New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-08-11
DISEASE And DEFORMITYLNO OUR CITY
SCHOOLS.

Tn Miss Beecter's Letters to the People on Health
and Happiness" it is claimed that the health OF tue
American people is perisbing at fearful RATIO ana
that while other nations, both in school and at home
t,a;n their children to be strong and healthy we are
training ours to be puny sickly and deformed. In
moot a. this facts ere exhibited showing that of the
American women born in this century and country,
n,obably not two in ten have the vgor and health Of
their maternal ancestors, while probably more than
one half of them are either nvads or very delicate
The object of this article is to direct public attention
N the prospects of the coming generation as indicated
by the health Of the children of our city schools.
From recent Investigations there is reason to believe
that more than one half of the children of our public
. schools who were born 10 this country and who are
twelve years old and upward, either diseased or
defomed Will the public look at this !
Bad air from stoves, rooms without ventilation,
clo.e sleeping rooms crowded schoolrooms, improper
food poisonous medicines want Of proper exercise and
oytrexctement of the brain by study, have all CON-
lbiped To produce debility Of the whole body, espe
cialy of the muscles. The result is often shown in
pale and saow complexion though this sometimes at
tends tolerable health. But the following are more
induces Of the debility and disease thus induced.
The first is sinking of all the intestiues from waut
of this support If the muscles Of the abdomen, which
have become weak and hsbby. IL i, the tight pack
ing of the ntestnes by these and other muscles that
sustain the spine and keep all the interior organs 10
place. These muscles becoming weak, the whole or
pansm sinks downward, sometimes displacing the
most important and delicate organs. One symptom
Il this condition is fiat chest another is faness or
cavipg- near the pit Of the stomach, with conse-
uuept projecting at the lower part of the abdomen in
stead of the curve outward from the breastbone to
the lowest point of the body, which is seen ia per-
fecty formed young child. Still another symptom is
such weakness of the back and stomach as makes
the child sit crooked This because the natural aid
Of tight packing and the strength Of the supporting
muscles are gone.
Another index Of disease and decay in schools is
curvature of the spine. When the spine is curved
forward, it is shown by projecting neck or by a
crooked back, that no effort can stragbten If the
curve is sidewse atera, it is shown by one shoulder
or one hip being higher than the other or by one
shou'derblade being more prominent than the other.
These deformities Indicate the decay aud debility
winch sooner or later bring on diseases of various
Kinds.
Ieachers IN our city schools say these marks of
weakness and deormy are constantly increasing, aud
thal Tie the pupils 90 to school the these
INDICATIONS increase that is TO say they are found
more in the upper departments than in the primary.
Parents and guardians Of our city schools will you
lot look into this matter
Two remedies for these evils are at command. TIL.
trst knowledge Of the evils themselves and of the
causes that produce them. A small school book free
nom needless technicaities, containing short outline
OF Psychology in its practical bearings on physical ed
uca,on, put into our common schools, would do more
man anything else as preventive. Next, as both
preventive and cure, the introduction Tito all our
SCHOOLS OF system Of physical training, such as is
no" introduced into most European schools BY order