File:The hygiene of the schoolroom (1911) (14783723302).jpg

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

View Book Page: Book Viewer
About This Book: Catalog Entry
View All Images: All Images From Book
Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book.

Text Appearing Before Image:
oubtless 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, especially in Europe,have given a great deal of study to this very evil, and,as a result, have devised various desks and seats to rem-edy the defect. According to Dr. Earners theory, a pu-pil while sitting at a desk improperly constructed invol-untarily assumes an injurious position. Often the injuryis caused, during writing and reading exercises, by thepupils turning his head to the front or left while writing,and downwards while reading. The bad results that
Text Appearing After Image:
FIG. 4. Illustrates too great space between the seat and desk, causing pupil tostoop too much, inducing round shoulders. School Furniture. 39 may follow from putting children into seats too high andlarge for some, too small and low for others, are near-sightedness,* round shoulders, curvature of the spine,difficulty of respiration, distortion of the upper part ofthe body, pains and tingling sensations in the feet. The danger from bad positions lies in the fact thatthey remove the centre of gravity of the body or of thehead from its natural point of support. It is essentialthat the centre of gravity of the body be supported by theseat just as it is supported by ones feet while standing.This is impossible, however, if cramped or stooping posi-tions are taken, as that throws the centre of gravity for-ward to the right or left, as the case may be. When aperson sits erect, this centre of gravity is directly overthe spinal column, and the head itself is supported andbalanced by the muscles

Note About Images