Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1882-06-06
tSournaI anb Gourier.
Tuesday Morning, June 6. 1882.

/
| Number six of the circulars sent out by the
| Bureau of Education deals with an impor
tant matter-the effect of school work upon
| the eyesight. DR.. A. W. Calhoun, professor
in the Atlanta medical college, is the writer
| of the paper. Taking the results of recorded
| examinations of about 45 900 school children
| it appears that whereas near -sightedness is
| almost or wholly unknown among very young
| children it steadily increases through the
| the highest institutions it affects as much as
strty per cent. of the pupils. Circumstances
| show that school work is the cause of con-
| siderable portion of this trouble. 1t appears,
for instance that in city schools the number
of cases is relatively much greater than in
| country schools. This corresponds to the
greater amount of study done In the former,
| the closer confinement, and the hereditary
| tendency of children born of parents many
of whom have gone through much the same
| conditions 1t appears also that negro chill
dren are very seldom short-sighted, their ad-
vantage in this respect being due to freedom
| from both hereditary disposition and out
| ward circumstances, as very small portion
of their number have. as yet, been subjected
to close and continuous study during child
hood
DIR. Calhoun says that in the school room
two kinds of influences work injuriously up
on the eyesight. Under the first are classed
all those things which compel the eye to
strain itself in order to see distinctly small
letters or objects; under the second all those
which cause congestion or rush of blood to
the head and eyes. To the first belong bad
ventilation and improper light, too small and
imperfect type, pale ink, many successive
hours at the same kind of work, as in read
ing, writing, sewing, etc., without change or
rest of the eye, all sorts of toll causing the
use of the eye until late at night and some
times with very defective light. To the sec
ond belong not only those things just emu
merated, but also the construction and ar
rangement of school desks and benches,
which, in many schools, make it next to i'm
possible for pupils to hold their bodies in
proper position for any length of time.
1t is pointed out that close study need not
result in near sightedness. If there is no
hereditary tendency to it it may be mainly
prevented by proper care as to the light, the
paper and print of the books used, the avoid
ance of too long continued use of the eyes
without interruption and in general yield
ing to the limitations of nature and the pres
ervation of general health. Upon this
branch of his, subject the doctor
says: ''Of what benefit is the most superb
illumination in the school room if the chill
drsn, when at home, work several hours of
the day in the corner of a badly lighted
chamber, and at night by the light of flick
ering candle or lamp, used perhaps by five or
six others of the family, and which is insult
fcient to properly light up the book or map
of even. one or two of these children? If we
wish to protect the eyes of children during
the time in which they are acquiring their
education, give them, above all things else,
plenty of well regulated light They should
be prohibited from using their books during
twilight, by the light of the moon, and GER
tainly should they be forbidden such danger
Gus use of their eyes as reading in bed"