St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1883-07-13
How 10 Protect schools from
UncIcanIineSS and from Con-
tagiOUS Diseases.

| The present Puhllc SchOol system Ol
cur various states involves the most
Fundamental! questions that have to dc
with human life and health. Man shall
not live by brain alone or, if he
could. must have Il body to exercise it
Physical care as well as physical train
! inc and culture. are of the first import
ance. Not only has not the proper
curriculum of physical instruction been
reached. but our schools actually i'll
iiict many evils on the rising genera
| ton. They are too often the actual
prOmotiVeS of uncleanlincSS. That
| IIollandish habit, by which, in the
| best large or common school. Il matroI
meets each scholar at the door. to sec
| whether there is ncatucSS IN body and
apparel has something to do with the
proverbial Dutch neatncSs and clcanlI-
ness. The wash basin and towel
should he accessible to all. Chinese
paper towels are cheap and handy
The tendency of the American school
room is to overlook what is best known
rs good housekeeping. \ ianit"l
makes the fire and sweeps the room oI
Saturday. or, perhaps. Oftrnrr but
many Il schoOl-room does not get that
! tlsillN Sweeping anu bllNllHS VI s'i III
ttue and airin" which are So requisite
1t requires wise use of the broom and
the dust-brush, to get into every cor
ner. under the desks and about the
seats. The crowded condition o
~chool-rooms and the habit of putting
two or three i'll one seat adds t" the I'M
cleanliness. Children, with SoileC
hands and often with soilcd clothes
not only mar, but make mclcan the
furniture. There is no kind of wood
work that so often needs to he waShrt
with soap and warm water us Schoo
furniture and the school-room vain
| Scoting Instead of the mere sweep
ing, many IL Saturday should bc Spcn
in thorough washing and wiping of nj
the woodwork of the school room auG
such duSting or cleansing of the WALL
Us is desirable. In our crowded city
schools, the walls and ceiling Shoul'
have whitcwaSh, ut least, each month
1t will not do to leave them To mcrcl.
the cleansing of the summer vacation
Few men are capable of this kind q
house care. While the general over
sight of cellar, basement, and out-doo
surroundings may he left to men, tin
best housewife care should bC prOVId
ed for the school dwelling apartments
As to closet accommodations, too Oftc
o the cloak-rOom is an III aired dar
. closet, where, TO" "ltrh ualhp ana "I'
kcmpt clothing Is lrlt hanging an
badly aired all the day. III Is pul'
? beneath the dignity OF trustees ana G
u some teachers to know what may II
the state OF the "ut-clnSetS: h'
H.. -,
there is IL radical reform III the actui
} cleanliness of school buildings an
their surroundings, we despair
cleanliness as marked and domlnai
trait of American character.
" CONTAGIOUS DISEASES IN School
# Next in import to this general pr,
] motion of cleanliness. and so of hcaltI
is the question of how to guard I'll
schools fIOm becoming the vehicles
nron1uators of those contagious Iii,
eases which. besides heing nourisht
bv filth. may often occur from the di
srmiuatiou of "A specific poison. eve
where cleanliness is promoted al
pf where the result is Il consequent of Il
IL ordinary ,ss.mLlorr of children. IT
=, matter which is one for serious il
U" uuiry ON the part of teachers. of phy :
,.i,ns and of parents. We know of
- school in which if is claimed that IL
biUh rewards for punctuality have
;ndnc.d children to attend when ha
.;cL mr. when there WIS communicah
Iis.,sn in bonrs rs to have made Il
> school 4 notable occasion of the sprc;
nf enidrnics How shall the neccssa
irform,tion he obtained ? The teac
nr M, trnstec. saws he cannot be e
nrcted to he n discoyerer of disease,
to know tbe condition of the family
home. The family phvsician raises t
y nuestion whether if is his duty to I
, nort every ease of contarious diSea
in his nroctice. or whether his o,
Indictment shall hc thc uuide. Ma
hoards of health claim that. unless t
nj. ia r.no,+ j. iuue,,tive the Ia,
,.z;st,,,c, of su,I disa,ses c,nuot
. traced ar conta@iou isolated. Parer
,ra sLv tn ,rivr nubIiritv to any Ioc;
ized disease in tbe family. rs it Oft
> rr,,ts on tbeir busiuess or their co
fort We see no way eXcept to
Vi I,cL of nr.iudices and seIf-interest
tho r.,I moral mr. ethical views. y
IKE tIinl - Close examination of this vi
res will show that the proper authoritie.
rss Is ? boards of health or trustees -ha
arm Il right to know home conditions
" IL 4