Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1900-06-15


and these scholars were by these defects
unable to make the headway in their
studies that their more fortunate COM
papions We're and therefore were brand
ed as failures in school and soon left to
seek some other vocations. This might
be overcome in degree If medical in
spection of the schools was adopted.
Where there are cases Of communicable
diseases in the community they should
be reported to the superintendent and
when there are any cases among the
TO the medical inspector. In discussing
this subject, Prof Delos Fall member of
the state board of health, Albion, COM
plimented Mr.. Coddington very highly
on the manner in which he presented
his paper, and stated that he was glad
to find one superintendent in the state
that was fully alive to the sanitary needs
of the school, and also that it was not
so much the cure of disease as the pre-
vention. THE duties Of Local Health
Officers" was the subject of the paper
presented by w. A. Bahlke. Mr., Bahlke
thought the sources Of disease should be
studied and that ian ounce of prevention
is worth more than pound Of cure"
Among other things he stated that in his
opinion there was not another matter
that should receive the amount Of atten-
tion from the local health officers as the
public sentiment must be behind the
power of the health officer to enable him
to accomplish anything along his line,
and the only thing TO do was to educate
the public to this point. In the discus
sion of the subject DR.. Henry B. Baker,
secretary of the state board of health
commended Mr.. Bahlke's paper very
highly.
EVENING SESSION.
A piano solo by Miss Velma Sharp
opened the program for the evening ses-
sion. DR.. +. A. Bagley presided over
this session as DIR. Bruske was unable to
be present on account of the freshman
prize contest" at the college. The first
paper presented was Hygiene of
the home by Miss Ida NJ. Barrett of
Grand Rapids. Miss Barrett presented
her paper in very forcible manner and
showed much familiarity with the sub
ject. She followed the history of the
subject back into the days of the Romans
when bathing and public baths was one
Of the essential things of the day She
very graphically illustrated how indis-
pensible the bath is today in diminish
ing all forms of disease, although not
enough attention is paid to this form Of
hygiene in the home by the masses.
Miss Barrett's paper should have been
heard by the mistress of every home
in Alma for no one could helpd being
benefited by listening 10 it. The next
subject was 1.-The Restriction of Com.
municable Diseases, from the Standpoint
of Lawyer, Newspaper, Physician
and the State Board of Health" Kelly
s. Searl of Ithaca who was to have read
paper on the subject From the Stand
point of Lawyer" and j. n. Mccall
of Ithaca, From the Standpoint of a
Newspaper" failed to be present and
therefore those two divisions of the sub
ject were omitted. From the Stand
point Of Physician" was to have been
read by DR. A. Nj. Campbell of Grand
Rapids, but he was unable 10 be present
and DR.. Delano read his paper. The pa
per went back into biblical times and
stated that communicable diseases, then
as now, were controlled by issolation,
only TO a greater degree, and that in
many ways their methods were superior
to those used today. The point was EN-
phasized that if the people would follow
the directions Of the state board of health
and study the phamphlets sent out by
the board, disease would greatly dimin.
ish DR.. Baker followed with few
we'll chosen remarks along this line and
illustrated them with the charts, show
Ing tHdt ulOIIuuIy uhu Bicatly ucCIeoseu
since the state board Of health had been
appointed as a state institution. Prof.
Fa II also made few remarks on the
subject and the convention closed.
We had hoped that the convention
would be well attended at every session,
but with the exception of Thursday even
ing, when fair attendance was present,
there was hardly as many people from
town in the opera house as there were
physicians and members of the board of
health. When the state sends such men
as DR.. Baker, Prof. Delos Fall, Hon.
Frank Wells, and others to enlighten
the people on sanitary methods and the
best means of restricting disease it cer-
tainly seems TO us that we, as people,
should appreciate it enough to attend
the conventions. The members of the
state board Of health were very much