39 o THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



they are unconscious often of the strain produced by the unceasing 

 muscular efforts required to see with distinctness, this condition of the 

 eye tends (when not corrected by glasses) to weaken the nervous ener- 

 gies and produces in some cases the most distressing nervous symp- 

 toms. The far-sighted eye is particularly liable to be left without 

 correction because its existence is often unsuspected. 



2. I would suggest that the parents or guardian of a child, 

 that has hereditary predisposition to debility or disease, should con- 

 sult some intelligent physician respecting the advisability of sending 

 such a child to school. Advice can then be had in regard to the stud- 

 ies which the child should pursue, and the daily amount of mental 

 effort which it may safely attempt. 



Some children are better able to apply themselves to study at five 

 years of age than others are at ten. Irrespective of the fact that some 

 of the brightest men of all epochs have shown remarkable precocity at 

 a very early age and have been subjected to mental discipline when 

 very young, I deem it wise to caution parents against an experiment 

 that may prove disastrous to the future welfare of their offspring. 



3. I would urge every parent, as a precautionary measure against 

 disease of the brain, to avoid (from birth to the age of seven) 

 all romps or other form of excitement immediately before the child is 

 put to bed. Such excitement tends to prevent healthy sleep. It may 

 thus precipitate the development of some nervous trouble in the child, 

 by depriving the brain of its proper rest. Too much stress can not be 

 laid upon this point. The error referred to is one that is thoughtlessly 

 committed by thousands of parents. 



4. Every child should get at least ten hours of good sleep each 

 night. The old saying that a one hour's sleep before midnight is 

 worth two after " is not to be disregarded. A child between the years 

 of two and seven should be in bed and asleep by 6 p. m. every day. 



5. The sleeping - rooms occupied by children should be large 

 and well ventilated. They should be lighted by the direct rays of the 

 sun, and have large windows. It is far better to give up the best room 

 in the house, if necessary, in order to insure the health of your chil- 

 dren, than to reserve it as a parlor for the entertainment of guests. 



6. Children should eat at a separate table from their parents until 

 ten years old at least. They should take their hearty meal at mid- 

 day. It is not conducive to the proper development of any child to 

 be surrounded constantly with food of which they should not par- 

 take ; nor is it wise to load the stomach with food before retiring. 



7. If you wish to keep children free from disease, avoid all pas- 

 tries and sweets, as far as possible, and confine them to simple and 

 nutritious food. The habit of feeding candy to children between 

 meals, or of allowing them to eat at irregular intervals, is to be strong- 

 ly condemned. 



The nervous system is particularly affected by gastric and intesti- 



