The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1909-04-10
Bodies as Well as Brains Require
Intelligent Attention Says
the Specialist.
SCHOOL, HYGIENE MUST
HAVE MORE ATTENTION
Teachers Also Must Be Paid Wa
ges Commensurate With
Their Work..

NEW YORK, April S.-Dr. John J.
Cronin, noted specialist lectured re
Gently on School Hygiene and SAM
tation" at the college Of Physicians
and Surgeons. The following is a
synopsis of the address,:
Drinking Water.
1T is important" DR.. Cronin said,
that school children have enough
drinking water during school hours
Children very often suffer acutely
through thirst. Others acquire the
on-water-drinking habit to the great
detriment Of their health Water
should be passed around at leasttwice
every session Of school, and each child
given an opportunity to drink.
Ventilation.
Ventilation is an important fea-
ture that Is given too little consider
alton. Bad air is the cause of head
ache lessened efficiency for work,
anaemia and general debility. Vitiated
air cannot burn up the wastes Of the
body, and those breathing it are like
clogged stoves in which the ashes col
lect.
"One cause Of impure air is the
'excretion of the skin, contamination
from unclean mouths and teeth.
There should be complete renewal
Of air in schoolrooms once in every
eight minutes. In one system of venti-
lation," DR.. Cronin said, 400 cubic
feet of air per minute for each per
son was provided. This gave good
amount of oxygen.
''The best ventilation, however, fails
when the bodies and clothing of peo-
pie in a rom are not clean and we'll
cared for. Children should be thor
oughly bathed at least twice week.
Seats and Desks.
Seats and desks should be ar
ranged so that the light comes from
the back. Desks should be adjusted
to fit each individual child. This
should be done at least twice a year,
In September and February Failure
to so adjust the desks causes back
ache, deformities of the spien, muscu-
lar fatigue. When children are
seated at proper desks them progress
is greater mentally and they are in
better health.
"On account of the children going
to different rooms, as the custom now
is, for different studies, they sit dur
ing the day in many different kinds Of
seats. The teachers should be the
ones to make a change, and each
child should stay in the one seat that
has been adjusted to fit his or her in
dividual need
Physical Examination.
"Complete physical examination Of
each child should be made at least
once a year, and cursory examin--
ations at other times. A nurse and
dispensary, here the surgeon can
work, should be part of the equip
ment of every school.
Hours Of Study.
Little or no home studies should be
required of children. What they
should do at home should not neces-
state the use Of the textbooks that
are used at school. It often causes
child to develop spinal troubles to
carry home every day heavy pack
age Of books.
1T Is almost criminal" DR.. Cronin
continued, ITO make children attend
school for two sessions a day. Hur-
ried lunches, when children are all the
time fearful and worried lest thew
do not get back to school in time. are
the cause of many nervous disorders.
Either allow two hours for lunch. or
else serve lunch at school, and take
the opportunity of teaching children
proper mastication, care Of their teeth
and mouths, and of what a proper
diet consists. What he characterized
as milk-sop and soup diet" the doc
tor said, SHOULD not be tolerated at
all. Good, wholesome food should be
served.
Compulsory Education.
Compulsory education for children
should not begin till they are nine
years DID, DR.. Cronin continued in
hsi remarks. 1T is possible that 1t
might be an advantage for children in
certain homes to have schools MAIN
tanned in outdoor Fairgrounds, where
amy child over three would be well
cared for and given chance to de-
velop physically under the best con-
ditoins.
Ten O'Clock in the morning is as
early as any child should be REQUIRED
to come to school. This would be bet
ter for the teachers, too Every
teacher should have thorough
knowledge of the home life of every
child under her. This would near
no teacher ever cared for more than
twenty childre nat a time. It is only
by knowing just what a chld's home
life is that a teacher can understand
him.
Teachers' Wages.
wages sufficient for teachers ia
live comfortably without compelling
them to make money in any way
such as by night school instruction,
after their davis work is done are q