The Democratic advocate., 1908-12-25
fight White PLAGUE
SCHOOL CHILDREN TAUGHT HOW TO
PREVENT DISEASE
Whole Country Engaged In War on
Consumption

New York, December 3.-As a result
of the great campaign against tuber-
culosis now being carried on through
out the world, many of the public
schools in the United States are TAX
ing a new departure in teaching to
the children the nature, causes, dan
gers and prevention of consumption.
A textbook entitled Simple Lessons
on tuberculosis or Consumption"
has just been placed in the seventh
and eighth grades of the District of
Columbia. The Massachusetts, educa-
tional authorities, acting under law
of the Legislature of 1908, are estab-
fishing courses of instruction on tu-
berculosis in all of the schools of the
State. In addition to these public
movements many of the private or
ganizations throughout the country
have established, and are establishing,
open-air schools for consumptive chill
dren, it being estimated that about
two per cent. of the pupils in the
larger city schools have tuberculosis.
The first public school for con-
sumptive and preconsumptive children
to be established in the United States
was opened in Providence, r. l., last
January. The sessions were held en-
tirely in the open, and the benefits OF
the fresh-air treatment were COM
bined with the teaching and training
of the public schools.
This experiment led to other move
ments, both public and private. The
Brookline Anti-Tuberculosis Society
opened a school for tuberculosis chill
dren in July which IS still success
fully conducted. In Boston a school
for consumptives was opened under
private auspices in July, it being the
intention to keep it open for the sum-
mer months only, but so successful
were the results of this work that the
city school authorities recently de-
cided to take over the work and set
aside a permanent building for this
purpose. In Pittsburg a similar
school was opened in September, and
the marked benefits which the chill
dren have already received from this
training have led to it's enlargement.
The Board of Education of New York
City has just granted a teacher to the
Bellevue Hospital Day Camp for the
purpose of conducting school there,
and a consumptive teacher has been
secured to teach the consumptive
children. This school will be con-
Quoted on the deck of an old ferry
boat In all of these schools the chill
dren are kept in the open air all day
long Most of the buildings used are
opened on three sides and are so con-
structed as to furnish unlimited sup
plies of fresh air without draughts.
Desks, blackboards and other para
phernalia are provided in these
schools just the same as in the regu-
lar institutions. The children study
and recite in the open air even dur
ing the coolest weather, and the per-
centage of colds among them is far
smaller than children In the ordinary
public schools. In most of these
freshair schools soapstones are pro-
vided for keeping the feet warm in
cold weather.
In addition to these specially con-
Quoted schools several of the States
have required that the important facts
about tuberculosis be taught in the
lower grades of the public institu-
tions. Michigan was the first State
to adopt measures of this kind. By
an act of 1895, the public schools are
required to give instruction on the
nature of tuberculosis and other in
fectious diseases. In New Jersey pro-
gressive steps are being taken by
teaching the children in the schools
a set Of aphorisms on consumption.
In Massachusetts section on the
nature, dangers and prevention Of
consumption, is being inserted in all
of the physiologies. In the District
of Columbia special text book has
been provided in which instruction
is given concerning sleeping in the
open air, the dangers of splitting, the
way to prevent consumption, and other
kindred topics. Dallas, Tex, is the
latest city to adopt the method of
teaching children about consumption
in the schools, and within a few days
a Tuberculosis Primer" will be in
the hands of every pupil in the public
schools. In North Carolina a sep
arate section on tuberculosis, placed
in all the physiologies, is taught to all
of the children. In Baltimore steps
are being taken to carry on a syste-
matte campaign of education among
the school children by means of lee
lures and circulars. Many other
cities of the country are following
this plan. A petition has been sent
to the Governor of South Carolina
requesting that a textbook on tuber-
culosis, similar to that used in Wash
ington, be placed in the public schools.
Several of the other States are also
taking steps along similar lines.
This movement for the popular edu-
cation of school children on the
causes and dangers of consump-
ton is receiving a great impetus, and
experts on this conclude that within
five years the majority of children in
the United States will be taught con-
cerning the evils and dangers of tu-
berculosis before they leave the lower
grades Of the public schools.