Washington Standard

More Light at Home.

Dr. Spaulding, of the Maine Medical Society, says: What I desire chiefly to emphasize is the fact that in spite of improved light in our schools, defective vision is still on the increase in young people. Not only have I noticed this particular point myself, but other observers and latest Dr. Jast of Zittau, in Saxony, have confirmed it. In 1866, the Germans began to build their model school-houses, with perfect lighting for one thing. In 1871 one was built in Zittau, and every one hoped that now defective vision would begin to diminish proportionally. Instead of this, Dr. Jast's examinations in 1879 showed just the same percentage of short sight, etc., among the model school children, as had been discovered fifteen years before among those attending poorly-lighted schools. Dr. Spaulding lays the blame in part to the poor lighting of rooms at home during the long winter nights. A few evenings ago, he says, I had occasion to call at the house of a friend, an exceedingly well-read and thoughtful man. To my amazement I saw his two children poring over very closely printed books, while the only light in the room was a flickering gas flame, at least ten feet away from the books, most of the light being reflected to the ceiling by a ground-glass shade. This is by no means a rare case; probably one half our school children read by equally poor light.