1889-90.] EIGHTEENTH MEETING. 27 



Messrs Harvey and Middleton were named Auditors for the current 

 year. 



Mr. Alderman Maughan was elected a member. 



A sale of last year's periodicals was then held. 



NINETEENTH MEETING. 



Nineteenth Meeting, 22nd March, 1890, the President in the chair. 



Donations and Exchanges since last meeting, 53. 



Mr. Macdougall was named to represent the Institute on the Committee 

 of the Parks and Public Places Association. 



R. W. Doan was elected a member. 



Dr. G. Sterling Ryerson read a paper on " Defective Vision in the 

 Public Schools." 



He said that during the past year 5,253 children in the Public schools 

 have been examined, with the assistance of Dr. Wishart, as regards 

 defective vision. Of these 2,726 were boys, and 2,527 were girls ; 193 

 boys and 260 girls were found to be undersighted, an average of 8'6 per 

 cent.; 78 boys and 138 girls were short-sighted, an average of 4'0 per 

 cent. Of the 5,253 children tested, 668 were found to have visual defect 

 of some kind, an average of 127 per cent. The per centage of defect 

 varied in different schools, the smallest per centage being found in Queen 

 Victoria School, Parkdale — 4 per cent, of undersight and 6 per cent, of 

 short sight ; whereas the highest was found in the Elizabeth Street 

 School — 25-4 per cent, of undersight and 3ro per cent, of short-sight. 

 The per centage of Upper Canada College was 4-1 per cent, undersighted 

 and 7*3 per cent, short-sighted. In Wellesley, 77 per cent, undersighted 

 and iO'3 per cent, short-sighted. Taking the classes from senior first to 

 senior fifth, the short-sighted increased from 2'5 per cent, to 8-6 per cent. 

 He held that the great difference in per centages of short sight in 

 different schools, was caused by imperfect window space, wrong position 

 of desks, the use of ground glass in windows, the size of the playground, 

 height of surrounding buildings, and last but not least, the home sur- 

 roundings of the children. He considered that Queen Victoria school 

 was the best lighted and ventilated he had visited, as were also the sur- 

 roundings the best — a wide view over the lake, plenty of play room, and 

 the absence of surrounding high buildings. Dr. Ryerson especially con- 



