The Washington herald., 1907-10-27
SUNDAY. OCTOBER p. 1907.
Destrnrinr chi1dren,s Ercsirht

When parents intrust their children to
the public schools for education they have
every right TO expect that school build
ings shall be as free from physical menace
as modern science can make them. Yet
it is frequently the case. as has bsen
discovered in Washington, that school
buildings are insanitary and unhealthful,
or III ventilated and badly heated. or
poorly lighted. That the subject Of school
room lighting has not been given the con-
sideration it deserves is the opinion of
Prof Walter D. Scott, Of Northwestern
University, who presents, in the Popular
Science Monthly, some startling facts
concerning the sacrifice Of chudren's eyes.
due IN part TO the lack of attention given
to the lighting of schoolrooms, but
more, probably, to the extraordinary de-
mands made upon the visual organ dur
ing early childhood.
As to this last cause of eve troubles,
Prof Scott points out that children now
learn TO read year or two sooner than
formerly. so that the reading habit is
acquired by second and third year pupils.
He found in the course of an investiga-
tion that in one room where the pupils
had attended school for about a year
and a half they had read an average of
twenty-five books each. After the second
school year. says Prof. Scott many
pupils read an average of book a
week. and others fifty a year. Some
have read 100 volumes in the first
three years of school attendance Prof
Scott deprecates the tendency TO increase
the number of books read during the
early school years, and thinks il ought
10 be discouraged. THE loss Of nervous
energy necessitated by reading and writ
ing, at the ages of from five to eight
years. Is an unwarranted drain upon the
health Of the child" in his opinion Tn
fortunately. there are many parents who
encourage the reading haDit 1t keeps
children quiet and out of mischief, and
is dotted upon as a sign Of intellectual
quality.
But the facts as to the prevalence of
eye defects among school children and
especially as TO their increase. tell a sad
story OF the children mentioned above
as having read twenty-five books each.
81 per cent had defective vision. Pupils
entering the schools come with good
eyes. but at the end OF the course 60 to
20 per cent Of them leave with but two
thirds Of the normal visual power. Most
Of this loss of vision" says Prof. Scott.
is caused directly by the strain put upon
the eyes IN reading, writing, and draw
ing. The eyes of our school children are
being destroyed, and, worse than that,
the destruction is now taking place at
the age of from seven tc nine years.
which makes the matter so serious that
We should bestir ourselves 10 lessen the
evil as far as possible. In the palmy
days Of Greece. the Athenian boy was not
taught 10 read until he was ten years
old. BY our modern improved form of
education we injure the eyes Of our
children, so that one-half Of them have
defective vision before the age at which
the Greek boy learned his alphabet"
Prof Scott suggests that window space
in schoolrooms should be one-ffth the
floor space; that the walls and ceiling
should be Of a color which reflects we'll
diffused light, such as white. light yellow,
and light gray; that windows should be
provided with white shades, and that
blackboaTds should be covered with light
colOred curtains as soon as the darker
parts of the room are inadeuuately light
ed. How many schoolrooms conform to
these simple rules for good lighting?