The evening times., 1899-12-26
Dental InspectiOn in the Schools.

/ Dental InspectiOn in the Schools.
A writer in THE Dentist" an English
publication, has raised an alarm about the
decadence of the English people in the
matter of teeth. He thinks that it would
/ be good thing to have dental inspection
regularly id the public schools, by skilled
| dentists. Should this be done. there are
| certainly some enterprising people IN
| this country who would advocate similar
I measures in American schools.
| Undoubtedly. such an arrangement might
! be productive OF some good. especially 10
the dentists. The. tooth carpenters fortu-
nate enough TO secure, through political in
| fiuence or otherwise, the job of inspecting
| the teeth OF all the children in the COM
munity would gather fat salaries, and also
increase their practice. If such appoint
ments could be made with absolute honesty
| it would not be so bad, but there are TOO
many American cities in which the affairs
! of the public schools are governed almost
erations OF the school book trust show this.
Over and over again parents have been
compelled TO buy their children new text
books which they could i'll afford, because
the later edition was the one used in the
schools, and this when there was not the
difference of dozen words between copies
of three editions of the same book. In
some studies, of course, ii is necessary to
have the latest authorities, as new discover
les are continually made, and earlier edi-
tions are more or less inaccurate; but il is
absurd TO contend that a child cannot learn
I the first four rules Of arithmetic as well and
quickly from an arithmetic printed twenty
years ago as from one which came from
the press last week. There are no new
discoveries in connection with the muitipli-
| cation table
If the dental inspection were run on the
same principle as some other affairs of
| the public schools, ii would result in untold
misery TO the children. needless expense
to the parents and the State, and one more
element of Generalization. corruption. bril-
bry, and factional squabbling. II is any
thing but desirable that such things should
continue any longer than is absolutely nee
essary. There are some very good ideas in
connection with Government control of
public affairs which have been howled down
as paternalism, and if the family dentist
bill is not private matter, what is?
Money has been spent unnecessarily in
some cities having the eyes of all the chill
dren in the public schools inspected. and
in some cases this has resulted in an un-
necessary scare for the child and an ocu-
lists bill for the parent. If it is supposed
to be wise for the Government to spend
money in this direction, there are perfect
ly practicable things that can be done, and
are entirely within the scope of municipal
authority. The schools should be situated
in an open space. not walled in by build
ings which shut out all light and air.
Whenever possible. a playground, large,
well-shaded, and with well paved walks.
should surround the schoolhouse and when
this is impracucable, the children should
be provided with a playground on the roof
1t would not cost much to build parapet
around a fiat roof and put up some sort
of n covering TO keep off the rain and shield
the youngsters from the hot sun, and that
could be done in the most crowded city.
A schoolroom should never-and this is i'm
perative-be SO situated that the pupils
must study by artificial light, or in
such light that they will have to strain
their eyes School books provided by
the city should be printed in good, clea,
type The plan Of providing iunchroom,
where the children can get good meals at
cost, has worked well in some places, and
might be good for all. And IL it is really
desirable that the Government should in
terest itself in the peoples teeth, laws
against adulteration would probably be
more effective than anything else.