New-York tribune., 1906-10-13
HEg,oRE
PLEA FOR PHYSICIANS.
Tsro Hundred Thousand School
Children Need Medical attention.

Controller Metz was appealed TO yesterday by
the Committe Physical Welfare OF School Chill
dren 10 see that enough money is appropriated 10
employ al the health inspectors that are neces-
sary 10 examine thoroughly the pupils OF the
public schools. c. c. Birmingham chairman OF
the committee. IN letter TO Mr.. Metz estimates
that there nearly 1900 school children in need
OF medical attention more food
The letter follows: ,oo,
Hon. Herman A. Metz, No $50 Broadway. city
Dear Sir During The last few months this f9
from thorough physical examination Of school chill
dren. We refer not 10 the cursory examination {
66esecti1a besT5ng lung trouble adenoid growths
enlarged tonsis, under-nourishrnent diseased
Of the small number already examined. about
one-stxth the enrolment. two-thirds are under
or ocijisP care If this number is representative
there must Re about $4,000 in the schools needing
which might easily be remedied, render 2s per cent
the city freely gives over s25.0ooCo0 annually.
That a thoTough physical eXaInlnation @ for some
the Board Of Estimate and Apportionment has re-
Sum fo # " pass8e S8R not f0 ssRs6n fFf4 f
ogghly sn school children IN all Of the boroughs?
increase OF only thirty-two over those granted in
last years budget To examine all children in al
noroughs thorogghIy would would prooanLy require at
not Therefore. plan TO vote 20 the Department of
tssa iGE @ 'n1s Us specc @ rpose % as many inspectors;
10 be givo all children the benefits al
defects pointed out at the beginning of the year?
Ihe early detection ana treatment or one school
twenty-four. about twenty-four thousand-might
easily prevent the spread Of dphtheria in school
9. C. BURLINGHAM.
Chairman for the Committee.
MAKING STUPID PUPILS BRIGHT
Il think the outlook for more inspection splen-
did said William H. Allen. general agent of the
Association for Improving the Condition Of the
Poor, under whose auspices the committee was
formed. The only obstacle is the tradition Of
voting budgets by GuessWork. We asking
the Beard Of Estimate for anything it has not
already committed itself to-we only ask that il
shall really do what il has thought it doing all
along.
Because ninety-seyen thousand children are now
receiving the benefits of inspection. the public
jumps TO the conclusion that inspection universal
IN the public schools. II would tolerate a city
Iolerates system Of INSPECTION that Ie.yts wnoIe
districts OF school children uninspected II IS un-
children, ana not others. If medical Inspection is
only Just 10 extend il 10 All s'''7 10y all ana II IS
We want the Board of Estimate 10 stop its
penny policy discovering defects and Then
blowing IN one hundred or one thousand times As
mugA as proper inspection would have cost in stop
M Mr. Al Allen said he knew Of cases where children
htted 10 glasses had jumped two three grades
ing the others back" he said. Every child WHO
takes work second time costs the city from $50 TO
Sob year besides the hardship TO the child and
its parents. this is extremely unjust to We taA-
The c9mmlttee las on record thousands Of cases
where children Who Mere the despair OF their teach
eTs we1@ Transformed through the correction Of
some physical handicap which was brought n
A boy of seven WAS considered hopeless idiot bv
Us 'e5.htI, rom The WAY he sat duh and staring
Was relieved of nasal obstruction Of a rather
active led. Another instance was Of a girl vSEo
t29lgh she seemed bright enough. was simply m
fer class The 1rnubla ba5 Sg0a L az me head 9f
N'' I'JAlt 'iiF or sec the Dlag kbOa I'd
HOW THEY ARE EXAMINED.
Mr.. Allen said he did not believe the public half
understood the thorcughress with which medical
inspections are conducted in schools For each
5,i shi9 eE7mDed % The inspeetor is out small card
bis school. class name. address and the date
which definite answers of yes or Emo" .bs d
or go9d' are written in Nutrition comes first, fol-
pulmonary and skin diseases; defective spine,
ing. defective nasal breathing. teeth deforrutv ~
the palate lay hNpertroPhed tonsils. posterior nasal
CROWNS and mentality. with treatment necessary
and the nationality 10 conclude place is left for
The specimen card Of a typical Italian child in
PUBLIC School shows state Of malnuJrition, en-
breathing. bad teeth. hypertrophied tonsis and
The Board Of Health is getting out n double postal
caro- 10 be sent 10 the parents whose children are
parent thai jimmie or jennie oT ,nsfsnns bas bas
defective ne, vision and IS undernourshed. winding up
with. Please take this TO your family physician .
The other card is for The family physician 10 send
ment he has given Jimmie or Jennie"
COOKS WILL TEACH MOTHERS.
In order 10 facilitate the better feeding OF school
Children. the Association for Improving the CondI-
tion OF the Poor has placed IN the field a visiting
treatment and shows the mother in her own ktchl
en-, with her own apparatus. how 10 prepare her
food IN the most nourishing and palatabe way
II few benevolent women would CLUB together
Tho Eve winter months how inestrnable would be
me goodi sag M. A.ie' len y should like TO make