ON THE INFLUENCE OF SCIIOOL-BOOKS UPON EYESIGHT. 269 
The Present Practice of Local Education Authorities 
in England and Wales. 
In a Circular (No. 596) issued by the Board of 
Education in 1908 the functions of the School 
Medical Officer are defined. Under the heading 
of ‘ Arrangements for attending to the health and 
physical condition of school children’ it is stated 
that he will advise the Local Education Authority 
with reference to improvements of the school 
arrangements. It is further stated in the Circular 
that ‘ As regards cases of defective eyesight he will 
indicate such measures as can be taken to remedy 
or mitigate the defects by altering the position of 
the children in the class, or improving the lighting 
of the school in amount or direction; and he will 
call attention to the strain imposed on eyesight by 
the use of too small type in text-books, the teaching 
of very fine sewing, &c.’ There can be no doubt 
that this suggested advice has in many cases led 
to an improvement where certain school arrange- 
ments have been prejudicial to vision ; but hitherto 
it has not been possible to deal effectively with the 
provision of satisfactory school text-books. 
A circular letter was sent to the Education 
Authority of each county and county borough 
stating the objects of the Committee, and asking 
for information on the following points :— 
(1) Whether the eyesight of the children in 
the schools of the Authority is tested at 
regular intervals ; 
(2) Whether advice on the care of the children’s 
eyesight is given to school teachers ; 
(3) Whether the teachers instruct the children 
in the general care of eyesight ; 
(4) What regulations (if any) have been adopted 
for the selection of school-books and 
