phipps] HYGIENE AS A SIXTH GRADE SUBJECT 259 



text-book. A book may profitably be used as a basis for dis- 

 cussions about things which happen in everyday life, and the 

 interest of the child is easily aroused in such questions. Thus 

 the lessons can be made a pleasure instead of a duty. Topics 

 may be discussed in class and the children encouraged to 

 make a little start in original observations. Such topics are, 

 dairy conditions of the town ; local water supply ; disposal of 

 sewage and garbage ; conditions of the streets, back yards and 

 public buildings ; sanitary conditions of local grocery stores, 

 meat shops, bakeries and candy stores ; pure food laws ; patent 

 medicine ; fly and mosquito extermination ; ventilation ; care of 

 the teeth ; defective eyesight ; tenement house improvement ; 

 public playgrounds ; summer health camps, etc. An important 

 aim should be to induce the pupils to apply to life what they 

 learn from day to day. 



Experimental work is most helpful in this subject, 

 for impressing the truths upon the mind, and giving 

 opportunities for training the powers of observation and draw- 

 ing inferences. In the limited space left for this article only a 

 few suggestions can be given. The subject of ventilation is 

 simply illustrated with a box having a sliding cover. A five- 

 pound starch box answers very well. If the sliding cover is 

 replaced with one of glass, and two holes bored at the top and 

 bottom of each end and these fitted with corks, these will 

 answer for the door and windows of a room. Short lighted 

 candles, placed inside, representing people, will show the bad ef- 

 fects of carbon di-oxide and the need of fresh air. By different 

 combinations of open and closed door and windows the lesson of 

 the need for ventilation can be strongly impressed upon the 

 class. A slanting stick in the box with candles placed upon it 

 will show that those nearest the top or ceiling will first be 

 effected. If the children are permitted to assist in the demon- 

 stration it will add much interest to the lesson. 



The process of respiration can be shown as follows. Cut 

 the bottom off a ten or twelve ounce bottle and tie sheet rubber 

 loosely over the opening. Have two small rubber bags or 

 balloons within the bottle connected to two glass tubes which 

 extend out through a rubber cork. If the rubber sheet, which 

 acts as a diaphragm, is forced in and out, the balloons will de- 

 flate and inflate. 



The prevalence of molds and germs in dusty air, and the 

 relative merits of dry and moist sweeping, may be shown by 

 exposing cultures for a brief time under different conditions 

 in the schoolroom and at home, and watching developments. 



