DEFECTIVE SIGHT AMONG SCHOOL CHILDREN.

Southern Cross, Volume 1, Issue 8, 20 May 1893, Page 3

DEFECTIVE SIGHT AMONG SCHOOL CHILDREN.

Every day a deeper interest is being taken in tlie sound physical development of our school children. Hence anything really informing in relation to school hygiene is welcome. In going through a recent lecture by an eminent British authority we gathered the following valuable statements: — The chief cause of short-sight is bad hygienic conditions. Besides herditary predisposition to short-sight, there are other contributory causes, such as the correlation between the growth of the brain and the growth of the eye, by reason of which a high .degree of cerebral development is apt to he associated with an over-development of the eye ; also defective nutrition, and certain febrile diseases ; but close application to bookwork in early life is the main cause of short-sight. The older the children and the higher the grade of the school, the greater the percentage of short sight. It is extremely rare to find the defect beginning after 18. Long-sight is found among children whose health conditions are of the very worst. Every school should be properly illuminated, every scholar should be provided with a suitable desk. The hours of school-work should not be excessive, and be limited according to the ages of the children. For proper light the window surface of a schoolroom should be equal to not less than one-fourth of the floor space. The direction from wdiich the light enters should be either from above or on the left side of the scholars. The desks and seats should be made to suit the stature of the various scholars ; and each desk should have a slope of from 10 to 15 degrees for writing, and when used for reading should hold the book at an angle of 45 degrees, and at least 12 to 16 inches from the eye.