Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1856-03-31

Let every be fully impressed with the
knowledge that nothing more certainly deteri.
crates and undermines the whole physical mem
tai. and moral being than habitual confinement in
the noxious air Of an ill.ventilated ROOM
am amazed at the lack of information on this
subject There are too few who understand it as
they ought. Philosophy and physiology are not
taught in schools as they should be; or, if
SO, are not correctly applied. Therefore our men
and women are not what they were, when the fire
side was household word, and the blazing wood
secured to our ancestors pure and fresh air.
When the district school, with its gaping win
dows, and Its huge chimney with immense fire.
place, swept up such columns of air that the
younger urchins were in danger of ASCENSION
these gave to that generation health and happi-
ness the attributes of manhood, without which
all must fall short of their AIM and answer for the
sins of their fathers by robbing posterity OF its
stamina.
How different are our school houses of to-day.
built as tight as is possible for brick and mortar
to make them. How different our scholars pale
and sicky, anguid and lstless, fit subjects for all
the ills that flesh is heir to-
And why is this Because those who have our
schools in charge are no philosophers, physiolo-
gists, or economists if philosophers, they would
more correctly understand cause and effect; if
psychologists. they would not be so ignorant of
| tue requirements Of the constitution; if eeono-
...isl 10 svaran+ in sac
rdcing ihe well being Of our chldeea 4, =,
ing their God given faculties, falsifsing nature
1 utterly regardless OF the laws OF mind ana mat
| ter.
Could parents correctly understand to what
their children are subjected, through the wilful
! ignorance and stupidity of our prudential COM
| mlttee, backed up by the no better informed com
mttee on school rooms; could our parents un-
| derstand the error in which they are now houn.
| dering, they would say, had charged them in loo
much mildness Perhaps | have, for all is not
exposed charity forbids full exposition. At
\ the Inauguration Of this Board. our school rooms
| were passaby ventilated, by an apparatus insti-
| tuted by the direct vote of the people, tried and
! approved BY them in application of fifteen
years, and acknowledged everywhere to be based
on the fundamen al principle of true ventilation
This, with suitable egress for the vitiated air
would render our school rooms pleasant and agree
able, promoters OF health, rather than genera
tors OF disease, as they have been made by the
| action of our prudential committee who by the
| usurpation of authority, and on his own individ
! ual responsibility, has removed from very many
| of our school rooms all the pipes that conveyed
the fresh air to our lurnaces-for every house that
| has not furnace in the basement, has NINA.
| ture one in each room-a most admirable inven-
| ton, for which every lover of publication should
| render thanks to the inventor. What has been
the consequence Of this outrage Every parent,
whose child is subject to it, can answer, and now
they need no longer wonder why he comes home
pale and languid, with headache.
since TINS alteration, thirty children have been
reported sick in one school; and, in others, they
have dropped senseless, at their rotations and
in their seats, and yet Doctor comes forward
and testifes, that, in his opinion, impure air will
not cause sickness | was Immensely surprised
at such statement as this, from such source
for had, again and again, represented it as
scourge marking its victims like a pestilence,-
more slowly, yet as surely. From this testimony
L : N nv ~,
firm in the belief, that this outrage, If persisted
In, will fasten irrepardble injury upon our chill.
dren. Those more strongly constituted, may re-
SYST the evil IN measure, but those who have not
such tenacity of life must inevitably fall victims
Can we expect Intellectual attachments without
physical advancement and, shall we find the lat
ter where every tissue OF the body is nourisbed
by unprotected blood as they only can be. where
preolpitancy and thoughtlessness have imposed
this ncendiary act, and chronic wilfulness nor
sists IN the wrong, defending itself with subter-
tuges and crooked arguments. Yet, these are all
TO no purpose; such hlmsy shallowness will be
easily iathmoed by the keen perception of onr
mechanics; such trail of dust is disspated with
breath OF ruth; and d. will find himself in no
senvable p0stlQn, when the fog of his blunder
passes away, and, isolated in the camness of re-
Election, he can see, in its true light, the nature
Of mis- error.
As member of the School Committee, pro-
tested against such action, when II frst com,
menced. | believed the Prudential Committee
was stepping beyond the limits Of his Office, and
usurping the authority OF the Board. But, az
they did not see fit TO act he has gone on with his
dispoilation, and, this very week. he has robbed
another school room. When a 'ked what was h Is
plea for SO doing he says, because | am Pru-
dental Committee"
In the name Of humanity, protest against any
further action in this direction, and demand an
immediate restoration Of all the ventiatng an.
paratus in all the perfectness Of its original de-
~ virtue Of my office, by the SURFACES Of the
pepple, am in duty bound to take this step.
| have no personal preiudices to crafty. no
| ponneai ASPIRATIONS to advance but, knowing the
| reht, wli pursue it, fearless Of all conse.
| quenees, nothing extenuaiing, nor setting down
ausht N malice When the rights of the peonle
their privileges, ready to give the ala,mp O"
Z.