The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-12-28


Hypermytropia is a congenital condi-
ton At first il is 90 4-10ths per cent. at
rlVe years Sc per cent; children in element
airy schools rs per cent, in the higher
schools Of per cent. It is the frequent
cause of sick headache. After a child
learns 70 read he Will also complain of
seeing double. Close study causes weari-
ness and discomfort, and is the cause OF
many nervous troubles. That long-suffer-
ing organ, the liver, has had to bear the
plane OF much that should have been
laid to the eyes.
The eye trouble that causes perhaps the
most distress and nine-tenths of the head
aches among school children is astigma-
tiSm. In such cases the cornea of the
lens OF the eye has q greater curvature
IN some meridians than in others, and the
image that falls upon the retina is dis
torted. It Is very easy for one to detect
this defect by the charts commonly used
by physicians and that are furnished the
schools in most cities but IL is a trouble
that cannot be corrected by the general
practitioner nor by the optician To cor
rect astigmatism is hard enough for the
oculist, especially when complicated with
other defects, as II often is.
The trouble that causes a characteris-
tic and unmistakable picture is that COM
monty known as adenOyd negotiations. It
Is soft mass of lymph tissue in the
vaut OF the pharynx, filing UP the pos
terror Mares It is q disease of child life
ana occurs in per cent Of girls and I
per cent Of boys. Eeredity has an un-
doubted influence, as you Will find several
children so afflicted in the same family,
out II IS very often caused by repeated
colds. Eruptfve fevers. Ike measles and
scarlet fever, may be the starting point
as these diseases always cause an infiam-
nation Of the mucous membranes of the
throat. The child afflicted with This
trouble IS quickly noticed in the school
room. His mouth is always open, as he
cannot breathe through the nose, giving
t MIN foolish Look The upper tncisor
stare, and there IS a broadening and fiat
tenlng OF the bridge of the nose Mechan-
ically the increased growth of lymph It's
the lungs, and the whole body suffers
through lack of oxygen in the blood
DeafneSs IS quite common, caused by
an insufficient current of air passing
through the eustachian tube to keep the
pressure up IN the middle ear. Any
cause which interferes with the free
ness by interfering with the air pres
sure. The pressure Of the growth causes
congestion, this causes a greater secre-
lon IN the middle ear and eustach
tube, and very often the results are ear
ache and assesses.
This paper is merely an outline no ceII
the attention of teachers to a few of the
Ills that children suffer from where the
symptoms are so plain that 1t is mex
cusable TO allow them to continue with
out remonstrance. When you find a
mouth breather consult the parents and
talk the matter over. Convince them that
II tnterferes with the chld's studies, that
II retards their growth, and in case of
diphther1a the danger is greatly in
creased. In cases of defective vision do
the same. If the parents are too poor to
pay Tor such services they will not be re-
FUSED treatment by the specialists a
pupil with persistent headache should
have his eyes examined, and in most
cases not only will the headache dis
appear but a new world will be unfolded
when the eyes of all children will be ex-
amined on entering school. and the
parents will be compelled 10 have cross
eyes ana crooked teeth made straight
In all this work the teacher and the
physician are the home missionaries.
The general report as read by Miss
Washburn follows:
The responsibility Of the schools for the
child is twofold. First-To protect and de-
velop him while too young TO do this for
himself. To protect and develop him
physically as much as mentally and NOR
ally, the latter being largely dependent on
me physical Second-To teach and train
him, so that he will afterward protect
and develop himself and those under his
charge as parent, teacher, citizen
Where is he to get this instruction and
training If not in the public schools? To
leave it TO high schools and universities
cuts off all but a few.
Our care and protection of the child
should include, first, his environment;
without drafts and special care against
all pollutions; grounds and buildings Sc
lected and constructed with special care
as to light, drynesS, etc. Second adapta-
ton of the course Of study TO the cbiId7s
nervous system. No matter what study
be sacrificed, the amount Of work must
be restricted SO as not to overtax, but to
develop the pupils brain and entire ner-
vous system. In the growing demands of
the age this will require careful choice
of the subjects and their teaching in
the order in which the child's developing
mind graspS them most easily and their
correlation, so that each topic may help
the rest l. VIII even then demand the
sacrifice of not only all rubbish but much
that is valuable, since nothing is so valu-
able as the child's unwearied brain
Third-Building up the child's whole
physique and then his brain by (a) phys
ical culture at school. including direct
exercises and supervised outdoor plays,
with constant watchfulness as to position
during study. etc. Cb) Influence on the
home as to nutrition, sleep and environ
ment.
F'our-Care Of individuals; especially (a)
the delicate and the over-nervous. who
should be given part work and work ju-
diciously arranged for their needs. Oh
The defective as to sight, hearing. nu-
triton, etc, who should be sorted out by
consulted with.
The direct instruction and training of
the pupil, besides what he gets by eX-
ample, should include: Teaching Of so
much physiology and hygiene as he is
fitted to understand and be interested in.
Training him TO execute, as fast as he
telil AS1A a. LOAu ll1IS NlIeCI I6dCLlluB anu
from example, thus making him as soon
as possible interested and responsible and
giving him lifelong habits.
This physiology teaching should not be
book work nor rote memoriZing. 1t
should find an objective basis in every
department Of nature-study wherever
phenomena and laws can be studied that
have bearing on human life For in
stance, In physics. simple studies of the
direction and causes of air currents
should be at once developed into studies
of the mechanism of breathing and the
methods Of ventilation-and these prac-
ticed as soon as learned and ever after
AS soon as the simplest ideas of chem
istry are developed It is time for their
application to the differences between
the air breathed In and that breathed out