274 SCHOOL SANITATION AND HYGIENE 



a few of his German contemporaries has given serious con- 

 sideration to the construction of furniture which should reduce 

 to a minimum the physical and mental fatigue resulting from its 

 use? Some time has been devoted to the desk, but the seat has 

 been woefully neglected. 



The sanitary treatment of floors and ceilings, as well as 

 provisions for ventilation and lighting has been left to the judg- 

 ment of a group of school officials who know nothing of its 

 requirements, and so are placed at the mercy of contractors 

 who wish to install devices which will net the most profit. Much 

 of this might be permanently avoided if those preparing to teach 

 were given sane instruction and had the opportunity of prac- 

 tical laboratory experiment and observation. 



Finally we ought not to make the labor of the school so 

 engrossing as to prevent play and exercise in the open air. The 

 winds of heaven not only cure consumption they strengthen 

 the nerves and promote nutrition at all ages. The proper exer- 

 cise of the leg's develops the lungs and tones up the circulation. 

 Thus the whole field of playground supervision is given sig- 

 nificance the emphasis of the course being placed on play 

 an art which I fear is fast being forgotten. The average teacher 

 lives in mortal terror lest the loss of hours for play may inter- 

 fere with the educational system, and so "labors at the manu- 

 facture of the required number of yards of learning, per pupil 

 crucifying the little people every 60 days in the attempt to 

 discover whether the raw material is being worked up with 

 celerity and thoroughness," never realizing that the work done 

 at experimental schools, both in this country and abroad, seems 

 to show that with good teaching, children working half the 

 school hours make quite as rapid and satisfactory progress as 

 children driven at full pressure. 



In summary we are trying to give our teachers a practical 

 knowledge of the hygiene of childhood. The flushing of the 

 school room with fresh air depends upon the teacher, not upon 

 the system of warming and ventilation. The desks will never 

 adapt themselves to the pupils, but the teacher must look after 

 matters of posture, and should be thoroughly acquainted with 

 signs of fatigue. He should understand the dangers of eye- 

 strain and should be able to test the eyesight and hearing to 

 the extent of being able to gauge their efficiency for school 

 purposes. "He should be able to recognize when laziness results 

 from ill-health, unruliness from want of out-door exercise, and 

 stupidity from the possible existence of adenoids." He should 

 know the infectious possibilities of the pocket handkerchief and 

 unmanicured fingernails. He should know the laws of sleep 



