The Southern herald., 1886-01-23
HEALTH IN SCHOOLS.


20 many Of our States the children Of
the nation are invited to attend the pub.
lie schools free Of all expense. But,
surely, it should be an axiom Of such d
gratuity that we must assemble the chill
dren in q way that win not expose them
10 any undue risks Of health. With the
most Of those who attend the schools,
health Is to be the working capital. II
this is imperiled to any great degree, no
ordinary accumulation Of knowledge
will compensate for it's loss. 1t can not
be concealed that far too little attention
is given to the care Of the physical edu-
cation. Besides what this involves III
the training Of the child, is what IL de-
mands in the care of his surroundings.
We no longer are in doubt as to what
is the model sehool-room. Its floors
should be of the smoothest and best ma
terial. The wood should be so prepared
as not to absorb deleterious matters,
and the very cracks of the floor, treated
like those Of hospital, so as not
to be the resting places for organic mat
ter. The same rule should apply to
every article Of wood and to all wood
work in the room. Plain surfaces,
without crevices, should permit Of the
easiest cleansing, by dry or wet rnh-
bing. The walls should be Of the BEST
hard finish. The relation between the
walls and the outer inclosure should be
such that, by means Of porous material
or air spaces, there should be no con.
tinuous dampness. It is now possible
SO to construct the inclosure that il
shall contribute to dryness, and to q
free, minute circulation Of air through
its material. Thus sweet walls protect
from draught, and yet admit valuable
quantities of pure air. The next thing
to be thought Of is how to secure a
prevalence of pure air in the school.
room. To do this we must see to il
that we minimize the sources of foul or
incompetent air, and that we secure an
incoming of such pure air, as will COM
pensate for the necessary deterioration.
All the details of cleanliness, as applied
in the schoOl-room, serve to dimin-
ish dust and those putrescible or
ganic matters which are wont to float in
the air and to reduce its quality. In
heating, we are to remember that, be-
sides the burning up Of oxygen which is
accomplished by all systems which heat
the air of the room only, we are not
only impoverishing the air, but too often
adding various gases which are un-
friendly to perfect respiration. In
| lighting, we are to remember that, un-
less it be the electric light, we are also
consuming the oxygen of the air, and
must see to it that this is not done to an
undue extent, and especially that our
kerosene and gas does not add to the air
some deleterious substance. Imperfect
combustion will of itself do this. Asthe
presence Of each person involves the re-
moval from the air Of about five per
centum of its oxygen, and the addition
in its place of nearly the same quantity
of carbonic acid, and as with it there is
the Transportation or exhalation of thirty
grains or more Of highly putrescible or
ganic matter, we are diligently to inquire
howall this can beneutralized or quickly
and harmlessly removed. This can only
be done by adjusting the size.of the room
and the modes for the introduction Of
pure air to the number Of persons in the
room, SO that sufficient supply can be
iurnished without undue draught. We
derive our estimate OF the amount OF air
needed by considering how much air
passes through lung at each inspira-
ton, or in from sixteen to twenty in
SpiratiOnS per minute. and how far the
consequent impairment OF the air is
affected by 1t. We also have to give con-
sideratlon to the fact that something de-
pends upon the relation Of position
which one person bears to another, and
to the proportion this floor space bears
TO the general area OF the room. Even
with these-as location, health and
cleanliness OF persons, modes of heating,
state OF atmosphere, ETC., have so much
to do with the circulation of air-we
have to test results by the other
results OF experience of the
senses, and by actual chemical
tests OF the amount of carbonic
acid and other material found. The
conclusion from all this has been that,
in the estimate for schools, not less
than two hundred and fifty cubic feet Of
space should be allowed to each per-
son, OF winch at least twelve square
rect is represented in floor space, the
ceilings not being reckoned higher than
Twelve feet. The supply Of air neces-
sary to keep this in a pure condition,
and yet to prevent draught being felt
in its admission, must not be less than
one thousand five hundred cubic feet.