The Washington times., 1901-12-18
HEALTH In THE
PUBLIC SCHOOLS,
MEDICAL INSPECTION FAVORED.
Committee Appears Before District
Commissioners to Submit Re-
port and Explain Its
Plans.

The committee on legislation OF the
Washington Medical Society presented to
the Commissioners of the District yester-
day report upon the subject of medical
inspection in the public schools. The es-
Inmates OF the Commissioners presented to
| Congress contain an item for eleven in
speetors OF this kind, at $500 per ahnum.
The hearing had special reference as TO
the mode of inspection TO make it most
eificacious.
The committee in its report endorses
the request of the Commissioners for an
| appropriation sufficient to provide for the
establishment of a system of medical in
spection of the public schools and the
maintenance OF the same.
Under Health Department.
The report further requests that the
Commissioners have the proposed legisla-
| tion so framed as to provide that the i'm
mediate direction and control Of such in
spection be vested in the Health Officer,
under rules formulated by him and ap-
| proved by the Commissioners and the
| Board of Education, and that the in
| spectoIs shall be appointed after com
the Health officer. under the direction OF
the Commissioners, to determine the fit
ness of the applicant for the peculiar
duties he may be called upon to perform.
The report calls attention to the i'm
portance Of having the pupils now In the
Normal School taught as thoroughly as
possible how to differentiate conditions OF
health from those Of disease, and espe-
cially how TO recognize the earliest mani
!estations of communicable diseases. so
that when these pupils enter upon their
respective duties teachers they may
the better care for the health OF their
pupils and the more intelligenjly CO.
operate with the medical inspectors.
The Plan Outlined.
Dr. ". ". Johnson. VINO spoke for the
committee, explained the desirability OF
daily inspection of the children in the
public schools and the mode OF doing it
when the funds are provided to pay the
inspectors DR.. johnson said that there
are several thousand children gathered in
the public schools of the city, every one
OF them peculiarly susceptible TO con-
tagious disease. He described the average
child as tiuder box ready TO go of in a
blaze of eontagion at any moment. He
said the object of the inspection was to
find out those showing symptoms OF such
disease and to isolate them before the
maiady had opportunity 10 spread to
others.
Remove Unhealthy Children.
Another object of the inspection is TO
remove from the schools children in bad
health. who are unfit to attend to their
studies DIR. Johnson said that there are
children in the schools afflicted with tu-
berculosis and other chronic diseases who
ought not to be there, and medical in
spection, he said, would weed them out.
DR.. johnson stated that the inspection
would be made through the cooperation
of the teachers, and that pupils exhibit
ing signs OF Illness would be Immediately
sent TO a room by themselves 10 await
the call OF the inspector. If found with
an attack OF any disease or in any way
unfit TO remain In school, the inspector
would send the child TO its parents will
a card stating the facts.
The members of the committee present
at the hearing were Drs. ". w Johnson,
D. S. Lamb. 2. T. Sewers. J. W. Cooke,
G. Lloyd Magruder, and D. Percy Hick-
ling.