ON THE INFLUENCE OF SCHOOL-BOOKS UPON EYESIGHT, 305 
the supply of orographical maps to public elementary schools is 
increased. The reading of Ordnance Survey sheets by the older pupils 
is not objected to, provided they are used in good daylight. 
16. Music.—For the tonic sol-fa notation the minimum height of 
the short letters should be (a) for music, 2 mm.; (b) for words, 
15 mm. Staff music is often produced by lithography, in which all 
gradations of size and shape are possible. Care in printing is needed, 
so as to secure well-defined stave-lines and tails. Advantage should be 
taken of the elasticity in the length assigned to different bars in the 
lithographed music, so as to avoid compression of complicated passages. 
For beginners music of the size of the ‘ Giant Note’ is recommended. 
For others, the stave-lines should not be less than 1°75 mm. apart 
(see specimen of ruby, or five-point, in the Supplement). The ruled 
paper for music-writing should have lines not less than 2 mm. apart. 
17. Greek.—Greek type is troublesome to beginners by reason of 
its unfamiliarity and of the difficulty of synthetising accents and letters 
into word-wholes. The correct Porson type has a line of uniform 
thickness. Such type affords easy discrimination of individual letters, 
and is legible in mathematical formule, even when small sizes are 
used. For reading, it is recommended that no type smaller than 
twelve-point be used for beginners, or eleven-point for experienced 
readers. The variety of Greek type which employs fine hair-lines 
should be entirely abandoned. Uncial Greek may be recommended as 
being easy to read (see Supplement). 
18. German.—The older styles of German type are less easily 
legible partly on account of the ill-placed hair-lines at the top of the 
letters. Recent forms of the black letter used in German books are 
improved in this respect; but since Roman type is being used largely. 
even for literary works in Germany, the use in our schools of the less 
legible German types may be reduced with some gain to the security of 
eyesight. 
Conclusion. 
The Committee observes in conclusion that :— 
(1) The existence of a very serious amount of visual defect among 
children of school age is established as a result of official inspection. 
Some portion of this defect is preventable by greater care in the selec- 
tion of books. 
(2) It is desirable that a standard of book-production should be 
established, and that the publication of books below standard should 
cease. 
(3) It appears possible that the adoption by local education 
authorities of a common standard would render unprofitable the pub- 
lication of books which failed to reach such standard. 
(4) It is hoped that this report may assist the responsible authorities 
in the work of determining the standard of book-production requisite 
for the protection of the eyesight of children so far as it is influenced 
by the books which the children are compelled to read in school. 
1912. x 
