Martinsburg weekly independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1873-1875, 1874-06-20
NO. IL.

kind ii, Of course. destructive Of
Iall the grace with which The
Young may have been naturally
/ endowed This, however, ifnfor.
tunately, Is not all the mischief
There frequently results some seri
Gus deformities, which not only
disfigurcs the subjects of them for
| life. but greatly impede their use.
fitness, imbitter their happiness,
and prove not seldom fatal to
their health. Curvature of The
spine and short-slghtedness are
among The most common Of these
deformities, and are generally de.
veloped during attendance ut
school. There IL no douht that
they are directly caused by cer
tain conditions common iii The
school-room, and which are high
| ly favorable for their develops
ment. Both Of these serious de-
formities are to be attributed TO
constraint Of posture.
Short sightedness Ii ie cnilsa-
quence Of an undue lengthening Of
the axis Of the eye, and this turing
the period OF childhood, when the
ocular apparatus il especially en-
lowed with power Of adaptation
to distances, IS frequently pro-
duced by ha ilually exercising the
SIGHT upon very near objects The
child kept bent to his book or copy
for il long period, and either for
hidden to rest his back, or unable
to do il for want of proper means,
has no alternative in his WEAKNESS
but to bend forward and dro0p hrs
head. Ia thus seeking rest he
cannot dispense with, his ..eyes
are brought close to the page
where he Is reading or writing.
This habiiual proximity 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,
q habitual contortion of the body
is sure to result in permanent de-
formity of the back. The act Of
resting on one leg, which will be
found as general in " class Of
school children as among flock
of geese, sets at once the figure
awry, and II persisted in day after
day for q long time, as it general
ly Is, will be sure to result in what
the surgeons term lateral curva-
ture Of the spine. The constrained
posture Of the desk and piano Is
also a frequent cause OF the same
affection. This is not merely de-
formity, but a disease. The frame
in losing its symmetry, is de-
prived at the same time Of one of
its main functions. 1t can no longer
as it was designed, afford space
for the functions Of the internal
organs. The lungs, the liver, the
stomach and the bowels are pushed
away from their original sites, and
thrust one upon the other in such
way as to hinder all business of
action. Thus comes dis0rdered
function, and finally organic dis
ease and premature death.
No school, whatever may be its
scholastic merits, is fit for youth
that is not provided with these two
essentials to ease and posture, the
chair or seat with a back, and
a desk or form that can be raised
or lowered as the height of the pu-
pill 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
severely drilled according to any
perpendicular, rectangular, brother
mathematical idea ofpropriety, but
permitted to assume often, the
waving lines Of grace and ease to
which nature inclines them. Hdr
per's Bazaar.
The trial of Mrs. Trimble, at Blu
cyrus, Ohio, tor the violation of
the ordinance to prevent crusad-
ing, closed Saturday night, in a
verdict of guilty, the jury being
out about an hour and half
Judge Scott, counsel for the de-
PENDANT, made motion for a new
trial, which was overruled, the
Mayor saying there was no use ar
guing the question, as he had made
up his mind not to grant it. The
prisoner was sentenced to pay q
fine of els and costs, and the case
will be carried to the Supreme
Court on error.