Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-01-14

in this city, the consumption of contain
mated water is not entirely checked, and
in the suburbs no effort can be maze to
lessen the spread of typhoid fever by warn
ing the people against the use of the pol
luted water of surface wells. Our COM
munity is also not protected from fraudu-
lent and dangerous food adulterations
1T Is urgently suggested that the board
of trade should use its influence with Con-
gress in favor of the establishment of a
well-equipped chemical laboratory and for
the creation of the position of District
chemist with proper salary.
The Health of Children.
"Over 10000 pupils are admitted yearly to
the public schools in the District of Column
bia. No certificate of health, of freedom
from contagious disease or of the ability of
the child to begin formal school instruction
is required. The only certificatfon asked
for is of previous vaccination. Thus chill
dren obtain admission to the schools who
are unfit physically and mentally to begin
school life except at the risk of breaking
down. Cases of conta gious skin disease,
tuberculosis and other disease propagated
by contact are not excluded by the present
system. There is no health qualification
asked for
ITO remedy this it is suggested that
every child applying to enter school should
present a certificate from the family physi-
clan, stating that he is physically and
mentally fit to begin school life, and that
he is free from contagious disease of every
kind. The state is responsible for the care
of the childs body as well as his mind
and such responsibility demands that reg
ulariy appointed physicians, chosen by the
school authorities, should examine certif-
Gates thus presented, and in doubtful cases
subject the child to fuller examination
Ihese school physicians should also keep
a general supervision over the children in
school, examining suspicious cases of con-
taglous disease, and, in the case of reports
being made by the teachers as to the ILL
health of any child, inquiring into the pro-
priety or necessity of compelling the child
to give up school life temporarily per-
manently.
One of the members of the committee
Mr. j. t. Freeman, has undertaken the
systematic record of the causes given for
the absences of the children from the
schools of his district Such a system, if
adopted in all the school districts would
be of great value in determining the pre-
vailing diseases in school children and the
relative prevalence of such diseases in diff
ferent parts of the city.
1T is believed that the success of our
educational methods would be much helped
by the adoption of the systematic care of
the health of the children in the schools
and their protection against the inroads
of disease.
Anncostia River and MaIariaI Fever
The work of the Improvement of the
Anacostia river, with the view of lessening
the extensive prevalence of malarial dis
eases, has advanced to the point where
surveys have been made by order of Con-
gress. Much remains to be done, and the
recurring experience of each year shows
how urgently this project should be pushed
forward by our citizens.
out of a total of 300 patients under the
care of DR.. G. w. Foster in one of the
many buildings of the Government Insane
Asylum, 80 or 1870 per cent We're i'll with
malarial fever from March to November
1898
"Out of total of 900 employees in this
same institution there We're seventy-five
cases of illness from this cause from Au-
gust l to November 1. These figures give
an idea of the great prevalence of this
disease among the inmates of this insti-
tuition, prevalence due to the malarial
carnations from the Anacostia river. 1t
has also been noted by DR.. Foster that the
insane are made worse as to their mental
disorder by Illness from malaria
Mr.. John T. Freeman, a member of this
committee and superintendent of the south
east school district, has kept an accurate
record of the causes of the absence of the
children from the public schools of his dis
trict from February to June, 1893. AL
though this period of the year Is not the
one in which malarial diseases are most
prevalent, yet the figures represent the total
and relative prevalence of malarial diseases
In this section of the city.