Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1885-03-07
The State Board Of Healtll-the Report on
school Hygiene.

From the press of the Public Printer
has just been issued reprint of the
first of Il series OF papers which will
constitute the second report of the
state Board OF Health. The entire
volume will he published ut an early
| dat&, and if the remaining chapters
treat them subjects with the conSIm-
mate ability exhibited in the first il
will be public document of very
great value. rhe pamphlet. Of about
fifty pages, composing that chapter, Is
devoted TO School Hygiene in Tennes-
see, and is from the pen of Daniel +.
! Wright, NJ. d., the Chairman of the
committee of the board to whom that
tomc was assigned. In the prepare
ton OF the report Prof Wright has
brought to the task eminent and pecV
liar qualifications, those q the PRACTICAL
schodlmaster, OF the diIigent and OBJ
servant member IA Public School
Board, of the ripcly learned physician
and OF a philosopher, who has always
found in the attributes and character
istics OF the young matter OF profound
" Interesting study. Every page is
Instructive u tie legislator, to school
boards, to parents and to pupils of an
age to comprehend Its teachings and
IL portion OF its observations should be
condensed into manuel, or schedule
of instructions, to be hung upon the
walls of every school-room IN the
country. The author is Il man of too
great mental bleadth 10 cultivate hob
hies and crotchets, but he has naturqd
and earnest convictions, some of them
at variance with popular views and ac-
copied systems, and they are set forth
simply and cogently, and with charac-
teristic frankness and directneSS.
To gather information of the hygien-
ie Surroundings and cQndltions OF the
public school system Of the State, fini,
Wright sent a series OF lnterrogatOrles,
through the Office OF Superintendent
OF Public Education to District Super
intendents and teachers throughout
the State, and visited in person the
schools OF Nashville, Memphis, Knox
vile, Chattanooga, Clarksylle an jack
son. He found the former source n
definite, and, in the nature of things, |
unreliable, and properly assumed nat
an inspection pursued in the cities !
named would probably present ~ he |
superior and commend t3tc iaUu,HS /
which the system could clini aad /
enough of its deficiencies to enable him !
70 form an estimate OF the latter rs
they prevailed generally IN til st,tr.
and to which the correct prinripI ii !
school architecture, discipline and con /
duet of study might be remelially APP
piled,
The appendix to the report exhi bits
the result of these visits and i sufficient .
description of the good and bad points
observed in the examination Of I'LL the
SCHOOL buildings in these cities, \
significant aud important Tact deFei !,
Oped in this tour Of inspection Is siren
uougly brought forward, vi2i the over
crowding Of buildings everywhere OBJ
served and the author asserts that the
figures in his possession show that
there is not a school building in Tenn
essee in which there is not larger
OF scholars taught than its ca
pacity justifies on the plalneSt hygienio
principles" To remedy this evil
which the report justly argues is an in
tenslfylng adjutant to every other evil
hurtful to the health OF schools-in
view of the public indisposition to in
crease taxation for the supply OF more
school room, reduction OF the num-
Der Of pupils is recommended and
this is proposed to be effected by chang
ing the age OF admission from. si1 years
TO eigM--thus dispensing with the first
two grades and by the abolition of the i
high school feature. Forcibie reasons
.hygienic and economic--are ad-
iueed eshaxing how these changes
might be adopted RlthGAt iiapairing
The efficiency Of the system for lis true
ends within a proper scholastic age,
md the necessity of them to avert the
OF oTercrowding, unless the
alternative of doubling the school tax
Shall1ncrease the area OF school room. !
The report summarizes the leading
leeds OF the city schools as follows:
First, special means of heating indie
pendent of stoves second, special pro-
fisiOn for ventilation independent of