The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-06-07
CARING FOR
CHILDREN
How Little Ones
Are Given
Health.
KINDER GARTEN AS
CARRIED ON NOW
The Hysisnie Treatment as Mrs.
Uldrick Thompson
Gives Il.

motto of the Jesuit schools. "a sound
mind in a sound body" has been for
several centuries the nominal aim of
education. But while in many schools
there are spasmodic and partial at
tempts at medical inspection. it has
remained for the Free kindergarten
Association of Honolulu to carry into
operation a thorough and far-reaching
system OF hygienic treatment and in
struction, more successful in attaining
| this aim than any which has devel-
oped in communities elsewhere. An
occasional round of visits TO the kim
dergartens with the inspector of ny
giene, Mrs. Uldrick Thompson. reveals
| a marvellous Improvement in the SAM
tary conditions OF whole neighborhoods,
as a result of her years work. as well
as the release from intense suffering
OF individual children.
Our first visit is at kindergarten at
tended largely by Chinese and Japan
csc children. The suspicion and dis
trust OF the Orientals at the begin
ming has vanished and the inspector is
greeted with friendly smiles by some
twenty children, who skip as merrily
To the little rear room as IL they were
going To- take part in some favorite
game. For among all children, a GER
tain distinction attaches to the posses
sion OF a cut or bruise. and the
years experience has demonstrated the
magic OF the inspectors treatment. \
young Japanese kindergarten of mark
ed intelligence follows the inspector.
and after carefully washing her hands
with some disinfectant. begins to work
rapidly under direction. The inspect
ors basket is opened and sundry arti-
cies produced from a locker. and in a
moment we are in a dispensary. Abb
sorbent cotton and oil for cleansing
wounds. lint. bandages and surgical
plaster. surgeons knife for obstinate
thorns and splinters. healing ONT
ment OF marvellous power and spatu-
Ia To spread 1t. nitrate OF silver for eau
terizing diseased flesh. syringes for the
ear and various washes. all perfectly
antiseptic. are now spread out. ready
for use. and the Japanese assistant
begins treating minor Ills. while the in
spector selects those that are really Sc
riOus- Here Is n new Chinese boy. be-
low whose short trousers Is visible
line OF yellow paint. An examination
reveals a hideous sore. very Contagious
In nature. and evidently OF many
months standing. which some Oriental |
tating yellow paint All Burs treat
ment must evidently be prefaced by a !
warm bath. So the Inspector takes him |
TO the day nursery, where the bath Is |
soon over and the wound tenderly |
dressed. The new sensations OF COM !
fort and cleanliness almost overcome |
his fears for the future. But something
Is plainly troubling him. and urging
brings the confession. My mother lick |
me-" with an outburst OF tears. So the
inspector walks home with him TO OBJ
tain grace for the removal Of the vel
low paint. and the day ends well for |
little All Bui. whose recovery is now
assured.
At our next kindergarten. a mother |
~ little Hawaiian announces gIeefuIIy
''Emmy's got a sore" and gently urges |
forward the timid Emmy. whom two |
months have transformed from a ioath-
some little savage into an attractive |
maiden. Emmy came 20 the kinder
garten Wild creature with grimy skin |
and matted hair covering a mass OF |
contagious sores. Warm baths. a hair |
cut. clean clothing and medical treat |
ment have entirely cured her and n |
new covering OF soft brown hair has
almost hidden the scars
A little Chinese boy Is absent today. |
but his father has come TO ask the in
spector for medicine. She decides to
go home with him and investigate the
case. AS soon as the half dozen bruises
and sores and splinters OF the kindersar-
ten are bound up we betake ourselves to !
the crowded Chinese quarters. where
we find three crying children whose
infiamed eyes announce, even to the
uninitiated. the dreaded pink eye"
The oldest child stops crying when the
lngn4GtOr L,
he recognizes his friend OF the kinder
garten- Into the three pairs OF smart
Ing eyes a soothing lotion is dropped.
and peace descends upon the troubled
household But our peace is decidedly
disturbed by the consciousness that
tailoring Is the household industry.
For the soft cheek OF our own baby
may perchance rest on a servants
shoulder against these garments. be-
dewed with the poisonous tears OF the
suffering Chinese baby. The endless
chain OF human communication will
remorselessly carry the sin and disease
OF these Oriental homes into the most
cieanly and best ordered mansions of
Honolulu.
The relief OF suffering children. the
instruction OF the kindergartens. fire.
quent visits to homes. or consultations
with physicians. talks with mothers
about the care ana clothing OF their
little ones-all this makes the life OF
the inspector n busy one. Still she
looks forward TO an enlargement OF her
work. The poor need above every
thing else TO be taught the virtue OF
cleanliness" she says. and I shall
never be satisfied until we have de-
vised some means for teaching these
mothers how 20 battle and ciothe and
feed their babies. thus giving them the
right start IN iife-