Evening star., 1898-11-08

Contagious Diseases.
'1t is interesting to note in this connec-
ticn that of the forty buildings reporting
one or more cases of contagious diseases
last year-dipktheria or scarlet fever or
both being reported in thirty-two, and
measles in ten-twenty- are heated
and ventilated by the Smead system, nine
are heated by steam and three by stoves.
Twenty OF these buildings have the Smead
dry closeE in the basement, seventeen have
the old trough generally located in the
yard. two have the Smead water closets
ana is an automatic flushing tank.
"Fifty-five of the buildings are heated by
Smead furnaces, twenty-three by steam
and five by stoves. Seven only of the build
ings examined have steel fans. The. five
new buildings have fan ventilation and
unusually fresh and sweet. All other
buildings ventilated either by Smead
shaft or shaft heated by steam coils, eX-
cept seventeen that reported natural cir
culation.' The system of ventilation by
means of fans seems to be the only salts
factory one for a large building, and should
be introduced into all school buildings. both
old and new. Forty of the eighty-three
buildings fall below the standard of cubic
air space per pupil eight buildings are he
low the standard in all but one room. ten
are mostly below, ten mostly above,
and but seven buildings are entirely above.
last year, the Hayes and the Anthony
Bowen. The Hayes is entirely below stand
ard, and the Bowen has all but one room
below. The Importance of the amount of
air space can not be over-estmated. and it
is to be hoped that the architects who plan
our school buildings will be more careful
in the future
Lighting, Drinking Cups and Rocks.
"The conditions of lighting were found to
be generally good, only fourteen rooms of
the 747 reported having windows at the
front. In thirty-one cases light was re-
ported insufficient on cloudy days, and in
only eight cases was gas used on account
of insufficient light
1.-The problem of drinking CUPS is a per-
picking one. Five schools report pupils as
furnishing their own cups. In nine schools
there are from five to twenty-five pupils to
each cup: in seventeen schools, twenty-five
to fifty; in twenty-four schools. fifty to 100;
in thirteen schools. 100 to 200, and in the
colored High School there is cup to
every 225 pupils: in the Garnet, $50 pupils
to cup. In the Mott, 273 pupils
to a cup The Peabody annex has been
provided with small drinking fountains in
each cloak room. This would seem to be a
fairly good way to supply drinking water
and might be introduced with advantage
into other schools.
"All books furnished in the grade
schools, and but few parents care to buy
books for their children. A pupil is given
a set of books at the beginning of the year
which are his for that year. Tire next year,
if he is fortunate enough to pass onto the
next grade, some other pupil falls heir to
his books. he, in return, receiving some
other pupils set. Some sets of books, such
as music readers and health primers are
used indiscrfminately by several classes in
the building. This would seem to be an un-
cleanly method of using books, and often
productive of contagion. Thorough disin-
fection of every book would remedy the
evil somewhat
1.-THE anOOiptD1aOt n visiting
is strongly urged. These physicians would
inspect the pupils of each building every
day, ailing children would be more prompt
ly cared for, and the danger of spreading
contagious diseases would be reduced to
minimum.
Health and Education.
DR.. w. w. Johnston spoke of the relation
of health to education in childhood He
delivered a scholarly address showing the
effects upon the health of children of
school life in various countries, where ii
systematic investigation has been made Of
the relation of school life on the health of
children. He had a number of charts to
demonstrate the results of such iivestiga-
ton, and these charts showed tn 1t school
life is accompanied by a rapid failure of
health conditions up to the age of twelve,
and a continued failure after that age fire.
quently resulting in children dropping out
of the schools
DIR. Johnston believed the school age in
tnlS country DeSlfS LOO carry IN the youth
Of children: they should not be sent to
school before reaching eight years of age.
Some children. he said, should not be sent
to school even at that age. Precocity in
children, he said ,swas usually admired, but
that was an abnormal condition which the
speaker said should be discouraged. He
= approved the appointment of school ply
sicians to determine whether the children
in the schools were in condition to study,
and to see that conditions attending school
life are sanitary.
II think" said DR.. Johnston, "in our
public schools certificates should be pro-
vided by every child from a physician show
ing that the child is fit for school life, and
no child undeveloped should be received
into the public schools Some children
should enter school at eight and some at
ten years of age, and others still later"
The brain of the child. he said is growing
rapidly until it is eight or ten years old
and It was well known that excessive use