Evening star., 1916-09-27
Health Officer Urges Comfort
and Quiet and Good
Fresh Air.
PUTS IT UP TO PARENTS
TO DEVELOP CHILDREN
Ban Placed on Dances and Parties
That Interfere With Proper Rest.
Good Food Essential.

With opening of public schools but
fve days distant, Health Officer Will
liam C. Woodward today issued
statement outlining conditions that
should be provided for children during
study hours, to promote their physical
well as mental development.
He prefaces his statement with the
observation that responsibility for pro-
viding such conditions rests with the
parent. and that it is unfortunate that
means have not been provided whereby
parents might be compelled to receive
instruction at the hands of experts
with respect to the part they must
play In the educative process.
Light, Quiet and Fresh Air.
DR.. Woodward then says:
NO child can be expected to study
to the best advantage who is not pro-
vided with quiet, well ventilated and
properly lighted place in which to do
SO. Particular attention should be
paid to providing suitable and suf-
fcent artificial light for evening study
A comfortab BILE table and chair, how
ever cheap. but all the pupils own,
tend to stimulate interest and to pre-
vent improper postures during hours
of study Do not allow the child to
dawdle or to be disturbed during the
study period Lessons can be learned
much more easily under such condi-
flons. and proper habits of study will
be developed.
Every pupil. including those in the
high schools, should have not less than
eight hours of sound, refreshing sleep,
prefera bly, in the open air seven nights
every week. In the kindergarten and
lower grades the minimum number of
required hours is ten. Parties, dances
and other social functions that inter-
1ere with this program should be for
bidden- Proper recreation, however, at
proper times. in proper places. prefera-
bly, outdoors. and in reaSona BILE amount
is of prime Importance for right mental
and social development, and should be
encouraged.
Wholesome Food Essential.
"a simple wholesome meal three times
q day is essential to the greatest mental
efficiency of the child A lack of ap-
petite for such a diet. or inability to
digest it, shows something wrong Do
not let a child go to school without
breakfast. or make lunch upon pickles
or sweets Coffee and tea are stinu-
1ants and should be excluded from the
chi1d's dietary
Cleanliness of body. including teeth
and nails, and of clothing, is essential
to health, vigor and self-respect Hab-
its of cleanliness will not be followed
in the school unless they are taught
and insisted upon in the home. They
constitute the very best safeguard
against communicable diseases.
AS many hours possible should
beSpent in the sunshine and open air.
The home should be well ventilated
and lighted
"A child should not be allowed to as
sociate with any one who is ill, even
in his own home. unless the illness is
certainly not communicable.
Ill Should Stay Away.
when a child is apparently not we'll
he should not go to school. Unless it
Is certain that the illness was not of
a contagious nature, he should not be
allowed to return after recovery, with
out the approval of physician
Even IL the indisposition be so slight
that it seems safe to ignore this rule,
school attendance should be discon-
tinued SO long as there is any doubt
whether the disorder is or is not COM
municable- The spread of communicabI BILE
diseases in schools is due more often
to the ignoring of this rule than to
any other cause.
"Overstudy may be due to the assign
ment of too much school work. in
which case the school is responsible 1t
may be due, however. to the physical
incapacity of the pupil to do a normal
amount of work. and then presumptive-
ly the parent is at fault The best
evidence of overstudy is frequent or
persistent irritability or emotional
weakness or tearfulness Disturbed
sleep is of like significance when it is
not due to Indigestion fright, anger
or other excitement. When such evil
dences of overstudy appear, the parent
should hrst ask himself whether he is
doing his full duty in the premises, as
laid down in the preceding paragraphs.
II he Is, then he should present the case
to the teacher, in the hope that between
them they may find relief. If they can
not, the case is one for the family
physician"