Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-02-02
THE HYGIENE OF SCHOOL STUDIES.
DIR. Lamb Thinks Less session and More
Motion Might Be Beneficial.

| STUDY BIZ CHILDREy-oPIyroNs OF VARIOUS
ExPERTs-LUNcHEoS AND REcREATIos--Evn
EFFECTS OF OVER PRESSURE.
| paper on the "Hygiene Of School Studies, "
which was read recently before the Medical
Society of this city by DIR. d. S. Lamb, con-
tains good many suggestions of practical
value to parents and teachers. He quotes from
Herbert Spencer to the effect that success in
the world depends on energy rather than infor-
nation and that policy which Grams pupils
with information undermines energy and de-
feats itself. Spencer compares knowledge
which Is simply stored up, the writer states to
so much intellectual fat; it must be intellectual
muscle to be Of value The first requisite Of a
child, in the opinion of the writer, is to be
well. There cannot be a sound mind in an un-
sound body.
| LESS SESSION AND MORE MOTION.
Il question" adds the doctor. whether by
less session and more motion the scholar may
not acquire as much useful knowledge Of men
and things in less time and ut less cost to
| health. at the same time IL must not be for
| gotten that the disabilities under which chill
| dren labor are often due, at least in part. to
| faulty regulations or absence of regulations at
home. The first question IL as TO the maximum
time child may be required or permitted to
| study during any one day, for the present, ex-
GLIDING home study. Many of the writer's en-
press the conviction that except for kindergar-
| ten work, children should not enter school be-
fore the age of eight years; that besides ac-
quiring greater measure Of health up to that
age and diminishing very greatly the liability
to contract contagious diseases child will learn
as much, indeed mole, after that age than if he
began his school studies earlier.
Prom the age of seven to nine the ma ximum
number of hours of daily study should not ex-
ceed three. From nine to twelve years. not
more than four. The State Medical Society of
Rhode Island has expressed its opinion that
three is enough. From twelve to fifteen years,
five to six hours From fifteen to eighteen
years, eight hours.
ADULT CAPACITY FOR WORK.
Opinions differ" the writer goes on. ''as to
the limit of daily mental work in adults. Dr.
Ba;n of Aberdeen rays that in that city are as
hard heads and as hard workers as in any other
part OF Great Britain, but that four hours steady
mental labor are as much as is good for them.
Culver was usually engaged for seven hours
daily In his scientific researches. but they were
not OF a nature to require continuous thought
Walter Scott declared that he worked for three
hours with pleasure. but beyond about four
hours he worked with pain. DIR. Daily of Paris
Gays that man twenty years old cannot do in
tellectual work with profit beyond eight hours
daily. Beyond this limit there will be fatigue,
cerebral anaemia or congestion, disgust and i'm
possibility to work. Generally it is necessary
to limit the time to six hours or even less.
CHILDREN WHO BEGUN LATE.
Ina conference of the board of health of
Baltimore few days since, DIR. Chancellor and
Prof. Hill stated that their own children were
being taught at home. Or. Chancellor said
that his children had begun their studies at
eight years Of age. at which time they scarcely
knew the alphabet. From that time to the
ages of twelve and thirteen respectively they
studied for not more than two hour daily five
days in the week. and nine months in the year.
They were well up i'll the English branches,
corld read. write and speak euently the French
and German. and translated fairly Italian: were
making good progress in Latin and Greek
geometry and the natural sciences.
Prof Hi! gave similar testimony. His chill
dren studied only in the morning; had begun
at eigh. years OF age; but were quite as far ad-
vanced as school children who had begun at
five or six"
RECREATION RECOMMENDED.
The opinion is expressed based upon a re-
view Of what leading writer's and educators
have said on the subject, that at least ten min
utes of the class holr should be given up to
bodily exercise in some form. And in every
| three consecutive school hours there should
also be from fifteen to thirty minutes recess
When practicable DIR. Lamb thinks that the
! recreation should be iii the open air. He
speaks OF the various forms OF manual labor,
as carpenter shops, institutes in cooking and
| housekeeping. The military drill il recon-
nended. singing and instrumental music are
useful and excursions into the country are
mentioned. Swimming, the doctor thinks is
another useful recreation.
AS to the evil effec is of over-pressure-thatis
| an excess of scnool hours o. lessons beyond the
capacity of the schClar-it NAV be said In u
general way. the writer states, that if boy or
girl eats heartily and sleeps well it is scarcely
possible That there is oyerwork. The average
amount Of sleep required frcm four to seven
years OF age Il eleven hours; seven TO ten years
ten add "a half hours ten to fifteen years nine
to ten hours; fifteen TO twenty years, nine
hours. This implies that the child sleeps in a
wei!-ventilated and properly heated room. 1t
must be noted that parents are to some extent
responsible for loss of sleep by their children
in permitting them to spend their Evenings in
aInusements which de.ain them to late hour
and are often otherwise insanitary.
THE MATTER OF LUNCHEON
''The more brain work a child does the more
food it requires. Half-starved children, though
attaining high standing in their classes are ant
TO be small in stature and feeble of muscle. II
the food is plnin and wholesome the best guide
TO the quantity required is the childs own APP
petite. The MIDDAY luncheon is better Mt least
In the winter time. if il can be had warm In
Paris the director of education authorizes ian
itors to provide and sell to the children warm
food. 1t seems to me that with little effort the
same desirable result might be attained here.
their children attending school without break
fast and sometimes without luncheon. That
these children should soon become fatioued
and l-tless may rightly be expected.
a further test OF the absence of pressure is in
| the increase III the weight o. the child Dr.
Bowdi.ch of Boston made 14.000 examinations
! of boys and IL 900 of girls between the ages of
| 5 AID lG. The yearly increase IL weight OF the
boys 4, 4, ., 5, g. 5, Z, s. TO- IL, IA pounds;
of the girls, SO, A. 45. 3. 5. G.5 81, 1915 10, rs
q pounds. Should scholar fail TO reach the se
/ averages it becomes desirable to inquire in,o
| his food, clothing. amount of sleep and exer-
| else. III these appear To be sufficient, then
| whether there is mental strain"
| The prevalence OF myopia or near-sightcd-
ness among school children is attributed to bad
| light, bad air, oyerheating, unsuitable desks
| benches. bad printing and small type. Spinal
| curvature, pulmonary consumption. haadach hes
| &C., are attributed to the same causes. DIR.
Lamb adds that many Writers advocate the APP
| pcinsrle mt OF medical inspectors for schools
! He states that there has been such a medical
service i'll Paris since 1856. The city of Erus-
sells is a model i'll this respect
| THE EFFECT OF EXAMINATIONS
| As to examinations the writer has this to saw:
! Examinations have been severely criticised
! by many school hygienists. Pref Hallowell
thiuks that the wear and tear of exaininat iors
/ is very injurious, especially TO girls. Chan
celior says that IN the last quarter OF the year
/ the pressure begins, and as u result we have
nervous prostration. fainting spells, nasal hem
/ orrhages. st. Nitus dance. &c. DR.. CricLton-
Blown says that examina tons instead of being
| tests of school work have been to a great OK
| tent the aim and guiding principle and what