The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1870-06-07
chool.Room Diseases.

ChoOisNOOm Dlseasess
The celebrated German psychologist,
DIR. Vircohw, Of Berlin, lately addressed
to the Ministers Of Public Education Of
Prussia, a report upon the diseases incident
to and connected with school-rooms, which
is full Of valuable information upon this
subject. A leading disease, which to
some extent is believed to originate in
the school-room, is myope or short-sight-
edness. OF the 10000 scholars in the
schools near and in the neighborhood of
Baeslau, the capital of Silesia, II per
cent. are near-sighted. The smallest per-
centage of diseased eyes was found in the
village schools, and the largest in the
highest classes of the colleges in the city.
In the gymnasium " 32 per cent. of all
the students were near-sighted, while
among every hundred students of the
University the eyesight Of sixty-eight was
impaired The cause of this disastrous
condition were found, not only in the in
sufficient light of the school-room, but
principally in the permanent nearness of
the reading-matteIt to the eye, connected
with the bending forward of the heads.
Alterations of light and shade are also
injurious to the vision. Scholars shut up
in semi-darkness find their eyes seriously
affected for some minutes after coming
into a strong light. This weakens the
optic nerve and reduces the length of
vision. The light should be kept as near
medium in quantity as possible. Dulness
in the head, headache, and congestion of
the blood to the brain, are also set down
as peculiar scholastic diseases. In New
castle, Switzerland, ,296 pupils out Of 731,
or upwards of 40 per cent, suffered from
headache, the girls being about twice as
much affected from it as the boys. In
Darmstadt, 1864 boys and girls belong
ing to public and private schools were ex-
amined by "a competent physician 974
of the whole number suffered from head
ache. In the upper class of the college
of that city, upwards of so per cent, suf-
fered from the same complaint The per-
centage increased with the increase Of
studies and intellectual exertion. The
doctor attributes this class of ailments to
bad ventilation and school.rooms heated
with stoves, which imparts dryness to
the air, and takes from it its life-giving
principle. Bleeding from the nose is
also rapidly on the increase in German
schools
This is accounted for from the causes
just given. The higher classes are more
disposed to this manifestation than the
lower. Increased mental labor would ac-
count for the difference in the numbers.
Curvature of the dorsal column is strik-
ingy noticeable among the pupils of the
schools who have been in attendance for
some years. 1t invariably commences
between the age of six and fourteen, and
as the curvature Of the spine in 6l9
cases out of 742 which were examined,
corresponded to the bending of the spine
as it is caused iu writing figuring, draw.
ing, and by almost every kind of needle
work, it eviddntly cannot be attributed
to any other cause except the habitual
DETECTION of that part Of the body. How
triaing a matter will change the proper
direction of the human frame at an early
age, may be catered from the remark Of
a skiflul orthopedist, who found one
shoulder of almost every girl of class
higher than the other, in consequence Of
sitting one-sided upon their garments,
which, by constantly entering into the
seats on the same side were unequally
spread. Pulmonary diseases are also ranked
among those which may be induced by
imperfect construction of school, houses
Poor ventilation, dust in school-rooms, ,and
especially the defective movements of the
lungs and of the diaphragm, must occas-
ion many pulmonary diseases. Scroful.
GUS tints are also developed and aggrava.
ted by causes such as those mentioned
while a large class of abdominal compla.
pts find their origin in defective seats
improper confinement, and false habits
in the schools, whereby the circulation oi
the abdominal regions may become inter
rupted. These are the facts underlying
the report. They are intensely interest
ing, and should be studied attentively
and thoroughly by the friends of educat
ion in this country. In all the large cit
les our school.houses have been vastly
improved within the last few years.
There is more room, ventilation is freer
s, light better, and the heat distributed
more equally. But the end of needed
improvements has not yet been reached
"BRuDDER DIcKsoN."-Mr. Dickson
> colored barber in one of our large New
:. England towns, was shaving one of hi
customers, respectable citizen one morn
: ing, when conversation occurred between
them respecting Mr.. Dickson's forme
:. connection with colored church in tn,
place.
II believe you are connected with tn,
church in Elm street, Mr.. Dickson" sale
the customer.
" No, sab, not at all
Why, are you not member of tn,
African church ?"
I" Not dis year, sah."
> why did you leave their communion
;, Mr.. Dickson, if may be permitted t.
ask ?"
"Why, l tell you, sah," said Mr.
Dickson, strapping a concave razor on tn
palm of his hand, sit was jess like dis
e | jined dat church in good fait. l gil
. ten dollars toward de stated preachin' ol
Q de gospel de fuss year, and de people al
call me Brudder Dickson. De seoon,
; year my business not good, and 1 onl,
: glib FIVE dollars. Dat year de church peo
Pile call me Mister Dickson. Dis razo
; hurt you, sah?"
"No, sir, goes tolerably WELL"
"Well, sab, de tird year feel berr,
: poor-sickness in my family-an' l gil
: noffin for preachin.' Well, sab, after da
/; dey call me ole niger Dickson, and