The Birkenhead News and Wirral General Advertiser. — 1894-08-22 (Birkenhead, Merseyside, England)

ROI:MATHIS AND SHORT SIGHT. That the requirements for work at English schools both for boys and girls is gradually rising, that more and more is required of them, is well known, and the lists of subjects cannot be read over by anyone familiar with children without feeling that either much of the work must be seamped (which is probably the case, or we should have more myopes amongst us) or that the scholars are worked at high premium, ' and that the effects are likely to be injurious. At some boys' schools there are thres:half-holidays in the week, which is an excellent arrangement, and probably, even in those who work hard, saves many from visual defects, especially as the games are as such as for the most part require distant vision. Our arrangements for very young children are perhaps the worst. Half an hour or three-quarters of an hour is as long as a child of six or seven can devote his mind to any object, and he should then be allowed a rest; and it would be well if in English schools more use were made of the black board and chalk, as is customary in Kindergarten establishments. Since, on the one hand, the employment of the eyes on minute objects for any length of time is injurious, and, on the other, education which renders employment of the eyes compulsory must be pursued, it follows that the amount of work that any child is called upon to do must be of the nature of a compromise between the two; and perhaps the best compromise that can be made is that work should not be carried on unintermittingly, but that it should alternate with periods of rest—that mental exertion should be relieved by bodily exercise.—From "The Book of Health." WHY 115 SITICIDI ON THE nrcaxest  It cannot any longer be denied that the number of suicides is rapidly increasing in this 30untry as well as on the Continent. The Spectator gives two reasons for this. One chief causal it affirms, is the "dwindling of religious faith." Another is the want of "elasticity of nerve." That is to say, in the region of mind .pie have lost hope, and in the region of the y they have lost pluck. No facts are given in support of these contentions, but there are few grounds for questioning their soundness, and many for admitting it. One or two facts, it seems to sa, offer strong confirmation of the Spectator's contention. In Scotland, we believe, it will be found that as yet, at any rate, there is little or no increase in the number of suicides. Now in Scotland the religious faith is still strong among the better as well as among the poorer classes, and physique and nerve are lees impaired than in the more southern parts of the Kingdom. Indeed it is probable that in itself the  London will be found principal part of the increase in the number of suicides. Now London has a poorer general physique and nerve, not only than Scotland, but also than other parts of the United Kingdom. Moreover, it is decidedly more inclined to Atheism, or at any rate to indifference in matters religious. Are these facts so? If they are, it is time the thoughtful among us were taking measures to check the moral disintegration which it is beginning to prevail, and to consider also what steps, if any, can be taken to secure all improved physique for Londoners. One thing is certain, and that is that suicide shows feebleness both of mind and body. If the best our daily and weekly prophets, the newspapers, can do for mind and body is to weaken them, it might be well for us to consider the propriety of dropping our newspapers and doing reputation and to revive the putation and the flagging energies of the pulpit. Probaby no class of human beings work harder or are more poorly paid than the adherents of the Salvation Army. But in the Salvation Artily suicide is practically unknown. If it be the province of science to deal impartially with facts, here is a fact which is well worthy of consideration.—l7te Hospital.