Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-12-07
GARDINER.
The TEACHERS CLUB
Listens to Interesting Lecture on
Health" by DR.. w. p. Giddings.

The December meeting of the Cobb
o@seecontee Teachers Club was held
last evening in the High School build
ing and there WAS a large attendance.
The feature of the program was an
:tduress by Dr.. W. +. GidIings on
"ficalth: What Do We Owe Our Pa
pills ana the Community" He said in
pant:
"ThY manifest interest of the teach
cr5 composing this association in the
philanthroplr desire TO safeguard the
health ana comfort of the people at
large and the children in particular
merits the gratitude "t all. Associated
with thu lack of physical vigor is that
more disastrous susceptibility to the.
evil influence of infcctivr processes Of
micr,,-or2 :lniSinS which We know to be
the sourc,. of our mos; deadly diseases.
in fact, some OF our Psychologists 90 50
far as - declare that in all oar lethai
$icFiIr:;.NS, and III surgical n,oplaSm&
that destroy life that they too are
caused by some form of organism sim
liar To- those that have already been
isolated and proven by experimentation
10 he sole cause Of tuberculosis, 'diph
liberia, scarlet fever. yellow fever. and
Il host ot other diseases that decimate
our race.
Having in a brief. imperfect way
- cii $ M thing of what ,ausas disc $ -
we cnI.t,, Ilnw tn-.enlaidcr our duties
To the children ana; the community.
Whil. lii, " are natural processes that
attrni administrative work in carry
ing oar i.y@ienic principles there is u
wide d.v> rsity of material in school
,n,nlcrahip uron whom the principles
are Ia b.. applied The site. structur"
arrancen.,m of rooms. lighting, heal-
ing. ventilation. air and water supply
have been provided: their faults aEl
advantages Known so that you are
personally prepared to adjust your
selves in the most advantageous way to
your forced environment to the time
required per day.
'!;ut when you come to consider the
nee, ssitir.; Of your pupils singiy and
collective, ~. it becomes an altogether
complicated proposition. The mixed
material composing the membership
of your school. the effects of heridity
Incorporated into their being the re-
suit of environment adding to or neu-
tralizing Iropcnsities the ignorance OF
or prejudice against night ventilation.
the total Indifference or lack of knowl-
edge of the neutritional value of foods
as well :s the lack of thought or
care in instances. of the abuse of tea
and coffee; each and all become factors
in their influence upon both the body
and mind in the growth and develop
ment of the child. You receive into the
school this heterogeneous mass TO in
.struct. first in the regular curriculum
while incidcntly you are expected t.
teach hygiene and sanitation.
This suggests tho question as to the
best means to produce sufficient inn
preston To insure the maximum benc-
fit Among our best authorities or
school hygiene there has been introduc-
ed a system of medical inspection ol
each pupil. whereby the physical de.
development. the heredity taints. til,
physiological functions. and the ten
dency toward chronic diseases are as
certained. including the defects of sigh
and hearing. The teacher Is thu:
made acquainted with the Veaknesse:
of each child and prepared To estimat,
the child's ability to work as well a
10 Judge what consideration should b'
shown the child for delnquenccs.
The greatest danger threatening on
civilization is what what now calle,
The Great White Plague l hardi.
need say that it implies tubercula
diseases. There is no organ or TISSUE
1t does not invade. Its contagious ma
ture is not know to the laity, but
there are still great many who do no
know that the infective tuberculae ba
cillus reside in the sputa. broken down
disintegrated tissue, and eXcrementi
1ious matter thrown off from the body
Amy child having n moderate or sever
prolonged cough should be examine