Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-05-27

dren should be kept up 10 intense men
tai application. Study required of chill
dren beyond this. and at night by lamp
or gas light and under the sense of
rear OF failure and disgrace is serious
menace to their future health and use
fulness. Education. however valuable
cannot in the nature of things. exceed
the value of the life which it is To quail
~ and adorn. Required study should
be limited to the time spent under the
care OF the teacher, and if there are
difiiculties to be oVercOm and explana-
| tons to be made. the teacher is the
one to give this assistance. Realizing
how severe the requirements are and
how very much the children of intelli-
gent parents rely upon them for ex-
PLANTATION and aid. nty those who
| have no competent home teachers The
schools could be 50 conducted that
those who lack home instruction should
not be placed al SO great a disadvan-
| tage IN resDect 10 school work and
standing. This difficulty would be cor
| rected, so far as il ought to be per
| haps. If all required study We're done
| in school. incidentally, we should make
| a great gain in the health OF the pu-
pills.
Now as To school furniture Some
| children are compelled To use inappro-
pirate deSkS-toO small and TOO low.
| Would il not be an easy matter to set
up desks. at the beginning OF each
term. adapted to the use of the pupils
VINO are to occupy them? If one or two
| days at the beginning of each term
We're employed in adjusting desks,
would it not be commendable reform?
Injured eyes, spinal curvature, con-
tracted chests. complaining stomachs.
debilitated hearts, all testify to the i'm
portance of giving attention to this
| subject.
| We have little with which 10 find fault
| 10 recent construction OF school buildings
| Some Improvement might be possible in
the matter of light; and more in respect
| to heating and ventilation. Teachers are
| sometimes inconsiderate in admitting
! draught upon children, who must sit
| still and endure il. Too anuch light is
| worse than not enough, IN the more de-
| structive effects upon me eyes. Excess
| sve light causes an involuntary closing
| of the nupilary space: and this is sym
pathetically transferred to the intern1l
| ocular muscles of accommodation which
| adjust the eyes for near vision. To see
| well. in intense light. the object must
| be drawn closer TO the eyes than norma!
| conditions require. This stimulates 10
more intense effort at accommodation anu
| conveyance. and rapidly exhausts the
nervous and muscular energy OF the eye.
| The continued tension of the eyeball IN
terferes with the circulation of blood IN
| the vessels Of the retina. producing con-
gestion and deficient nutrition From
these ma develop any form of destruc-
tive infamma ton or degeneration of Wis
ual power. Often structural changes re-
| suit. disarransing the relations OF lens
and retina or changing the curvature
and retroactive power of lens or cornea
developing astigma ism or myopia-the
latter often in Il malignant and destruc
| tive form which rapidly destroys visual
power. Statistics show that while nearly
| all children enter the school with COM
| para lively normal vision, when the high
| schools are reached twenty-five per cent.
! are found to have developed myopia Will
| in the universities seventH-five per cent
| have acquired the same mdlformation.
refrain from entering upon tecsnlcal
discussion of what the arrangement ana
supply of light should be. This subject
| has been amply treated by more compe-
| tent authority. a public demand that the
well-understood scientific rules already
| laid down must be observed is what =
more essential
Great interest is awakened in regard TO
the water supply Of large communitie.;
and vast sums are being invested TO meet
! he public requirements sun, however
for years TO come. we shall probably con
| tinue TO permit our children. at school 10
drink impure water 1t would be easy u
| provide boiled. cooled: ana rectnea water
at very slight cost. For myself, ! nave
| no faith in the accomplishment of hltra-
| ton on very grand scale. even II II is
| ever possible. A filter. at best. Is APT 10
| be IA dehsion and Il snare. Filtered va
| ter is liable to be more dangerous ihan
| the same water Is before supJectlhs II 20
| such process. \ simple device for boiling,
| cooinS, re-aeratlrS ailu tIedtiilS Watel iui
| drinking purposes, ~nich WI 20 ~ MI
| almost automaicallE' anu WIN ~, ~ b
more ATTENTION tiaIi a rUu,u M
pun INTO an scnoo1 nu,,.iS o,,Id remdnr
cost. Such an appaia,t a m m3utu an
an! sort or Wilt 49, nih t,nhn;d 60
| agreeable ana wouiE pliiisn lsti,o j Al,
yer ana ihahs "'hei ''i ms VI
| ease
| Physical training IN our SchooIS seeHiS
| | regret TO say, to De sorry klnu q
! farce. EXercise-rooms, SFmnaSiuIns' ar
| provided IN most Of az puliu h
winch some w3rk Il irfss uiarIs .i 'r r
| 10 Wnich ne ciiioi 81 q - ~ 49, :
| POSSIBLY three or ioul tiiies sua'' ~
| romp at Will. Inc adequate daliS utli
| that should set them up IN accordance
| with the best Ideal OF form Is HosttE