Nervous Children.—A report on the health of the school children in
one of our large cities shows that one third of the children in those schools
have some disorder of the nerves. Nervousness (weakened control of
the nerves) may show itself by sluggishness of mind, great irritability of temper, frequent spells of the "blues," or by involuntary movements
of a jerky or fidgety kind. Sound development of city children's nerves
is hindered because of the constant noise in cities both day and night;
by shortening of the hours of sleep; by excessive use of sugar for food;
by living much among people with no chance to be alone and let the nerves rest, and among boys by the use of cigarettes.
How to Prevent the School from injuring Children.—(1) Ventilation is of first importance. Breathing the breath of fifty other children does far more harm than overstudy. (2) The time devoted to work should not be long, especially in the lower grades (no study out of school). (3) The work should be diversified; not only printed words, but pictures, natural objects, and the out-*door world should be studied. (4) The teacher and parent should see that the habitual poise of the child is favorable to health. (5) The children should be encouraged to play. Running games at recess are of the greatest value, and are as indispensable to the health of a boy or girl as of a colt. (6) Physical exercise should be provided at short intervals between lessons, especially stretching exercises and movements that straighten the spine and hips and elevate the chest.
The Effect of Alcohol upon Nerve Function.—In attacking the nerve centers, alcohol begins with the cerebrum, the highest, and proceeds toward the lowest. Hence as a man becomes drunk he first talks foolishly (cerebrum affected), then he staggers (cerebellum affected), and he finally goes to sleep and breathes very hard (medulla affected) in a drunken stupor. It rarely happens that the breathing center is completely disabled and the man dies from the strong poison. The greatest evil of alcohol is
