
same number of children, belonging to families of
the same condition of life, and causes, ndepen-
dent CT the circumstances OF their several school
houses, were known to affect their health. One
house dry and properly ventilated the other
damp and not ventilated. In the former, during Pc
riod of forty-fve days. FIVE scholars were absent
from sickness, to the amount. in the whole of twenty
days. In the latter, during the same period OF tIme
and from the same cause, seventeen children were
absent, amount in all of hundred and forty
five days. and the appearance of the children not thus
detained by sickness indicated marked difference
in their condition as to health And although school
houses should be kept properly ventilated, there is
often in this State extreme the other way. Instead
of imperfect there is too free ventilation,
bling not only the cold winds of winter whistle
through the crevices to the manifest coldness and
shivering of the little urchns they sit with shat
terng teeth and benumbed bodies around the embers
and smoking chunks of the fireplace; but actually
permitting the boys to go in and out through the large
spaces between the logs. rendering the doors of but
little value passages 10 and fro.
Next In importance to pure air and suitable enclo-
sure in the construction OF schoolhouses is the
arrangement of proper seats, tables desks. &c. for
the comfortable occupation of children. The posi-.
ton of the bodies of children in school is question
of minor importance. The student should not sit
nor stand in cramped position. Nature here, as in
many other instances, 81 yes wise counsel, and
should hearken TO her teachings. She tells that
the chest should not be bent to interdict the
free respiration and expansion of the lungs, the
back curved to crooked position, so often the cause
oil spinal disease, is the former violation the
of dyspepsia and lung complaints. These unnatural
positions OF the body and limbs easy or adj
vantageous, but the prolific of Interrupt
lions and mental disturbances in study, well as of
diseases, decay, and death in ripper years. How stands
the case with district schoolhouses in this State
and particularly in this county Small. narrow
benches, without backs and of such height that will
scarcely permit the feet of the child to touch the
puncheon floor, with one plank put up in an inclined
position as writing desk, form their only furniture
Now let any parent try the experiment. Take even
your most obedent child, and place him beside you
upon such STOOL and see if you can either ENGAGE
his attention or keep him still fifteen minutes at a
time. 1t you cannot, then your complaints
against the bad order which prevails in the schools
or the slow progress your child makes in his studies
until you provide tor him more comfortable facilities
Another subject of considerable importance is the
arrangement OF proper Fairgrounds for the exercise
of children. Man was made for exercise-for bodi-
ly as well as mental action. His noble form stamp
ed by its author in his own image, and pronounced
the most useful, the most beautiful, the most conn
phcated, and the most splendid example of mechan-
Ism ever conceived, requires early training and de-
VeioPment to attain that strength, symmetry, and
aoaPtailon Its great author designed. Exercise gives
meeoom and energy to the movements strength to the
limbs, and power to the body-deveIopes and gives
Vlgor and endurance to the whole man. mental and
corPereai-adds freshness to the feelings buovancv
70 me sPlrts activity to the intellect and sends life
healh' ana renewed hopes bounding oyously through
every vein and artery of corporal structure
what IS better calculated give freer scone and ov
eclse to these faculties than the innocent gymnastics
OF the schooi-6oy! Coming from the playground
he feels relish for stud y and has the ea1acitv tn
learn and master difficulties, which he in No o,la1
way could have obtained, while his BODY con,innoe
IN that condition of exercise necessary for the heal
thy tone and expansion of his intellect. 1t is ohvi
Gus, them that every schoolhouse should have NAV
ground attached-aGiPie scope for the nunils r.,
full exercise regularly-and this should be az vel
attended to and insisted on by the teache, as III. 49,
ting OF their daily lessons. How injurious then i;
of keeping truant children in during niav.,na
Cleanliness IS another valuable feature of The soh