Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-11-28
WHAT HE JAW SAYS.
About Medical Inspection of Pu-
 pills and Schools.

pills and Schools.
 Dr Goodenough Follows Up His Pre- vious Arguments With Another He Holds That it is of Vital I'm portance to Everybody That Medi- cal Inspections Should Be Made.
 A good deal of attention is being given to the question of medical in- spection in the. public schools, and notwithstanding all that has been said in opposition to it, it appears to be a popular movement. Too much care cannot be taken of the school chill dren and recognizing that their physi- cal condition should not be lost sight of while acquiring an education, the local authorities are endeavoring to make the following order as effective as possible:
 Medical inspectors two in number, and of different political faith, shall be appointed by the commissioners of education at their first meeting in January in each year.
 An approximately equal division of the school districts shall be made, and each inspector shall be made responsi- ble for one of these districts. Each school. in second taxation district must be visited twice each week, and at any other time the principal may deem necessary.
 A record shall be kept of each case of sickness from contagious disease, and no scholar shall be readmitted to school after quarantine, without the permission of the medical inspector.
 A record shall be made once a year oe the physical condition of every child in the second taxation district up to the High school. as regards con- tagious diseases. The schools of the first taxation district may at any time obtain the advice of the medical in spector Each, week, no less than eight hours shall be spent in school work Record cards shall be furnish ed by the department of education and records kept by the principal These duties are those of inspection merely-not for medical treatment.
 It is not to be expected that physi- clans could afford to perform this ser vice gratis, consequently the board of finance has been asked to provide the sinews of war in the shape of a mod crate compensation for medical in- spection. Tn the opinion of many good citizens it would be judicious step and would meet with the approv- al of all who desire to see the school children properly safeguarded in health matters
 On this subject Dr Goodenough con- tributes the following:
 To the Editor of the Democrat:
 A very able paper was read by Dr Cahill before the New Haven county medical society in this city two months ago on medical inspection in the public schools at that time and since then there has been a remark able unanimity of opinion among the medical profession of Waterbury as to the value of such inspection.
 Diphtheria, tuberculosis and scarlet fever must be fought with and their ravages lessened. In the two former diseases contrary to the usual habit of infectious disease, a previous attack is no bar to future attack. Danger of infection must be removed. En- forced private sanitation and hygiene is much more difficult than public sanitary improvement. Therefore, however pure the air and clean the rooms of our schools, some of the scholars will still live in poor sanitary surroundings. To rid us of the dam- ages which under such conditions are present, rigid inspection of scholars and the following up of cases Joy health officials must be practiced. Over million dollars was spent by Dr Lederle this year in the depart ment of health of Greater New York. Our health board does much less than it could do with somewhat larger ap- propriation This increase will sure ly come and rapidly as the general public is educated in the real value of recent health board methods Many intelligent men disbelieved in trolley roads and telephones and automo- piles, and yet the value and usefulness of electricity is only beginning to show itself
 So however much we may fight against it, inspectors of school pupils as well as of sewers and public build ings will come. They must be doctors of sanitary science if not doctors of medicine and will probably be both. They will Joe selected for their ability, will work hard and earn their salaries, and our schools and homes as well, will be safer for their presence.
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 COMPLETED HIS LABORs.
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