who have to earn their living among those who have five; and with a little care and attention in youth, they will do it. But they want not charity, in its common sense; it is not charity indeed to throw a dollar into the hat of a blind beggar, if other means can keep him from becoming one; it is not charity to build for him almshouses and places of refuge, if means exist by which he can be kept from them. The utility of institutions for the education of the blind, which shall prepare them to take care of themselves, has been too clearly shown both in Europe and in this country to need any demonstration here; and we shall merely make an estimate of the number requisite for the wants of our blind.

Of the 5,500 blind in the United States it will be found that nine tenths are born of indigent parents. Perhaps, indeed, we put the proportion too low; for the poor are more liable to those accidents which cause blindness; they do not have that immediate medical assistance which in diseases of the eyes of infants can alone be of any avail; and then, when blindness has once become hereditary in any family, it will soon become poor. There are 5,000 blind, then, who are unable to provide themselves with an education: the next question is, how many of these are of an age to be benefited by education. We have remarked that very few are born absolutely blind; a very large proportion, however, become so in infancy ;fewer during childhood and youth, except from accidents; and a few lose their sight during manhood. Old age dims the vision often, but seldom destroys it entirely. Among 777 blind in New England, 52 are over the age of 50 years: and we may calculate from this that certainly one fourth of the blind will be under 30 years of age, until when, they may be advantageously instructed in various subjects and taught handicraft works. To be within bounds, however, let us suppose that only 1000 out of the 5,500 blind in the United States, are of an age for instruction, and let us see what provision should be made for them; for as yet there are not 60 under instruction in Institutions designed for them, and 30 of these are in the Institution in Boston.

An Institution well regulated may accommodate 150 inmates — it is to be hoped the New England Institution will do this, and that no other will be needed for this section of the country. The New York Institution is now organized, and will doubtless suffice for that region; and another is going into operation in Philadelphia. In order to provide for the blind in the South and West, there should be a fourth in Richmond, a fifth in the extreme Southern States, a sixth in the South Western, and a seventh in the Western States. Then, and not till then, will the inhabitants of this country have discharged their duty to the blind.

For a full view of this subject, we refer to the July No. of the North American Review, for 1833.

ART. VII-PRIMARY SCHOOLS OF BOSTON.

Report of the Primary School Committee on Improvements. October, 1833. Boston: J. H. Eastburn, City Printer.

THE Primary Schools of Boston contain about 4000 children, ' embracing,' in the language of the Committee, a large proportion of all those in the city, between the ages of four and seven; by which the whole population becomes interested in the subject.' They are designed to teach spelling, reading, and the elements of arithmetic, in order to prepare the children for the English Grammar Schools,' in which a complete knowledge is given of the ordinary branches of common school instruction. In the Primary Schools, therefore, is laid the foundation of all the education given to the mass of our citizens; and on the health and knowledge and habits here acquired, depends in a great measure, the future happiness or misery, the useful or injurious influence, of those who constitute the families, and elect the government, and control the laws of our city. These schools are under the direction of a general Committee on Primary Schools,' divided into District Committees, assigned to the several districts, one member of which takes charge of each school. Repeated and urgent demands for improvement in these schools have been made by members of the Committee and others; but have often been resisted. In June last, a sub-committee was appointed On Improvements, whether any and what, as regards physical education, means of instruction, and books for study in the Primary Schools.' The sub-committee having had the several subjects under consideration,' presented a report on the 1st October, which was accepted, and returned to them to be prepared for publication. The pamphlet before us is the result. From the mature deliberations of a select school committee, in a city peculiarly celebrated for its intellectual character and its improvements in education, our readers will natu rally expect much; and the frequent inquiries addressed to us for some account of the Boston schools,' satisfy us that our distant friends will be much interested to learn their conclusions.

In examining the report, we are highly gratified to find the Committee decided, in urging the necessity of providing suitable rooms for the accommodation of these schools, at the public expense. With some persons, we are aware, that economy would have more influence than any argument which could be urged on the score of the health, or improvement, or safety of the children of our citizens. It is encouraging to find that there is no fear of irritating the 'pocket nerve' of the people; and that some appropriations are already made for this purpose on the grounds stated by the Committee, that the interest on the money which it will cost to provide suitable buildings for the purpose, will not exceed what is now paid in rent.' We cannot but hope, therefore, that the proper authorities will be justified in listening to the urgent recommendation of the sub committee, when they

are compelled to state, that a very large number of the rooms now in use are badly situated, and too small either for the health, or comfort, or proper education, of the rising generation.' What a statement this, to be presented to the world, concerning the schools of the children of Boston! But we rejoice that it is made; and we are gratified in being able, from inquiries, begun before we were aware of their views, to confirm, in detail, the account of the sub-committee, and to press upon the public the importance of the measure they propose. We are the more gratified, because we are well assured of the great and persevering efforts made by the district committees, to obtain suitable rooms in private buildings, and of the pleasure they would feel, in being relieved from this improper and heavy tax upon their gratuitous office.

The recesses or periods of relaxation, during school hours, recommended by the Committee, are not less important to the well being, and even the improvement of the children, and we earnestly hope they will be required, and the exercises proposed be practised, in every school.

Our attention was called to this subject by the remark of a gentleman, familiar with our prisons, that the children of the city of Boston were, in many cases, confined for the day, in rooms so unsuitable and unhealthy, that they would not be assigned to the convicts of our penitentiaries. A subsequent conversation with Dr J. D. Fisher, whose experience in the School Committee had excited a strong interest on this subject, led to a joint resolution, that we would ascertain facts precisely, and make them known. The result of our inquiries will be found in the following letter, addressed to Moses Grant, Esq, the Chairman of the Primary School Committee.

TO MOSES GRANT, ESQ.

DEAR SIR; The imperfect provisions made for school rooms for our primary schools, and the persevering but fruitless efforts of the district committees to secure better accommodations, has long been a source of deep regret to one of us, for some time, on the Committee. We believed that we could not render a more acceptable service to the committees, or to the children of our city, than by ascertaining by inspection and measurement, the size and state of primary school rooms, and thus presenting facts, which have been stated so generally as to gain, apparently, but partial credence. We have spent some days in ascertaining the condition, on these points, of every primary school, with the exception of those in South Boston, and avail ourselves of your permission, to communicate to you the results.

We ought to say, that we commenced our examination with the conviction, founded on the experience of physicians and boards of health, and observing teachers, that impure air, and that which is exhausted by too long breathing, impairs at every breath the purity of the blood, and thus, with every pulsation of the heart, sends an unhealthy circulation to every limb and organ of the body, which tends to enfeeble and disorder, instead of invigorating, the whole

system. We are satisfied on the same evidence, that confinement to one position, for a long time, especially, on a seat without support, in the early period of childhood, not only enfeebles the limbs and checks the growth, but also interrupts the operations, and affects the vigor of almost every organ, and often lays the foundation for permanent debility and disease.

We know of no mode of guarding against these evils in our schools but by providing for them large rooms, with proper means for ventilation at all seasons; by allowing them a recess of not less than half an hour in three, for relaxation of body as well as mind; and furnishing a suitable yard, or play-ground, of sufficient size to permit the free movement of the children in the open air during this period. We have regretted to find, as will appear from details annexed, that in most of our schools, no one of these points is fully secured; and in many, all are neglected.

We would premise, that our own views of school rooms, correspond with those expressed by the Prussian government, as found in the Edinburgh Review for July, 1833, and in a document on this subject, published under the authority of the American Institute of Instruction,' in 1832,* from a careful examination of the best authors on this subject. In the latter, it is stated, that the smallest dimensions of a room for thirty pupils, should be 22 feet by 20; of one for fifty pupils, 30 by 25; and of one for seventy pupils, 35 by 80, — a liberal allowance would require one third more. This first plan gives to each pupil, 15 square feet, in a room 10 feet high; and by allowing less than this to each child, we hazard his health and constitution.' We would merely add, that in two Infant Schools, sustained by private benevolence, we found a space 24 feet by 52, assigned to seventyfive or one hundred pupils, from eighteen months to six years old; and a room 27.5 by 19, with an adjoining room of 17 by 12, to fifty or sixty pupils, making a space of 12 square feet for each child. In view of these statements, we beg your attention to the inclosed table. [We can only insert an extract from this table, which will show the condition of one district selected at random - EDITOR.]

No one of these schools, except No. 6, which is kept in the vestry of a church, has a place for exercise for the children. No one has

any regular ventilation, except by the small air door of a close stove. No. 7 and 8 are in the third story of a warehouse; No. 3 and 5 in the second story, with noisy mechanics' shops above and below them. No. 1, in District III, has but 8 square feet to each pupil; and No. 6, District V, but 2 square feet to each!

Opposite the number of each school, the columns present its dimen. sions, number of pupils, space for ventilation, apparent state of the air, number of recesses, and provision for play ground.

Where the ventilation is designated by a cypher, the only place of escape for air was by the small air door of a close stove. In order to describe the state of the air, as it appeared to us, we employed figures; as 1 to designate a pure air, and 4 to indicate that which rendered breathing oppressive, and was, at the same time, nauseating; but we omit these numbers, as being mere estimates. We have indicated by figures the number of recesses. We have found in most cases no place in the open air, connected with the school, which would permit even a dozen children to play in peace or safety. In these cases, we have marked o in the column for the play ground. Where this is not inserted, we have rarely found any which was large enough to allow the free movements of half the school, the least number which could be dismissed at once for this purpose, without too frequent disturbance of the studies of others. In those cases

where the height of the rooms is not mentioned, it was usually from 8 to 9 feet. Our examination was made with all the care which a brief visit would allow; and while we cannot hope to have escaped error entirely, we can vouch for the general correctness of the results.

Assuming the lowest standard in the document of the Institute, it will be seen by the table, that the schools which have most influence in forming the constitution of the children of this city, in most instances, do not allow one half the smallest space, which is considered safe! And it appears also, from the report of the sub-committee, that the city are thus prodigal of the health and life of its children, without any economy in regard to the support of these schools.

The exceptions to this statement with reference to size, are, in many instances, to be found in rooms half sunk in the ground, sometimes below the level of a pond, or the tide near them — and thus extremely liable to dampness, and to the stagnation of air. In one of these, the teacher informed us, colds were frequently produced by its dampness, even in visitors; and that it was sometimes so dark as to render it impossible to read, at half past two o'clock. There are, however, some rooms, particularly those vestries of churches which are above ground, in which we found the air perfectly pure. But in these cases, the peculiar arrangement of benches renders them unsuitable for school rooms, and the height of the seats is of course painful to the children. On the other hand, there were not a few rooms in which we found the air oppressive and nauseating to a degree which rendered it scarcely tolerable, during the few minutes necessary to ascertain the facts we state.