EASTON DAILY EXPKESB: THURSDAY EVENING, AUGUST 21, 1876.’ 
V ... 
NORTHAMPTON COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETY. 
—The Northampton County Medical Society 
: held its August meeting yesterday afternoon 
in the Y. M. C. A. rooms of Easton. There 
were present Drs. Abernethy, Bachman, D. 
Engelman, J. P. Engelman, Gotwald, Green, 
- Grower, Hunt, Laubach, Hawaii, Mclntire, 
' Ott, J. Sandt, A. K. Seem, and A. Seip. 
r Also, Dr. Stahley, of the Dauphin County 
Society, and Dr. W. M. Baird, of the Warren 
District Society of New Jersey. The raeet- 
' log proved to be an interesting one in the 
discussion of the treatment of various dis- 
eases. The Committee on School Hygiene 
1 gave a partial report on the lighting of 
: schools, and a supplemental report on venti- 
lation, both of which topics being of so much 
importance that we publish the report in 
full. 
REPORT OP THE COMMITTEE ON SCHOOL HY- 
GIENE—LIGHTING. 
The scientific study of Physiological Op- 
tics is of comparatively recent origin, and a 
rational method of diagnoses and treatment 
of those affections of the eye which depend 
upon its optical condition is still more re- 
cent. From this fact it is not surprising that 
a great many cases of such trouble should 
now be found, which formerly were not re- 
cognized, or the trouble assigned to some 
other cause. But, after making due allow- 
ance for the increased delicacy in the meth- 
ods of investigation, a suspicion arose that 
cases of ametropia, or faulty vision from im- 
perfect optical condition, were on the in- 
crease. Investigations, both in Europe and 
America, confirm these suspicions to such an 
extent that it amounts to a demonstration. 
The condition which seems to be most rap- 
idly on the increase is myopia, or near-sight, 
and to that condition alone let us cunfine our 
attention for the present. 
It has been shown that there is a greater 
proportion of near-sigbted persons among 
educated people. Thus Dr. Lucien Howe, of 
Buffalo, examined the eyes of 1,008 school 
children, of whom 19 7 per cent, were myo- 
pic. While of “213 cases of eye disease seen 
during the past year among the paupers of 
Buffalo, the record shows only 3 5 per ceut. 
to have been near-sighted.” 
Furthermore it appears that myopia is 
more prevalent among the higher classes of 
our educational system than in the lower 
classes. Thus Dr. C. R. Agnew, of New 
York, found in the Brooklyn Polytechnic 
School 10 per cent, of myopes in the acade- 
mic department and 58 per cent, in the col- 
legiate. It might be said that this is ac- 
counted for by the coincidence of the near- 
sighted scholars keeping on in their studies, 
while the possessors of normal eyes 
leave school for other pursuits. But 
the same results have been obtained 
in too many observations to make it a mere 
coincidence. Besides Dr. Haskett Derby, of 
Boston, found 28 per cent, of the class of ’79 
of Amherst myopic in their Freshman year; 
50 per cent, of whom were more myopic in 
the following year. And the investigations 
of one of your committee on the students of 
Lafayette—as yet incomplete— corroborate 
the deduction of an increase in the propor- 
of near-sighted people in the higher classes 
by its development in men who previously 
had optically normal eyes. 
Another fact is also patent, that those na- 
tions famous for their studious habits have a 
far greater proportion of myopes in their 
population. Germany can no longer exempt 
near-sighted men from military duty. It is 
safe to conclude that there is a tendency in 
studious habits to produce near-sight. 
Gan there be any evil effects resulting 
from near sight? A few sentences from Bon- 
der’s “Anomalies of Refraction and Accom- 
modation” will answer this question. 
“Every progressive myopia is threatening 
with respect to the future. If it continues 
progressive the eye will soon, with trouble- 
some symptoms, become less available, and 
not infrequently at the age of fifty or sixty, 
if not mucu earlier the power of vision is ir- 
revocably lost.” 
Again: “Not only is the myope not in a 
condition to discharge all civil duties, not 
only is he limited in the choice of his position 
in society, but in the higher degrees myopia 
leads to disturbance of the power of vision 
and threatens its subject with incurable 
blindness.” 
If these things be so and Prof. Bonders Is 
universally acknowledged as the highest au- 
thority, it becomes a very important matter 
to determine the came of myopia, the con- 
ditions favorable for its increase, and if 
there be any means of prevention. From 
the facts stated it would seem that study and 
near sight in some way bear the relation of 
cause and effect. In what then do students 
habits differ from those in other occupations 
in life? Students are apt to remain for a 
long time in rooms containing a vitiated at- 
mosphere; with their heads Dent 
over their desks, reading or writing 
at or near their near point of vision, and 
keeping their gaze fixed upon the page with- 
out relaxation; and this, too, frequently, 
with insufficient light, which often comes in 
an imperfect direction. The vitiated air 
lowers the whole tone of the system—makes 
it less resistant, so to speak. The position 
of the head and nearness of the object act 
conjointly in such a manner as to cause 
pressure perpendicular to the antero-poste- 
rior axis, and the eye does not possess 
sufficient strength to elongate it in this axis. 
This will cause the eye to become near- 
sighted. The insufficient light demands an 
additional strain upon the eye, aggravating 
the pressure by making it a necessity that 
objects to be seen be placed near the 
eyes. 
There is one other cause, which only in- 
creases the importance of the subject. Again 
to quote Bonders: “Even on many emmet- 
ropic eyes simple tension for near objects 
has but little effect. In fact the predisposi- 
tion is almost invariably congenital, and in 
that case It is, moreover, nearly always 
hereditary.” So that any conditions that 
are prone to develop near sight, not only 
puts the possessors themselves on a path 
that is liable to lead to blindness, but also 
render the succeeding generations more sus- 
ceptible to the same causes and more likely 
to obtain the worst results. The increase of 
myopia, then, is a subject of great interest to 
everyone individually, of equal importance 
to the body politic. The requirements of 
modern life will not allow us to go back to 
the old days of general illiteracy; the com- 
fort of the individual and the strength of 
the State demand a race of people with nor- 
mal eyes. 
A remedy must be found, and, because of 
the new conditions, it is no reflection on the 
wisdom of the fathers should this remedy 
cause an innovation in time honored meth- 
ods. If this increase of near sight is due to 
school life, we must either modify the condi- 
tion of school life to prevent this increase or 
permit the illiterate to become the only 
healthy people in the nation. 
Thus far we have confined our thoughts to 
myopic eyes. Does faulty hygienic condi- 
tions work ill only in this class of eyes? We 
think not. It is a well determined fact that 
most cases of squint are due to that optical 
condition of the eye known as hypermetropia 
or over sight, a condition directly opposite to 
that of near sight. We think that the extra 
strain frequently put on the eye in school 
life is the Immediate cause of many a case of 
squint. And when we consider that so many 
cases of squint are neglected, finally causing 
blindness of the deviating eye, it is not a 
slight additional greivance. Besides the op- 
tical troubles mentioned there are many of 
the unclassiflable cases of asthenopia which 
have their cause, or are made worse from 
faulty hygienic conditions in school life. The 
subject then is of sufficient importance to 
warrant this lengthy discussion, and the 
question of remedy should receive our closest 
attention. We have asserted a triple cause 
—poor ventilation, unproperly constructed 
seats and desks and imperfect lighting—to 
which may be added a fourth, improper 
methods of study. In -regard to ventilation, 
a previous report has already shown how de- 
ficient are our schools; the matter of seats, 
&c., is reserved for another report. Our in- 
quiry has not extended into the methods of 
study, so there remain for present considera- 
tion only the subject of lighting. The sub- 
ject divides itself into two topics. A, The 
direction of the sight; and B, The amount 
of light. The first division is sub-divided 
into two: First, What direction should the 
light come in relation to the scholar, i. e., 
from his left or right side; from the back or 
front; and Secondly, the angle that the light 
should fall upon the desk; whether 
low down or high up approaching 
the vertical. Let us consider them in the i 
order proposed. What relation should the I 
direction of the light bear to the scholar? 
We want the,page illumined, and not the eye 
of the scholar; we want it uniformly lighted, 
and not covered with fixed or moving shad- 
ows. These propositions are so evident that 
it is not necessary to discuss them. The 
light then should not come from the front, 
that is indeed the worst direction, and should 
always be condemned. Shadows will be thrown 
upon the page if the light comes from the 
right hand side or from the back; these di- 
rections are therefore objectionable, while 
light from the left is nearly or quite free 
from these objections, and is the one which 
should be bad in all cases if possible. If it Is 
objectionable to have shadow from one direc- 
tion, it is more so to have them in two; and 
cross lights should not be allowed. This 
may seem in many instances to be over care- 
ful. But one must remember that the scholar 
remains hours a day, for weeks in succession, 
using its eyes to a maximum degree, and 
what would be of no moment were it to act 
for an hour, becomes a subject of great im- 
portance under existing circumstances, and 
this thought applies to the whole discussion. 
As to the angle at which the light should 
fall on the desk. Here again the shadows 
cast will be an important factor. The 
smaller they are the better. So the greater 
the angle the better. Light which is paral- 
lel to the desk top or nearly so is of very lit- 
tle or no use, and on account of its liability 
to shine into the eyes of the scholars is apt to 
do harm. Consequently our windows should 
be placed as near the ceiling as possible, and 
should not extend too near the floor. The 
higher the light enters, the more good is ob- 
tained from the reflection of the light from 
the ceiling. Whether skylights would be 
preferable or not is not determined, the bulk 
of the opinion being, however, that high 
lateral light is preferable to tight from above. 
As to the second question, “ how much 
light should be lurulsiiedwe niu-t not be 
guided by what we think to be enough light 
for a dwelling, for then if the day be dark, 
or a tine piece of work to be done, we can 
move closer to the windbw. In schools, how- 
ever, it is different, and a much greater 
amount of light must be provided. We do 
not think, however, with Dr. Herman Cohn, 
of Bresleau, who, in his report on School 
Hygene, at the Baris Exposition of 1878, as- 
serts that a school room cannot be too well 
illuminated, and recommends one square 
meter of window area to one square meter of 
floor space, although he places his minimum 
at his previous standard of one to five. There 
can be an excessive amount of illumination, 
i. an amount that will have to be excluded 
at all times by means of blinds or curtains. 
What relation, then, should the window area 
bear to the floor space ? Dr. Lincoln suggests 
Ito 6; Dr. Cohn, as we have already said, 
Ito 6. Other authorities say 0.200 to 0.223 
square meters of glass to every scholar, 
which would amount to about the same 
thing. Dr. Loring does not think the light 
can be in excess if means are provided to 
subdue it at times. 
In our criticism of the schools of the county 
we took for our standard the following reso- 
lution offered .to the Brooklyn Board of 
Health by the Sanitary Commute?, in June, 
1877. We adopt this because they are the 
results arrived at by careful men, and they 
are conservative rather than the reverse. 
3. Resolved, The situation and area of win- 
dows of every school room hereafter to be 
constructed or provided shall be as follows : 
No window shall be less that three feet six 
inches (1.1 m.) from the floor, exclusive of 
the frame, nor more than ten inches (0.225 m.) 
from the ceiling, including the frame ; and 
the area of the window space, clear of the 
frame, shall not be less than one-sixth or 
more than one fifth of the area of the floor 
space. And with regard to the direction 
from which the light should fall on the pupils, 
the windows and seats of all the class rooms 
shall be arranged, preferably, in the following 
order : first, from the left; second, from the 
back ; and third, from the right. In no case 
shall the windows and desks be so arranged 
or permitted as to allow the light to strike 
the pupils directly in front. 
In our tables we give first the school, then 
in the next column the number of windows, 
then the total area of window space, its ratio 
to the area of floor space, whether this ratio 
is above or below our standard, the direction 
of windows follow, and criticisms upon this 
direction. As all light facing the scholar 
should be excluded, the area of the windows 
In this position are then given. This is fol- 
lowed by the height of the sill, and if the 
windows be too low, the area of window 1.1 
under is stated, these 2.2 areas deducted 
from the total area of window space, give 
the next column or proper area of window 
space, the ratio to the floor space is then 
given and then whether this corrected area 
is above or below normal. The next column 
gives the distance of the top of the windows 
from the ceiling while the last column is de- 
voted to remarks, 
[Here follows the tabular statement of the 
schools of the county whose measurements 
are in the hands of the committee, under the 
above heading. The report then continues 1 
From a careful examination of the above 
statistics, the following tables have been ar- 
ranged. We have separated the schools of 
Easton from the others, because it is a sepa- 
rate school district; we have, however, given 
a column which comprises all the reports 
seat us. The aggregate number varies, be- 
cause in some of the tables we include the 
“class rooms,” in others they are excluded: 
TABLE 1. 
Showing the amount of light furnished the 
schools without making any deduction what- 
ever. 
Rest of the Entire 
Easton. County. County. 
No. Prct. No. Prct. No. Prct 
No. of schools hav- 
ing more tn an ihe 
standard amount 
of light 25 51 25 51,5 50 39 
No. of schools hav- 
ing the standard 
amount 11 22 25 31.5 30 28 
No. of schools hav- 
ing less than the 
standard amount 
of light 13 27 29 37 42 33 
T0ta1...,, 49 79 128 
That is, one-third of the 128 schools and 
class-rooms reported are not provided with 
enough light. 
TABLE 11, 
showing the proportion of schools in which 
there are windows facing the pupils: 
Best of Entire 
Easton. County. County 
No. of schools examined... .35 75 110 
No. of schools having win- 
dows facing the pupils.... 7 31 38 
Per centago 2o 41 31 
There are, in addition, four school rooms 
reported from the county, which have their 
seats arranged around the walls, so that 
some of the scholars have good and others 
poor light. Excluding these, one-third of 
the schools are faulty in the above table. 
table in. 
showing the proportion of school-rooms in 
which there is cross light: 
Rest of Entire 
Easton. County. County 
No. of schools examined....3s 75 110 
No. of schools in which 
there is a cross light 13 48 61 
Per centago 37 64 55 
or more than one-haif not up to our stand- 
ard. 
TABLE IV. 
showing the proportion of schools having 
the sills of the windows sufficiently high: 
Rest of Entire 
Easton. County. County i 
No. of schools examined 35 79 114! 
No. of schools with sills of a 
proper height 22 5 27 
Per centage 63 7 24 
or less than one-quarter of the schools come 
up to the standard in this respect. Quite 
possible the subject was never thought of, 
and these that ate right only happen to be 
so. 
TABLE V. 
showing the amount of light furnished the 
schools after deducting that which enters 
the windows facing tne pupils, and that 
which enters too low: 
Rest of Entire 
Easton. County. County. 
No. Prct. No. Prct. No. Prct 
No. of schools hav- 
ing more than the 
standard amount 
Of light 16 40 9 11.5 25 22 
No. of schools hav- 
ing the standard 
amount of light.. 5 14 22 28.0 27 24 
No. of schools hav- 
ing less than the 
standard amount * 
of light 14 40 48 60.5 62 54 
35 79 114 
Or more than one-half of the schools re- 
ported have not a sufficient amount of proper 
light. 
TABLE VI. 
Showing the proportion of windows whose 
tops are near enough the ceiling. 
Rest of Entire 
Easton. County, County. 
No. of schools examined....36 79 114 
No. of schools whose win- 
dows are high enough.... 6 9 15 
Percentage 17 11.4 13 
Evidently this was not taken into consid- 
eration at all in the erection of the buildings. 
An examination of the statistics also show 
that there is not a single school room of the 
114 which does fail in some of the conditions 
that were formulated as our standard. Some 
indeed very slightly, and in a manner that 
can be easily remedied; but we are unable to 
point to one of them as a model. 
We desire to call attention to the following 
school rooms as especially bad: 
Easton-First Ward--The Grammar Schools, 
These are situated in the third story of the 
school building at the corner of Fourth and 
Ferry streets. In order to obtain additional 
light there are glass partitions between the 
school room and the class room. As a 
method of lighting this is always objection- 
able. {But even supposing all the light which 
enters the class room came into tne school 
room, which is impossible, the total amount of 
light is still too small, while the proportion of 
proper window area supplies to the floor 
space is only 1 to 18.4, or not quite one-third 
what it should be. 
Easton—Sixth Ward, primary, 1, 8., is in- 
sufficiently lighted and should be condemned. 
South Bethlehem—All the schools reported 
from this place are, without exception, 
poorly lighted. 
Bath—The secondary school has a propor- 
tion of 1 to 13.8 and the primary of 1 to 21,2 
instead of 1 to 3 or 6, 
in Lower Nazareth, the Hecktown school 
and in Plainfield, Teel’s school are like- 
wise insufficiently lighted. 
In Palmer Township the Lincoln, Fre- 
mont, Polk and Franklin schools have the 
seats arranged around the sides of the room 
facing the walls. In this arrangement quite 
a number of the scholars will receive their 
light in an improper direction, and we think 
these schools too should be condemned. 
We confess that we are surprised at the re- 
sult of our investigation, being much worse 
than we anticipated even while we were ar- 
ranging the statistics, and the question 
arises, What can be done to improve the con- 
dition of our schools in this respect? 
As the question will come up again as a 
conclusion to the whole series of reports, but 
one or two suggestions will be made. There 
is evidently a lack of knowledge upon the 
subject, and some means should be taken to 
impart the desired information. A care- 
fully prepared lecture or two at the Teachers’ 
Institute might give the proper ideas, and so 
insure that the school rooms constructed 
hereafter shall be perfect in this respect. 
Those persons whose eyes are in any way 
abnormal should have seats given to them ia 
school which will be least liable to injure 
their eyes. When the time comes that every 
child entering our schools will be examined i 
by a competent physician, and their place in 
the school room determined by their physi- 
cal condition, especially of their ability to < 
see and hear, this scheme will become prac- 
ticable. Until that time everyone who sus- 1 
pects their school children patients to have t 
faulty vision, should accompany the child 
and request the teacher to place it in the 
proper place in the school room. j 
[Should anyone desire to know the re- 
ported condition of any one school, they can 1 
obtain the information by addressing a letter t 
to the Secretary of the Northampton Medical 
Society, Easton Fa., enclosing a stamp to 
pay return postage ] ( 
SUPPLEMENT TO THE REPORT ON VENTILA- , 
TION OP THE COMMITTEE ON SCHOOL HY- , 
GIENE. 
Since our report on ventilation there has i 
been a change made in the academy building ] 
in the Sixth Ward, of Easton. It seems that , 
the second floor is insufficiently heated while 1 
there is an excessive amount of heat on the 
first floor. To equalize this, a hole 0,504 M. 
by 0,338 M. has been cut through the ceiling ] 
and lined with tin, so that the excess of heat j 
can pass from the lower room to the upper. 
We have no doubt that it will be an effectual s 
method of equalizing the temperatures, since I 
the difference of a single degree between the { 
temperature of the lower room and that of t 
the upper (and there must beat least that * 
much or it could not be perceived by the j 
senses) will cause quite a current of warm r 
air to ascend. But when we inquire into the j 
composition of the air, we do not find so 
much to commend. When we remember J 
that the means of ventilation in that build- i 
ing is very deficient, and that the openings 
of the ventilating flues are near to the floor, 
it is easily seen that the impure air from the i 
lungs of the children in the school below will t 
have an avenue of escape through the open- 
ing into the room above before it has time to 8 
diffuse itself. Consequently the room above £ 
will be vitiated by the foul air of its own 
production not only but by that of the school . 
below as well. Perhaps in full justice it s 
should be said that we understand that the £ 
original plan contemplated carrying a pipe 
of the size of the opening up through the j 
upper room to within three feet of the ceil- 
ing. Had this plan been carried out there 
would have been another example of entire ? 
ignorance of the very first principles of the L 
laws of nature, hiding itself under compli- 
cated appliances, for as soon as the foul i) 
air enters the room it will be- 
gin to diffuse itself and if there a 
is no means of carrying it off in a current, s( 
will, in a very short time, be equally distrib- ei 
uted throughout the room. The whole ar- 0 
rangement we must denounce as a piece of p 
criminal carelessness ; for when such death 
traps are made it will not do to mince words. 
And should there happen, among the schol- 
ars of these schools, any cases of the pre- 
ventable diseases, resulting fatally, those who de 
have the responsibility in this are morally 
guilty of the murder of these children, with- to 
out the cause can be clearly traced to some (ji 
other source, and even then we think they 0f 
would be accessories to the act by debitita- at 
ting the children with the poisoned air and ah 
thus hindering their recovery. Ac 
Tun' T?-*’'