off all the foul matter possible. It is astonishing how indifferent to such matters some teachers become. They live every day in rooms that never have a sweep of air through them, rooms whose walls and desks are reeking with the foul matter that has been thrown off from lungs and bodies and clothing, making these rooms dens of uncleanness, bringing their pupils into forbearance with uncleanness and guilty carelessness, the whole being saturated each day with uncleanness. It ought to be required of every teacher that at least once during each session, after the cold weather has set in that requires doors and windows to be closed, perhaps once every hour, the pupils should be made to leave their seats and move around the room, and every door and window be thrown open for a few minutes. It would not chill the room, as walls and floor and desks are all heated, and on the closing of the windows and doors the temperature would soon be

restored.

V. Desks soon become very dirty. Hands are necessarily placed on them, hands that are moist, and the dust with the moisture soon forms a coating that a dust-brush or dry cloth will not remove. The heads of the pupils are not very far from the surface of the desks, especially when they are studying and the process of expiration is throwing out used-up matter on these desks, and the process of inspiration is taking in air that has come in contact with these desks, or that has been affected with the insensible exhalations from them, and thus the air that is inhaled is to some degree poisoned. It would be well to have the desks washed with soap and warm water once a week, at all events once every month.

If any one needs convincing of such a requirement, let him examine the desks in any school room after a month's use, and he will easily see that purification by soap and water is a very necessary thing. If he is unable by inspection to see the impurity of the desks, let him try a little warm, clean water and soap, and then inspect the character of the water and see whether the desk did not need cleansing. Attention to such matters as these will produce a very excellent effect upon the pupils. It will lead them to see the value and beauty of cleanliness, and cultivate in them unconsciously a love for the clean, and an abhorrence for the unclean, that will cause them to take better care of their own persons.

VI. In our school law there is no special enactment of the duties of trustees in the matter of sanitary regulations, but full power

is

given them to make all rules and regulations for the good of the schools. The thirty-ninth section, second subsection, says: "They shall have power, and it shall be their duty, to make and enforce rules and regulations not in conflict with the general regulations of the State Board of Education for the government of schools, pupils and teachers." This is very comprehensive and is really adequate for all purposes. Under this, rules can be made requiring attention to all sanitary matters. While trustees cannot determine the size of the school house, or, perhaps, the character of the desks, at least in country districts, they can determine how many shall be admitted to the room, and say to the teacher, when so many pupils have been registered, "You must refuse to admit any more." They can require that all pupils shall present themselves in a cleanly condition, and, if they do not, they can refuse them admittance. They can order that no children coming from families where there are contagious diseases, shall be permitted to attend the school.

In Gloucester township, Camden county, the following rules were adopted several years ago, and have worked well:

"Cleanliness in person and neatness in attire are expected from all. A violation of this rule will cause the pupil to be sent home to have the fault remedied.

"No pupil known to be affected with a contagious disease, or coming from a family in which a contagious disease is, shall be allowed

in school."

While full authority is conferred upon trustees by the provisions of the law, there are many of them ignorant of the evils of uncleanliness and the danger arising from contagion. They have never given any attention to laws of health, and some of them cousider the studies. of physiology and hygiene as absolutely unnecessary. Indeed, from the condition of some of the school houses and outhouses one is almost led to believe that some of them consider uncleanliness as promotive. of health. After the close of school, in May or June, the school houses are sometimes allowed to remain in their dirty condition all through the summer vacation, and when the teachers enter the houses in the autumn, they find that they are not in a fit condition to receive them or the pupils. The outhouses have also been neglected. The trustees give as their excuse that they have not had time to attend to such things. What shall be done in such cases? It is now left to the discretion and good judgment of trustees as to whether such matters shall be attended to or not. It does seem as though rules and

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regulations should be drawn up, by some body having competent authority, for the government and guidance of boards of trustees, rules and regulations in which specific directions shall be given in regard to these all-important matters.

VII. It seems to me that in this and some other respects there is too great a limitation of the authority of the teacher. The teacher ought to be the supreme authority in the school room, and held responsible only for the abuse of that authority. To put one in charge of from twenty to sixty boys and girls and require him to keep them in order, to teach them, not only secular knowledge, but manners and morals, and then tie his hands, is putting him at a great disadvantage. In this matter of cleanliness, I doubt whether a teacher has any authority to send a child home to be cleansed unless a rule is first passed by the board of trustees giving him that authority. He may assume it and require every child to present himself in a cleanly condition, and if any child should attempt to enter the room without having complied with his rule, he might send him home; but, as I said before, it is doubtful whether he has any right to do so. The right to make rules and regulations for the government of pupils is committed to trustees, and yet the very necessities of the case require that the teacher shall have full control in all these matters. It is doubtful whether a teacher has a right to exclude a pupil that comes from a family where a contagious disease exists, unless a rule is first made by the board of trustees. I think that in everything pertaining to the sanitary condition of the school room, to the proper cleanly condition of pupils, the teachers ought to have full control. Especially does it seem right in these days when nearly all our teachers are intelligent men and women. With very few exceptions they have all been taught the subjects of physiology and hygiene, at least so far that they are acquainted with the great general laws of life and health. I think it is not casting any reflection upon members of boards of trustees, either in city or country, to say that teachers are better fitted to judge in these matters than trustees are, for the very reason that the majority of trustees have never paid any attention to such matters and are not called to attend to them every day. This is part of the teacher's daily work, and there is not an hour in the day when something connected with the sanitary condition of the school room, or of the pupils, does not present itself. I am aware that teachers are liable to bring censure upon themselves if they carry out what they believe to be

necessary for the health of the children, in requiring them to present themselves in a cleanly condition, and in preventing their entrance if they are not in that condition, or if they refuse admittance to children coming from families where there are contagious diseases. We are all apt to be found fault with if we attempt to perform duties that necessarily spring out of our positions, and yet our responsibility requires that we have the power to meet that responsibility.

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VIII. The State Board of Education of this State have power to prescribe and cause to be enforced all rules and regulations necessary for carrying into effect the school laws of this State. Whether this gives them power to prescribe size of buildings, site of buildings, seating accommodation, character of seats, sanitary regulations for the government of trustees, teachers and pupils, may be a matter of dispute. My own opinion is that it does. General rules for the ment of all schools, coming from this highest school authority, would be treated with great respect. Already a rule has been made that County superintendents shall note the condition of school houses and outbuildings. This is in accordance with the section of the school law that requires each county superintendent to report to the State superintendent any and all facts within his purview which touch and describe the location and capacity of each school healthfully to accommodate the pupils in attendance, to the end that]a full observation may be deduced, favorable or otherwise, as to an ample supply of sittings, suitability of conveniences, eligibility of position, attention to ventilation, and as to all such other pertinent subjects as may clearly and fully exhibit the sanitary condition of the public schools under his official inspection. This gives no authority to the county superintendent to determine anything in these matters. All that he is empowered to do is to inspect and report. But if the law requires that these matters be reported, by inference, at least, it gives the power to the body to which the report is made to make rules and regulations with regard to the matter reported. Then if rules should be made by the State Board of Education determining what is healthful accommodation and what is detrimental to this healthful condition, it would become the duty of the county superintendent to see that such rules were observed.

It seems to me, then, that under our present law we have the means for protecting the children in our schools from anything that may

prove injurious to health, although the local authorities that have the power seldom use it.

Let me now put in brief the points made:

1. A crowded condition of school rooms makes the danger from uncleanliness greater.

2. At least an average floor space of fifteen square feet should be allowed to each pupil.

3. When the number allowed by this limit is reached, no more pupils should be admitted to the room.

4. There ought to be a separate seat for each pupil.

5. The room ought to have a regular air bath once every hour during the day, every door and window being thrown open for two or three minutes.

6. The surface of desks should be washed every week with soap and warm water; at least once a month.

7. Trustees have the power to make rules for the government of schools in sanitary matters, but they frequently forget to make them. 8. Teachers have not the authority. It would be well if they had larger powers in these matters. They ought to have the power to send any child home that presents himself in an uncleanly condition, or that comes from a family where a contagious disease exists.

9. As many trustees are ignorant of laws of health, or careless in making rules for the protection of the health of the pupils, it would be well for the State Board of Education to make such rules. If that authority is not invested in the State Board of Education, then it would be well for the State Board of Health to make them.