Identifier: hygieneofschoolr02barr (find matches)
Title: The hygiene of the schoolroom
Year: 1911 (1910s)
Authors: Barry, William Francis, 1872-
Subjects: School hygiene
Publisher: New York, Boston (etc.) Silver, Burdett and company
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress

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he average child is employed at school work duringthe years from five to fifteen. This particular period isthe growing, or formative, age of the child. Many ofthe bones by the fifth year are in a very imperfect stateof development; a considerable portion of each bone isstill composed of cartilage, which is very easily mouldedinto or out of shape. In succeeding years the bone moreand more displaces the cartilage, and not until about theage of puberty are the long bones and spinal columnfully matured. Habit during this formative period willyield permanent after-effects of either good or evil, as thecase may be. At this time in life children should be taught to standcorrectly, to walk correctly, and to sit correctly. Instanding, the shoulders should be thrown back, the chestextended, and the head held erect. The heels should betogether, the toes extended, and the weight evenly dis-tributed upon both legs. In walking, the same correctposture should be maintained and an effort made to take
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FIG. 3. Illustrates a desk too high for the child, causing elevation of the rightshoulder in writing and a corresponding curve in the spinal column. School Furniture. 37 even, graceful steps with feet well lifted from the groundat each step. Both standing and walking can be improved at will;but in seating the children a more difficult problem is en-countered. Certainly every one must regard the old-fashioned bench, or box form, as a hopeless anachronism;yet doubtless very many children to-day suffer fromthe effects of badly made school furniture—as unsuitable,in fact, as that which Charles Lamb describes: Oh! how I remember our legs wedged into tliose un-comfortable sloping desks, where we sat elbowing eachother, and the injunctions to attain a free hand, unat-tainable in that position. The seat and desk for each pupil should be most care-fully looked after; for medical works are filled withwords of warning against the use of ill-fitting school fur-niture. Many eminent physicians, e

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