18 PHYSICAL TRAINING 



important on that account. This defect is far 

 more common than is supposed, especially among 

 girls, and possibly much of the blame may be laid 

 at the doors of our common-school seating 

 arrangements. Of course there are often physical 

 conditions which seem to encourage the develop- 

 ment of curvature; but the usual school desk and 

 seat have much to answer for, not in themselves 

 so much as in their lack of adjustment or mal- 

 adjustment. The writer has seen class-rooms, 

 even in expensive private schools, in which all the 

 desks and seats were of the same height from the 

 floor, so that the large boys could hardly get 

 their knees under their desks and had to twist 

 their bodies in order to get into a writing posi- 

 tion, while the little fellows had their feet raised 

 above the floor and, in order to write, had to lift 

 their right shoulders awkwardly. Either condi- 

 tion is likely to favor the beginning of a cur- 

 vature, and a curvature once begun is most 

 difficult to overcome. 



Therefore, when the position of a child's 

 shoulders seems to indicate the presence of cur- 

 vature, examine for curvature at once, or have 

 some expert do so; and in the meantime see how 

 that child is seated. His feet should reach the 

 floor, and the bench, which ought to come rather 

 well forward, should give support to the leg 

 nearly to the knee-joint. The height of the desk 



