Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-09-09
BEHIND IN CLASSES,
Report Says 12,Oo0,O ,OOO Ameri-
 can Children Are Defective.
PHYSICAL ILLS TO BLAME.

Committee Recommends That Laws Be
 Enforced and That Parents Be Com
 pelled to Take Necessary Steps In
 Behalf of Their offsprinss' Health.
 New York, Sept. 9.-That about one- third of all the school children in the United States or about 12,OO0,O00 boys and girls. are behind their proper grades because of physical defects that could be remedied is the gist of a re- port made by a committee of promi- nent educators, headed by Charles c. Birmingham, former president of the board of education of this city. This committee has investigated conditions among school children not only in New York, but in Boston, Chicago and oth- CT cities.
 Based on the physical defects and home conditions of 1,400 school chill dren of New York city," says the re- port, ''it is estimated that 12,000,OOO children of the United States have physical defects, more or less serious, which should receive attention from parents and physicians
 4e5,8o0 Detectives In New York.
 ''If the percentages recorded by the board of health in New York should be maintained throughout the country. and 1t seems likely that they would be, as adenoids and impaired vision, malnutrition and defective breathing schools, there must be 1.44O.OOO i'll nourished children. 5.615,OOO with en- larged glands and 6.925,OOO with de- fective breathing in the United States. In New York city the estimated fig ures are: Malnutrition, 4S.OO0; enlarg- ed glands. 1S7OOO, and defective breathing. 230SO0 total of 465,sOO.
 "This large percentage of the de fleets indicated is easily remedied, and many could be prevented by prop CT care, though, except in the case of defective vision, the causes are not always easily determined. Among the 1,400 children studied only a trife more than 10 per cent. are reported to be suffering from malnutrition, and of these fewer than 14 per ssnt. come from families where the income is less than $1O weekly. Only IS per cent. of the children were artificially fed from the beginning of their lives, and while more than 30 per cent. are re- ported as having only tea or coffee and bread for breakfast fewer than per cent. are said to have no meat or eggs during the day.
 How to Remedy Trouble.
 "In spite of unfavorable housing conditions only 19 per cent. of the children born of 1,400 families died and 5 per cent. of the families have lost no children. The Italian and He brew families have the largest aver age number of children and also the highest mortality"
 Comprehensive plans for dealing with the physical defects of school children are outlined in the report. These include thorough physical ex- animation of all children, notification to parents and the enforcement of ex- isting laws. Where proper authority Is now lacking 1t is planned to compel parents to take necessary steps in be- half of their childrens health. En- forcement of health, tenement house and child labor laws ani the establish ment, in connection with boards of education, of departments of school hygiene. the duties of which shall be to see that school buildings are so constructed and conducted that they cannot themselves produce or aggra- vate physical defects, are also recom- mandad