Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-03-31

may become healthy, clear-headed. up.
right men and women capable of pro-
ducing and perpetuating a race .ol
strong American citizens. if seems on.
ly natural to expect that we should
take interest enough in the welfare 'oI
the school community to provide the
best means. of instruction and care fo,
the young. And yet we shall fra our.
selves lacking i most important means
conducive to the best and highest eau-
cation: viz the maintenance of medi-
cal men as inspectors and examiners
of our schools ana school children.
Children, for example freuuently
have difficulties with one or both
eyes. of which the parent is entirely
ignorant: then there are numerous
troubles which. if discovered in thei,
incipient stages, might be benefited bv
application of easily found remedies
or perhaps chiefly by changes of man
ncr of living.
When we consider the proportion az
the population in our public schools il
does not seem possible that we can
help realizing the Importance of thor
oughness in caring for and regulating
Certainly something ought to be done
to counteract the tendency of the age
in its extremely high pressure rate of
living. to all sorts Of physical ills.
Let me take you to one of our school
rooms in massachusetts, which a col
legc instructor recently visited. In this
instance a physician happened to be
visiting the school ut the same time.
ana On walking down the aisle, no
ticed 4 malignant. growth on Il boy S
neck. The physician accordingly told
the teacher who shortly afterNard told
4 member Of the committee. Word was
then sent to the boys parents who
proved to be very thankful to know
of the growth before it had become
enlarged The boy was thus saved from
serious trouble later in life:
The seating of the scholars seems
but a trifle. and yet not only is myopi1
caused by faulty positions and seats
Int mary instances of spinal curvature
ire the result Of the same neglect.
Tight fitting collars. or other garments
that compress the veins and congest
the eyes, need to be noticed ana RENE
died.
Schoolrooms should be examined in
regard to Improvements in construc-
I'll n, Yontitation, temperature. heating,
-ctc. Exercise should not .he given hap
haZardly. bug with regard to each in
dividu1l's requirements. In short. ev-
cry child should be carefully looked
over. in such Il way as to determine
whether he or she is strong enough
FIR the regular school routine work.
In this way the weak and sickly chill
rlren will be given, the best possible
opportunity IT, reap cool results from
their school training, ana it seems
more than probable that the cXpendi-
ture for poorhouses and hospitals
would ultimately be greatly lessened.
while the children will be far more
likely to retain their health and to de-
Yelop themselves fully, both mentally
ana physically.
The problem Of ventilation in many
# our school buildings is heedlessly
disregarled and as i Superintendent
Of public instruction himself says. it is
only necessary for one t. visit the va
'iGus schoQlrooms. or to haze inter
course with thu superintendent IF
schools. til order To assure ones self
Of this neglgencce Everyone knows
the effect OF vitiatel air. upon tn,
health, and that when. many children
are. SiT7lt up in one room. some of. tham
too. in far from. Il clrahly ana healthy
conditIon. only the. most. skillful and
careful ventilation can. keep the air
decent1y pure. Is not then the problem
intensified wien we remrmber that to
the impurities arising from ordinary
CAUSES We must add those from .un4
clearly persons, from catarrhal breaths.
diseased stemaphs. decayed teeth. etc?
Would IL INIT ~ wise t. follow. the ex-
ample If some Of the countries WhaJ%
medical. inspection of the schools has
produced subj excellent results? In
thu, Civ of brussels, ioc instance.
leach school. -ls visited weekly 10y a
trained medical inspector" who in
:spects rot only the children but the
~cho1lr an and everything relating II
the scholar$ welfare. ana tn" results
Of such inspection giNc increasing sat
isfactipn to ali
We have costly Institutions for our
deaf, blind and feeble-minded,. and pro-
vide care for these delinquent cases bN
the most apr .ved, methods, Why is
It that the State does not with equal
justice and prbpriety care for those
VINO show beginnings Of spinal curya-
t1Ires, defective eyes, ears and teeth.
symptoms Of. heart. and pulmonary
troubles, and Of, nervous weakness of
various kinds? Why,- above all does
the State not provide the best means
To protect its strong ana healthy chill