American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1874-06-20

lolling out, rounded shoulders, twisted
spine, sinking head, arms akimbo, and
fingers cramped over the slate or copy
book?
A continued subsection to a system of
school constraint of the kind is, of course,
destructive of all the grace with which
the young may have been naturally en-
dowed. This, however, unfortunately, is not
all the mischief. There frequently result
some serious deformities which not only
dish CURE the subjects of them for life, but
greatly impede their usefulness, imbitter
their happiness, and prove not seldom
fatal to their health. Curvature of the
spine and short-sightedness are among the
most common of these deformities, and
are generally developed during attendance
at school. There is no doubt that they
are directly caused by certain conditions
common in the school-room, and which
are highly favorable for their develop
ment Both of these serious deformities
are to be attributed to constraint of
posture.
hortsightedness is the consequence of
an undue frightening of the axis of the
eye, and this during the period of child
hood. when the ocular apparatus is es-
pecially endowed with power of adap-
tation to distances, is frequently pro-
duced by habitually exercising the sight
upon very near objects. The child
kept bent to his book or copy
for a long period, and either for
hidden to rest his back or unable to do it
for want of proper means, has no alterna-
tive In his WEAKNESS but to bend forward
and droop his head. In thus seeking
rest he cannot dispense with, his eyes are
brought close to the page where he is
reading or writing. This habitual prox-
unity of sight to its object causes the
fluids of the eye to jut forward, lengthen
its axis, and permanently shorten its
vision.
The awkward postures assumed by the
child under the ordinary restraints of
school discipline are the main causes OF
the crooked spines so common, especially
among growing girls. Whether assumed
while standing or sitting, habitual con-
tortion of the body is sure to result in
permanent deformity of the back. The
act of resting on one leg, which will be
found as general in class of school chill
dren as among a flock of geese, sets at
once the figure awry, and if persisted in
day after day for long time, as it gener-
ally is, will be sure to result in what the
surgeons term lateral curvature of the
spine. The constrained posture at the
desk and piano is also a frequent cause
of the same affection. This is not merely
a deformity but disease. The frame, in
losing its symmetry, is deprived at the
same time of one of its main functions
1t can no longer, as it was designed, af-
ford space for the free exercise of the
functions of the internal organs. The
lungs, the liver, the stomach AMI the bow
els are pushed away from their original
sites and thrust one upon the other in
such way rs to hinder all business of
action. Thus comes dlsordered function
and finally organic disease and premature
death.
No school, whatever may be its scho-
las'ic merits, is fit for youth that is not
provided with these Two essentials to ease
of posture, the chair or seat with back,
and desk or form that can be raised or
lowered AS the height of the pupil may
require. A larger liberty of posture and
movement, within of course the limits of
decorum, should be allowed to children
in school. They ought not to be too Sc
verely drilled according to any perpen-
dicular, rectangular, or other mathemat-
ical idea of prOpriety, but permitted to
assume often the waving lines of grace
and ease to which nature inclines them
Harper's Bdzar.