The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1907-09-09
ARE NUMBERED
BY THE MILLIONS.
THE PHYSICALLY IMPERFECT
CHILDREN OF THIS COUNTRY.
MOST COMMON DEFECTS
Are Poor Eyesght, Malnutrition and
Defective Breathing-Report Is
Made by a Committee Of
Prominent Educators.

New York, Sept 9.--The reopcning
OF the public schools throughout the
country is the reason for a report on
the physical condition of school chill
dren, by committee of prominent
educators headed by Chairman Bur-
lingham, former president of New
York board OF education. The inquiry
has taken a wide scope aud the ubsCr-
vations apply not only to the school
children OF New York, but also to
those of Boston, Chicago and other
cities. The report says i'm, part:
Based on the physical defects and
home conditions Of l 400 school chill.
dren of New York City, it is estimated
that l2,O00,O00 children i'm the United
States have physical defects more or
less serious which should receive at.
tention from parents and physicians.
If the percentages recorded by the
board of health in New York should
be maintained throughout the country
land it seems likely that they would
be as impaired vision, malnutritioa
and defective breathing are found I'm
rural as well as urban schools) there
must be 100000 III nourished chill
dren, 5,615,000 with enlarged glands
and 6,925,000 with defective breathing
IN the United States. In New York
City the estimated figures are: Manu.
triton, $4,000 enlarged glands. lS7,-
900; defective breathing 230,SOO
THE large percentage OF the de-
fects indicated are easily remedied
and many could be prevented by prop
er care, though, except I'm the case of
defective vision, the causes are not al
ways easily determined. Among the
1,400 children studied, only a trihe
over 10 per cent. are reported TO be
suffering from malnutrtiOn, and Of
these less than IA per cent. come Of
the families where the income is less
than $40 weekly. Only rs per cent.
of the children were artifcially fed
from the beginning of their lives. and
while over 80 per cent. are reported
as having only tea or coffee and bread
for breakfast, less than per cent.
said TO have no meat or eggs during
the day. In spite OF unfavOrable
housing conditions only 10 per cent.
of the children born of 400 lami-
lies died and 13 per cent of
the families have lost no Children.
The Italian and Jewish families have
the largest average number Of chill.
dren and also the higher mortality
A comprehensive plan for dealing
with the physical defects of school
children is outlined in the report, in
cluding a thorough physical eXami-
nation OF all children; the enforce
ment Of existing laws and securing
proper authority where this is now
lacking to compel parents TO take nee
essary steps; enforcement of health,
tenement house and child labor laws:
the establishment in connection with
boards of education of departments Of
school hygiene, whose duties shall be
to see that school buildings are 50
constructed and conducted that they
cannot produce or aggravate physical
defects, and that the school Curri-
culum should be so devised and exc
cuted as neither to produce nor aggra-
vate them; to study the effect OF
school environment curriculum
building, home study, physical train
ing-upon the child and TO teach
hygiene so that the children will
themselves cultivate habits of health
and see clearly the relation of health
and vitality to present happiness and
future efficiency.