The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1909-05-02


teacher to so regulate the light that
much harm 70 the delicate, rapidly
growing eye may be aver,ed, II has
been positively established by careful
aud extensive statistics that myopia,
lor short sight is most frequently il
mot exclusively developed during
school life, This = due partly to the
TACT that children have much strong.
er power Of accommodation than adults
fand therefore hold objects more close.
Ily to the eye.
| A child suffering with a succession
OF styes may often lay the cause 70
eye strain or poor light The placing
OF such pupil in another seat or ad
Iiusting the light will relieve the cause,
provided there are no other defects
in the eye, Headaches perhaps better
expressed as hrowaehes, may often
be caused by the s,raining Of the eye
due 10 improper light, sometimes too
much light and the consequent strain
from the continued effort Of the
nerves supplying the iris to contract
the pupils and to shut out the extra
amount
We again have the question Of
desks and seats arranged at such
height that the pupils need not hang
over the desk. thus allowing an extra
amour, Of blood to flow to the eye.
ball and produce more or less eonges'
ton and so retard the impulses along
the optic nerve and thereby demand
4 a greater effort to see.
Personal Hygiene in the School
room: Habits OF cleanliness may
early be instilled in the minds Of
childrn from occasional talks by the
teacher the diseouraging OF dirt. spec.
ial praise for cleanliness and neatuess
about the person. We all know how
susceptible children are to praise,
especially il delivered with tact
: The habit Of expeetorating promis-
ciously seems to be early started in |
some children'especially OF the male /
persuasion and may be continued /
through adult life much to the an
noyauce as well as detrimcut of the |
whole human race. | have often no.
ticed where there has been a gather |
ing OF small boys 10 say nothing Of
the half grown ones-glaring evidences
of this filthy habit; no doubt ii Is
suggestion, desire to initiate the !
grown man, who by his use OF tobac-
co in one form or other exeites his
salivary glands TO such a degree that
they are forever working overtime.
Expectora,ion upon the floor should
be forbidden at all times, whether a
cough be present or not.
Sneezing directly upon the unpro-
tected multitude is another means Of
sowing broadcast disease. think
there are very few people who realize
what stream, or, better cloud. Of fine
PARTICLES containing bacteria AMI
other impurities are discharged at a
sneeze Perhaps you have noticed 1
the circumstance Of one person snecz-
ing, say in a car or crowded room,
soon there Is another, and another
until il seems though an epidemic
Of influenza had been started and
this is the way in which this miser-
able disease is given to the public.
Anyone with a normal sense Of smell
will soon be able to detect the oder
OF the secretions from the mucous
membranes Of the mouth and nose.
The use Of the handkerchiefs should
be greatly recommended.
In regard to contagious diseases, it
is a noticeable fact that each yeas
soon after the beginning Of school, A
marked increases in contagious dis
eases is reported. Parents them
selves are aware Of this and look for
ward to the opening OF school with
no little anxiety
The cause Of this condition is cas-
lily explained and the remedy needs
only to be rigidly applied together
with the correction of manifest an
sanitory conditions in our school
rooms, to prevent this annual recur-
renee Of increased spread Of contag-
ious diseases.
Throughout the summer, especially,
but also at all times, there is no
doubt that mild cases OF diphtheria,
scarlet fever, etc exist which
receive no medical attention through