HEALTH COLUMN.

Otago Witness, Issue 2396, 1 February 1900, Page 58

HEALTH COLUMN.

The Defective Eyesight of School (.iiiulreii.

Defective eysight among school children has been and still is a subject of much concern. The abnormal condition, largely in excess of all others, as shown by statistical reports in general, is myopia, or shortsightedness. In his report of investigations of the subject more ihan 30 years ago, Gohu (observed Dr A. (i. Field in a paper re?d recently before the American Association for the Advancement of Science) snows after examining "the eyes of 10,000 school children that there were in the elementary departments about 2 per cent, with defective vision from this cause; in the intermediate departments about 8 per cent. ; in the high school 15 per cent. ; and in the gymnasium 26 per cent. More recent/ statistics show an increase since thai time of fiom 25 to 50 per cent, in the higher Geiman school's.

While Germany leads the world in the in-ten.-ity and persistence of school life, she i'lso leads it in the percentage of myopics. Statistics show that the same conditions prevail in every other educational country in very lierr proportion to the devotion to school work. The causes assigned are : F;rst, "bad"' light; .second, bud air; third, inheritance ; fourth, unnatural position ; fifth,' using the eyes during partial congestion of the blood vessels of the brain ; sixth, general debility; seventh, using the eves upon fine print, or in too near proximity. These cau-.es are all more or less amenable to icmedies.i and it is fair to assume that the suggestions have been adopted in the sanitary management of schools.

(John placed as first in the list of causes " bad," meaning dim, light, and the same prominence' has been given to this cause by mobt writers and teachers down to the present time. He recommended the construction of school houses with one square foot of glass area to every 2ft of floor space. Modern school houses are constructed with a view to flooding them with light. Such provisions should all be utilised on dark days. Bilt the flood of light on bright days is responsible, associated as it is with near vision, for the prevalence and increase of myopia. With the better provisions for lighting modem school houses the care and responsibility of properly regulating the light increase.

Cause and Cure of Bed Sores. — The danger of bed sores is not altrays in propoition to the carelessness of the nurse; the condition of the patient often has more to do with it. Bed-sores attack first the skin over the hard prominences at the end of the spine, the hip-bones, the knees, the elbows, and heels. As has been hinted, the predisposing cause is debility, either from continued fever, as typhoid, or from paralysis and old a^e ; but continued pressure, unclean bedding, and the untidy habits of the nurse are sometimes the immediate occasion of the difficulty. The first appearance of a bed-sore is to ba noticed in the increased redness of the skin at some point in the places mentioned. Soon a blister forms and the pkin breaks away, leaving the surface raw and moist. Decomposition sets in very quickly it these .symptoms are neglected, and the blister becomes a rancid, open sore. The outcome of the disease depends upon the general condition of the patient, and the removal or non-removal of the cause of the trouble. If there is much debility, tonic treatment should be begun at once, while the various points on the surface of the body which are likely to become involved should be rubbed twice a day at least, say Tor five or ten minutes, with some stimulating, hardening mixture like spirits "" of camphor, or a mixture of equal parts of olive oil and brandy. A good liniment is simple alcohol or bay rum' weakened, if necessary, with water. The skin should not be irritated by the application, but simply cleansed and hardened. The prominences of bone may be covered with sur-geon-plaster, provided there is no excessive sweating of the body. When a blister forms, the part should be immediately relieved of pressure by air-cushions or hair pillows. Oollodion should be applied, andthe parts kept absolutely dry. If the blister goes on to an open sore, use poultices until an opening is made and the matter is all discharged. Afterward use stimulating, cleansing washes like borax-water or carbolic aqid. Peruvian balsam on a bit of cotton wool is an excellent remedy at this stage. Preventive measures, which should always be taken in cases of threatened bed-sores, comprise careful nursing, dry, smooth draw-sheets, water-beds or cushions, and frequent change of position. In particular, the under-sheet and night robe should be kept dry, clean, and binooth.

— The London and North-Western Railway spends £92 to get £100 from firsts, the Great Northern Railway £94, and the Brighton Railway £76.. To get £100 from thirds, these companies respectively spend only £42, £53, and £30.

Advice to Mothers ! — Are you 'broken in your rest by a sick child suffering with the pain of cutting teeth ? Go at once to a chemiai and get a bottle of Mrs Winslow's Soothing Si'BUP. It will relieve the poor titfferer immediately. It is perfectly harmless, and pleasant to the taste; it produces natural, quiet sleep by relieving the child from pain, and the littla cherub awakes "as bright as a button." It soclhcs the child, it softens the gums, nllaya | all pain, relieves wind, regulates the bowsls, and is the best known remedy for dysentery; and diarrhoea, whether arising from teething or other causes. Mrs Winslow's Soothing Syrup is sold by medicine dealers everywhere at Is 3id