Omaha daily bee., 1898-12-29
HYGIENE FOR The SCHOOLS
Best Means Of Promoting the Health Of
School Children.
GOOD VENTILATION A PRIME NECESSITY
Importance Of Proper Lighting for
School Roo~ms-Faulty Desks
and POstures-Educa.
tiOnal Notes.

The school room has been aptly called the
nursery Of the nation, writes Henry Dwight
Chaplin, NJ. D., in the Independent. II is
proper hygiene for children, as 30 many
hours must necessarily be spent in the
school house. The early years Of life are.
physiologically considered, the most i'm
portant ones we live. At this time the
human body may, with healthy surround
ings. be impressed with q lasting vigor; or
foul air. improper nourishment and over
training may SOW the seeds of an early de-
generation. With reference to the housing
OF school children, a common mistake, es-
pocially in the public schools, is the massing
together Of large numbers under one roof.
This may at times be unavoidable in large
cities, but It Is never desirable. 1t is diff
cult to avoid unsanitary conditions when
1000 or 1000 children from all sorts and
conditions Of homes are housed together in
one building. Several comparatively
small school buildings will afford better hy-
gienic protection to a given number of chill
dren than one large building conserving the
same end. One Of the greatest problems Of
school hygiene 10 to secure good ventiia-
ton. It Is impossible to attain q proper
physical and mental culture In the presence
Of impure air. A glance at some OF the
standards Of atmospheric purity may be IN
teresting In this connection. While many
deleterious substances can combine to faint
the air, It has been found that for testing
purposes only one need be considered
namely, carbonic acid gas. This sub
stance represents one Of the waste products
Of the body and is thrown out by the breath.
Where this gas II present beyond q certain
Amnlnk ~ Il an Indication thai MN JSr1
Of organic decomposition is taking place and
the result will DO deleterious. A heavy,
musty odor, 30 often detected in crowded
and poorly ventilated rooms, is an evidence
to the senses that there IL an excess Of cor
bonic acid and gas present. II one
stays long In such q room there
will follow headache, or a con-
stricted feeling about the forehead, or q
general sensation Of malAise.
Dangers of Bad Air.
The odor above noted is not experienced
by those already in the room, but Is very
appreciable 10 the newcomer from the out
side. Defective ventilation Is thus easily
detected by the sense OF smell, as we'll as
by the effects upon those who are 20 un-
fortunate as to remain for any length Of
time In q poorly aired room. While the Ill
effects are soon dissipated with a proper
renewal Of fresh air, II one Is too long or
too constantly exposed the health may be
seriously impaired. The latter Is apt to be
the case when children are confined day
after day in badly ventilated school rooms.
It II interesting to note In this connection
that q vigorous child will produce nearly
twice a. much oarbonic acid as an adult, in
proportion to the body weight. DR.. Morris
states that 1t has been estimated by COM
nQtoDt authority that AT loaof An ror rant NJ
all fatal diseases are directly due to impure
air. In the absence Of more serious results,
we may at least be sure that proper mental
and physical activity 10 impossible in 4
poorly ventilated ROOM. While an unpleas-
ant odor 10 SUFFICIENT evidence that the cir
Of q closed space Is UNIT for breathing. there
Is another and more accurate test for I'm
purity. Scientists have found that a pure
atmosphere, has about four volumes Of car
bonic acid gas to 5000 volumes Of air.
When carbonic acid gas collects above this
proportion, the air tends to become vitiated.
When the proportion Of carbonic acid gas
exceers six to eight parts in 10000, the
disagreeable and stuffy odor becomes no.
ticeable. and the air Is unfit for continuous
breathing. An article Of this character Is
not the place TO ex5iain elaborate technical
or chemical tests. 1t is sufficient to say
that sanitary experts. by applying these
tests. can tell in what proportion carbonic
acid gas IA present In the air Of any given
room or locality. As the various organic
and gaseous impurities 1uctuate according
to the amount of oarbonic acid gas
present. the test Of the latter 10 the guage
10 measure the general purity or impurity
Of air. 1t 10 very obvious that Of all places
the air Of q school room should be pure.
This may be attained by allowing q proper
amount Of cubic air space to each child and
by q careful system Of ventilation. With
reference to room space. each child should
be allowed at least from twelve to twenty
square feet Of floor space and from 200 to
$50 cubic feet OF air space, according to age
and development.
Problem Of Ventilation.
These minimum requirements are ire
Quently not fulfilled In large schools. We
ind, according to the rules Of the New
York Board Of Education, In the three lower
classes OF the primary schools the pre-
scribed allowance of space to each pupil 10
only seventy cubic feet, in the three higher
grades eighty cubic feet, while in the four
lower grades Of the grammar classes the
allowance 10 ninety cubic feet and in the
four higher grades 100 cubic feet. It 10
obvious that even with q generous allow
ance Of cubic space there must be some
way In which the foul air can be removed
and a fresh supply furnished, II the air of
q room filled with people Is to be maintained
In a condition At for respiration. This
constitutes the problem for good ventila-
tion to solve. Even a large room with a
few people In Vt needs some ventilation II
the air is to be kept pure. With reference
70 schools, a distinction can be made be-
tween buildings intended to house q small
number Of pupils and those that serve for
larger numbers. For the former a simple
method Of ventilation may be sufficient.
The problem Is to completely change the air
o. . room often enough to keep 1t pure with
out at the same time inducing drafts. A
certain number Of inlets and outlets must
Dc considered essential. Not q little fresh
Ar gets into q closed room through doors,
noors, window sashes and even through
Drick walls. This is not a SUFFICIENT supply,
however, II many are In the room. Re-
nance must then be placed upon the win |
COWS. In the summer the problem 10 an
easy one. During cold weather much care
may havo to be exercised. but the difference
IN temperature between the room and the
external air will aid our efforts by increa.. |
Ing the rate Of interchange Of the inside |
and outside air. Hence, q great deaf a,
open space may not be necessary. Nv |
dropping one or two windows a little from
the top and II necessary covering the en- |
OOged Dlac0 nv n shada air Mill A,.>. -