Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1899-04-29
SCHOOL SANITATION.
IMPURE AIR OPENS THE DOOR TO
MARY DISEASES.

Age Mt Which Children should Be
gin Study-Cnuscs of Noschlccd and
Headache - Pupils should Not BE
ONertaxed.
At recent meeting Of the Civic Cen
ter, an organization formed in the Dis
trict of. Columbia for the purpose of pro,
noting public sanitation, the health of
school children was the subject under
dicussion. Among the speakers was DIR.
w. w. Johnston, who spoke of the re-
latiOn of health to education i'll child
hood. He showed the effects upon the
health of children of school life i'll vari-
Gus countries where "a systematic in
vestigation has been made of the rela-
ton of school life on the health of chill
dren. He had number of charts to
demonstrate the results Of such investi-
CATION, and these charts showed that
school life is accompanied by rapid
failure of health conditions up to the
age of II, and continued failure after
that age frequently resulting III chill
dren dropping out of the schools.
DR.. Johnston believed the school age
in this country begins too early i'll the
youth of children. They should not be
sent to school before reaching years Of
age. Some children, he said, should not
be sent to school even at that age. Pre-
cocity in children, he said, was usually
admired but that was an abnormal con-
dition which the speaker said should be
discouraged He approved the appoint
ment of school physicians to determine
whether the children i'll the schools
were in condition to study and to see
that conditions attending school life are
sanitary.
81 think" said DR.. Johnston, Sin
our public schools certificates should be
provided by every child from physi-
clan showing 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 and some at II years of age
and others still later The brain of the
child is growing rapidly until it is or
10 years old, and it was well known
that excessive use of a growing organ
was always a danger to it. :"
Dr. G.. NJ. KOber, referring to the so
called school diseases, said that the Oc-
currence of these diseases cannot be
questioned, nor is this surprising when
we consider that children upon begin
ming school enter upon Il new life and
environment. Up to this time they have
been allowed to run and play in the
open air, exercise the body and senses
without restraint, but now, without a
period of transition they are obliged to
remain for several hours during the day
i'll close and often OverCrowded school
rooms, taxing their minds and straining
their eyes for near objects.
This cannot but be injurious to chill
dren at such a susceptible period of
their lives. In the first place, be said,
there is decided difference i'll the pur-
lty of the country and city air, especial
ly in the amount Of carbOniC acid, Or
ganic matter and germs, and this differ
enCe is still more marked between the
open air and the air of habitations and
sChOOlrooms. Every excess of either
cannot fail to be without effect in the
publication of the blood.
Impure air means impure blood and
is therefore potent factor in the pro-
duction of aniHmia, chlOrOSiS and all
nutritive disturbances and paves the
way for tuberculosis and nervous dis
eases.
Headache, nose bleeding and nervous
affections among school children may
be caused by overheated rooms inhala-
tions of dust, ETC., but the majority Of
such disorders was caused by a by
perRmia of the brain and nasal mucous
membranes, due to prolonged mental
effort, and unless the brain is allowed
sufficient rest this hyper2mia may be-
come constant and give rise to nutritive
changes in the brain cells and serious
nervous disorder. The speaker, there
fore, urged that after every reasonable
mental effort sufficient time should be
given for the restoration of the intra-
cranial circulation.
he referred to the causes of myopia,
or near sight, and lateral curvature of
the spine. The former was attributed to
eye strain from defective illumination,
small type, poor ink, faulty presswork,
while improper position Of the pupils
and faulty seats and desks were produc-
tive III the development of both atiec-
lions, and while all these causes might
operate at home, it was fact that since
even their partial removal in the school
and especially since the introduction of
adjustable seats and desks the percent
age of these disorders had been reduced
III some Of the German schools almost
onehalf
The problem of drinking cups also
deserves serious consideration, public
cups being a fruitful source of contagion,
and i'll some cities pupils are required
to furnish individual cups.
Shop Notices.