Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-09-08
A HINT IltoM RrI.sAnIa.

Bulgaria il so young as an indie.
pendent nation and so far remote from
what We are pleased to call the cen
ters Of progress that we commonly
think Of what we can teach her and
not Of what We can learn FROM her.
But the Chicago Record-Heraid calls
attention 10 the significant fact that az
the recent International congress Of
school hygiene. one Of ne speakers. an
English woman, described the manner
IF medical inspection OF school chill
dren universally used IN Bulgaria and
recommended that its good features
be adopted IN England. a recommen-
| iatlon which received much approval
from her hearers.
.TRenty-five years ago only 10 or p
per cent Of the recruits in the Bulga-
rian army could read or write. To-
day 81 per cent can both read and
write, and the remaining 3 per cent
Is composed Of %nationalities other thar
Bulgarian. The thoroughness Of this
achievement In education Is now be-
ing paralIeled by the thoroughness Of
the work OF medical inspection. which
was commenced -four years ago.
In each secondary school a medical
practitioner Is In attendance as many
hours each day as Is necessary. IB
girls schools this attendant is a wom-
an. There Is a consulting room In
each school building fully equipped.
The child on his first admission to the
school Is given O thorough physical
and medical examination. a complete
record Of the various tests is made, to-
gether with facts about the parents
health and previous diseases. Even
the teeth are examined. Such an eX-
animation Is repeated four times n
year IN the lower grades and twice a
year In the upper grades. Any de-
fects are reported to the parents for
treatment by the family physician.
The medical inspector visits each
class room every day and watches the
children. on signs OF sickness a child
Is sent home, and II necessary made to
stay there until well. a special list
Of pupils suffering from serious disor-
ders. such as heart disease, Il made.
and special watchfulncss toward them
Is maintained. In the girls schools
Ease OF Infectious disease among the
day scholars in three years has got
past the consulting room. and that
there has been no case among the
boarders. All children with tubercu-
losis or even predisposed to It are eX-
cluded from the schools and sent eith-
er 10 sanitoriums or 20 the onen-air
life and tonic treatment OF the Colo
MES %Scolaires. provided for their bene-
tit The medical inspector In addition
gives instruction in physiology.
watches the gymnasium work and
gives special courses to teachers. Very
poor children are provided with free
medical attendance and proper food.
The record Of each child is kept in a
separate book, and at the end OF It's
school work It's complete history from
this point Of view is on file.
The amount Of suffering which Is
prevented by this wise work can read
ily be appreciated. as well as the In
creased strength and energy given to
the pupils both during their school
days ana during later life.
The medical inanection work. says
our Chicago contemporary. which the
Chicago school board has provided at
the opening OF the present year, D. but
"a bagatelle COMPARED with this thor
ough system IN Bulgaria.