xxxvi prksid?:ntial address. 



however, can just manage to get his arms on the desk ; the 

 other can scarcely do so. The position which they are obhged 

 to assume is a most trying one, and distorts the spine to a very 

 great degree. 



Further the strain on the eyesight is very severe, and 

 must in such cases eventually lead to serious impairment of 

 vision. So far as I am aware, no attempt is made to suit the 

 height of the desk and seat to the child. With as much reason, 

 and with much less chance of injury, should we make all 

 children wear clothes of the same size, as compel children of 

 different heights to sit at a desk of one uniform height. It is 

 difficult to understand why this most important matter should 

 be ignored in our State schools and others. If desks of suitable 

 height for each child are necessary at all, and I have shown that 

 they are, then they certainly are doubly necessary in hot moist 

 climates, where the growing child is so limp and wanting in 

 muscular strength and nervous energy as to be unable to 

 sit for any length of time upright without some support to tli& 

 back. Diagrams II and III illustrate two boys writmg at high 

 desks. The heads rest on the arms, and the eyes are within 

 a few inches of the paper on which they are writing. It is 

 plain that the position is an uncomfortable one, and very 

 trying to the eyes ; is apt, in short, to give rise to the condition 

 of myopia which may become progressive, and lead to serious 

 impairment of vision, if not to ultimate blindness. We certainly 

 do not take sufficient care of our children in this respect, and 

 I venture to assert that very few schoolmasters are aware of 

 the dangers to which children are subjected by bemg allowed, 

 or in fact made to sit in such a position when writing, as to 

 bring the head so near the paper as to cause undue eye strain. 



These diagrams (Nos. IV and V) serve to show the sort of 

 desk and seat which should be used in our schools. The 

 children are sitting nearly upright, the back being only slightly 

 bent forward, the head is a prop3r distance away from the paper 

 or book, and the arms are resting lightly on the desk. Each 

 seat is supplied with a comfortable back. The light is also a 

 very important matter from the vision point of view. It should 

 be admitted from the left, the paper being so illuminated as to 

 be free from any shadows. With seats and desks of a size to 



