The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1870-07-08
School. Room piseases.


Inc celebrated German Psychologist, Dr..
flrchow, OF Berlin, lately addressed to the
Munster OF Public Education of Prussia, re-
port upon the diseases incident to and con-
nected with school-rooms, which is full of val
uaDle information upon this subject A lead
ing dlsease, which to some extent is believed
70 originate IN the school-room, is myope or
! shortslghtedness. OF the 10000 scholars in
| the schools near and in the neighborhood of
breslau, the capital, II per cent are near
slghted The smallest percentage 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" 80 per cent. Of
all the students were near-sighted, whileamong
every hundred students of the University the
cyesight of eighty-six was impaired. The
causes of this disastrous condition were found,
not only in the insufficient light of the school
room, but principally in the permanent near
ness of the reading matter to the eye, connect
ed with the bending forward of the head AL
formations OF light and shade are also iniur-
lous to the vision. Scholars shut up in semi
darkness tnd their eyes seriously affected for
some minutes after coming into a strong light,
Ihls weakens the optic nerve and reduces the
length OF the vision. The light should be
kept as near medium in quantity as possible.
Dulness IN the head, headache, aud congestion
of the blood to brain, are also set down as ne
cular scholastic diseases. In Newcastle.
Switzerland, 296 pupils out of 73l, or upwards
OF 40 per cent, suffered from headache. the
girls being about twice as much affected from
1t as the boys. In Darmstadt, 3,564 BOYS and
girls belonging to public and private schools |
were examined by a competent physician: |
VA OF the whole number suffered from head |
ache. LII the upper class of the college of that |
city, upwards OF so per cent. suffered from the |
same complaint. The percentage increased |
with the increase of studies and intellectual |
exertlon. The doctor attributes this class of |
ailments to bad ventilation and school-rooms /
heated with iron stoves, which imparts a drv-
ness to the air and takes from it its Iife-pivine
principle. Bleeding from the nose is also ran
idly on the increase, in German schools. This
IS accounted for from the causes lust given.
Inc hlgher classes are more disposed to this
manifestation than the lower. Increased mem
tai labor would account for the difference in
the numbers. Curvature of the dorsal COL
umns IS strlklngly noticeable among the mn
pills OF the schools who have been in attend
ance for some years. Itinvariably Commences
between the age of six and fourteen, and ne
the curvature of the spine in 6l9 cases ont of
742 which were examined, corresponded TO
the bending OF the spine as it is caused in
writing, figuring, drawing, and by almost
every kind OF needle-work, it evidently cannot
be attributed to any other cause except the
eAS-ASS~AeAA Y,
How trihing matter will change the proper
direction of the human frame at an early age.
may be gathered from the remark of a skilfui
who found one shoulder of almost
every girl of class higher than the other in I
consequence of sitting one sided upon their
garments, and which, by constantly entering
nto the seats on the same side, were eouaIlv
spread. Pulmonary diseases are also ranked
lmong those which may be induced by the i'm
perfect construction of school-houses, Poor
7entilation, dust in school-rooms, and espec-
ally the detective movements of the lungs
md OF the diaphragm, must occasion many
diseases. Scorfulous taints are al
% developed and aggravated by causes such
IS those mentioned, while a large class of ab-
lominal complaints find their origin in de-
ectlve seats, improper confinement, and false
labIts IN the schools, whereby the circulation g
Il the abdominal regions may become inter I
upted. These are facts underlying the re-
,ort. They are intensely interesting, and
hould be studied attentively and thoroughly
y the friends of education in this country. I
n all the large cities our school houses have
een vastly improved within the last few wears.
there IS more room, ventilation is freer. Iight
etter, and the heat distributed more edueIiv.
But the end of the needed improvements has
lot been reached. q