Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1904-03-23
BERLIN AND PARIS SCHOOLS.
Medical Supervision Is Rigid and Ex-
aminations Thorough and
Extensive.

German papers report that congress
for hygiene and physiological pedagogy
was recently held at Paris. AS result
Progress Medical has drawn COMPARE
son between the work of the school of
physicians in the German and French
capital, which is substantially in favor
OF the German method. The expert
writing the article cautions especially
against the inclination in France to
overdo such efforts, which may lead to
giving the physician a too far-reaching
influence and the possibility of med
ding with the manner of school in
struction and in more intimate rela-
lions.
He first reviews the rules for medical
supervision over the public schools of
Berlin.
Every school physician has supervi-
sion over four schools, and his duties
are to examine twice a year all the
pupils who enter the school with refer
ence to the senses, the spinal column,
the development of the limbs, ETC., to
make examination of those pupils who
would be subject to receive instruction
on account of suffering or some other
additional instruction; to make quar-
terly inspection of the school rooms
with reference to their sanitary condi-
ton; also of the health of the pupils
and the presence of contagious dis
eases.
These examinations may take place
oftener if requested by the school
board.
In addition, the state physician has
to inspect the local schools at least
once every five years with reference
to their architecture; he has also to
prescribe the necessary measures in
case of threatened epidemic
The principal of the school is held
to send those pupils to the school ply
stefan whose state of health during the
intervals of the official creates suspi-
cion. 1t is especially pointed out that
the school physician. according to the
German rules, is not to give the sick
pupil orders or prescribe for him or
her, but the parents are simply notified
of the facts and receive written advice.
1t is furthermore particularly impor-
tant that the school physicians meet
together in certain intervals, three or
four times during the year. These
measures are held by the French physi-
clan to be models FOR a reform of con-
ditions in Paris. 1t appears to him in
dispensable, and it certainly does seem
proper to have the pupils entering the
school examined separately by the
school physician, as thereby it is pos
sible to call the attention of the teach.
ers from the beginning to the physical
condition of the school children. The
Paris rules go further, inasmuch as
the school physicians are obliged to- In
spect their schools at least twice month
instead of only twice every half year.
The careful execution oil the medical
examination of the hygienic conditions
of the school is the most important
part of the duties of the school physi-
Clans
Aside from this the medical treat
mez. of the pupils must, as far as pos
sible, be left to the home physicians,
who usually have known the children
for longer time than the school ply
stefan and therefore are better judges
of the condition of their health.
In doubtful cases the advice of a spe-
cialist shall be sought rather than to
demand of the school physician far
reaching special knowledge, which
might result in making a medical ex-
detrimental station of the school.
In addition, the French physician
proposes that the school physician
should be entitled to view the condi-
tion of the dwellings of sick school chill
dren, and also to give advice concern
ing the architecture of schools and the
division of the school hours.
| RICHARD GCENTHER.