osture rests, however, on the individual
and not on the chair.

[Sidenote: Sitting]

In sitting at a desk or table, when reading or working, the common fault
is to adopt a sprawling attitude, with the shoulders hunched up, the
elbows stretched outward, the body too far away from the desk or table,
and the weight resting on the buttocks. Very often the desk or table is
too high and the arms can not rest easily upon it, thus causing a
continuous strain on the structures around the shoulder-joints.

To correct this fault, use if possible a chair with a back that curves
forward. Sit well back in the chair, but close to the desk, so that the
fleshy inner part of the forearms may rest easily upon its surface
without pushing up the shoulders.

When it is necessary to lean over a desk, acquire the habit of inclining
the body forward by bending at the hips and not by distorting the
chest.

The arms should hang easily from the shoulder and the elbows should not
rest upon the table. The shoulders should be evenly square, as in the
correct standing posture. In right-handed people, the light should fall
over the left shoulder or directly from above. The body should rest upon
the full length of the thighs, not solely on the buttocks, and the feet
(not legs) be crossed and resting lightly on the ground on their outer
edges. In other words, the position should be freed from strain,
especially strain of special groups of muscles.

Pains, erroneously ascribed to rheumatism or sciatica, are often due to
faulty posture. Writer's cramp and many other needless miseries are
caused by neglect to develop proper postural habits in working or
reading.

[Sidenote: Posture in Children]

In children faulty posture may mar the future of the individual by
causing spinal curvature and physical deformities that interfere with
physical and mental efficiency throughout life, and often lower the
resistance to disease. Deep breathing through the nose and "setting up"
exercises are of incalculable importance in such cases.

The various types of faulty posture are so numerous that they can not be
listed here. Having once grasped the meaning of correct posture,
however, we can form a standard for ourselves, and any departure from
this standard should be looked upon as a menace to health. As in the
case of eye-strain, flat foot, work, worry, and drink, much depends on
the original physical and mental endowment of the individual as to how
much harm r