BY HON. W. F. TAYLOR, M.D. XXXVll 



suit the children, as shown in this diagram, and proper attention 

 to lighting, our school children would be saved from the risks of 

 spinal curvature and defective eyesight to which they are now 

 exposed. Their school life would be less irksome, they would 

 be stronger and happier, brighter and more intelligent, and 

 grow up into better and healthier men and women than they 

 are likely to be under present defective conditions. 



VENTILATING SCHOOL EOOMS. 

 The matter of ventilating our school rooms should be 

 carefully attended to, and sufficient superficial area of floor space 

 allotted to each child, so that no undue crowding would be 

 possible. At least an area of 16 square feet is requisite in this 

 ■country for sitting room, irrespective of that required for class 

 formation, etc., and the ventilation should be so arranged as to 

 cause a constant renewal of air, thereby avoiding as far as 

 possible the necessity of breathing air vitiated by products of 

 respiration, and emanations from the body. Ventilation without 

 draught should be aimed at— a desideratum which is too 

 frequently overlooked. 



DEINKING WATER. 

 Another thing which requires more careful management 

 than is usually given to it, is the drinking water supplied to 

 schools. Too much care cannot be exercised with respect to it, 

 and I fear that too little care is bestow^ed on it. Children are 

 supposed to be able to eat and drink anything with impunity — 

 a most erroneous impression. Both eating and drinking 

 should be most carefully attended to. Excepting in the larger 

 towns, tank water is the only available supply, and so far as 

 I can ascertain, little or no care is taken to preserve this 

 water from contamination by the dust which collects on the 

 roofs, which form the gathering area for the water. This is 

 all washed into the tanks by the first shower, and the conse- 

 quence is, that a deposit of mud collects at the bottom of the 

 tanks, containing more or less vegetable matter and probably 

 some animal matter as well, for frogs sometimes gain access to 

 tanks, and dying, do not improve the quality or odour of the 

 water. Conditions are formed w'hich favor the development 

 and growth of bacterial organisms, that may contain 



