The New York herald., 1876-03-09

These averages OF square and cubic take wide
range In the different rooms In some instances pupils
have three times as much in space than others, and
nave enough according TO sanitary authorities.
sANITARIAN2
The following communication from Dr. Morcau
Norris formerly OF the Health Board in reply to a re-
quest Tor his opinion to the sanitary requirements
in q school room fully explains the effects following
from such state Of sanitary regulations as that
hibted in tho preceding paragraphs IL should be re-
membered that II is In the primary departments
where the children of the tenderest years collected
that the ovcrcrowdng is greatest and this Is the
lew schools only but in nearly all OF them
the tenement house districts
NORRIS on SCHOOL ROOMS
The following is tho letter OF DR. Morris, and Is
startling exhibition of the grievance
The query how many cubic feet OF air space per pu-
pill should be allowed in furnishing class rooms
involves with It several other important considera-
tions The amount OF air space per person should
necessarily depend upon the supply OF fresh pure air
TO be admitted into the room and the rapidty with
whice It can DC changed 10 Keep the air OF room
pure as possible must necessarily be constantly
changing, and the best authorities this subject
TO that at least 900 cubic feet hour per per-
SON or adults IS necessary as the minimum Further
more. the entering should be tempered by being
warmed II cold cooled If and without
causing draught, and the vitiated air be removed
Immediately so as not to be breathed over again.
Undcr these circumstances tho smallest amount of
cubic air space allowable head probably 300 cubic
feet In estimating the actual cubic space school
such articles aud bodies OF fpersons present
usually should be taken into the count they occupy
Just SO much space they collectively measured This
amount 800 cubic feet space per head the small
est amount allowed by the Poor Law Board on the
Continent every person, and the lodging
houses OF Dublin the same allowance Is required Less
than this amount OF cubic air space per capita Is
where admitted by our sanisarians and as remarked
before, this cpbc capacity Is to be governed by
the quantity Of supply and Displacement that the
products OF respiration, transpiraton exhalaion and
efuvia from soiled persons aud clothing shall be
diluted keep the air comparatively pure and resh
The lowest for schools for this purpose has
been determined by careu and extensive xperiments
and mas ound be 900 feet per hour per
head. These figures ofcubc air space and cubic guam
tty per hour are tho minimum as all authorities seem
hat lnrOa Al
sbe In any given case TO socure are just much the
better.
either by natural forced this important fact
should be lost sight of that there many other
impurities than carbonc acid In crowded rooms which
produce the most deleierious effects both upon the
general health and the mental condition Of school
children. The composite effect is very different and
much disastrous than that from sinplo carbonic
scd. Feud air, containn: organic matter, Of
water, &c, produced by respiraton body cxhalatons
and uncican clothing 10 say nothing of the impure
poisoned cmanatng from tho adjacent privirs
nected with all schools, cause hcavn4ss hcaeache in
crtness and nausea; and rcqupntly IN coanec
ton with low vitality among the poor and tenement
house ciass-poorly led and unccanly-a low
type OF lever Daily exposure TO these conditions
produces paor, loss OF appetite and general physical
decline In both strength and spirits. Contrast
the rustic schoolboy, with ruddy checks ow-
ing with lite and vivacity as he emcrges IRON his
little country schOolhouse. stuatcd In lone posi-
ton, surrounded by the pure air OF heaven, uncon-
tamiBatcd with city pollution, with that pale wan
Istless, indifferent, oycrtaxcd schoolboy Of our
city schools who has sat for hours in
overcrowded, unventtated public school class Toom
with his mental activities driven under high press
ure system OF cramming and what do the
result In the first recognize In the boisterocs
shout, the elastic bound, tho irockng iuu. nature
uEimpaIrcd. sound lungs, good physical ccyelopmcnt
a ytalizng element that insures a healthy, strong
vigorous MANHOOD with mental capacity cocaual while
IN the second lind carly lI,c crippled, weared
despOndcnt, impaired both physically and mentally
WITH no promise OF vigorous manhood. but the con
trars cngraitcd with the seeds OF carly decay
Much may be charged In the great mortality OF child
hood TO the poisoning aud dcUluating effects or our
pubic school arrangements IN our great cities;
than really ehargcablc 10 tenement house influences
m nv humble opinion. SIX hours OF this confinement
out of the twenty in contaminated air
IN is effects than the really spent within
those hnbitatOns. The blood mas become impaired
by tins kind OF aeratlon aud detective that
general onc OF system has fallen low viaty
has become almost exhausted durng these hours OF
confinement and were II Tor the natural elasticity
and buoyancy OF youth, with ts recupcraivc energy.
cur children would soon become an enervatcd race,
unable to roach vigorous manhood And with tho