New-York tribune., 1908-10-30
DARLINGTON PROTESTS
Bureau of Child Hygiene Needs
More Money, He Says.

Failure Of the Board of Estimate and Apporuon-
ment to allow the Health Department the nun
amount asked for for the prosecution OF It's Work
of medical inspection of public schools as COP
Quoted by the bureau of child hygiene VIII cause
serious curtaiment OF the work on January l. II
was said yesterday. DR.. Darlington the Heal.h
Commissioners said before the board that he fully
believed the few hundred thousand dollars given 10
the department for the work among the chiioreh
would many millions eventually
The Department of Health has got an appToprla-
ton for the bureau OF $329340. 1t had asked lot
s44s25o This will mean a reduction in the force OF
employees wanted for the work throughout the CITY
and now practically in service, follows:
In Manhattan. from y physicians to 7o and from
n nurses to 81 The Bronx physicians ~ 10 To-
nurses, Is II Brooklyn. physicians, 80 10 o.
nurses IS to So Queens physicians % to 10; nurses,
IS to 10 Richmond, physicians, TO 3; nurses Q
TO 4 The supervising staff will be reduced from 10
Il. the appropriation for 1t was cut Iroi"
s1S.75o to S11.64o.
DR.. Darlington said yesterday that four years ago
more than 5000 children were excluded from the
public schools for some minor ailment or form OF
contagious disease. Last year the total huihoei
was only 5000. although there was greater preVa-
Ience of contagious diseases. At the END OF tle
school term these excluded children otten 90 not
receive promotion which results in block In the
smooth operation of the educational plans ana d
consequent failure to get the full value for the
money appropriated. The Commissioner SAID:
The annual appropriation for the year 1871 LOT
was more than s245OO.ooo The enrolment OF puPiS
at the beginning Of the school year was more IMAM
$4,000 placing the approximate amount expehoeu
for the education Of each child at $43 but ths Is
exclusive of the interest upon the corporate STOCK
or the Indebtedness incurred IN the purchase Oh
land and in the building Of schoolhouses. whlch
would bring per capita cost up TO at least e9'
In the last annual report of the City superintendent
of Schools it is stated that IN the year lS' nearly
25OUO children failed of promotion Out OF every
10000 children examined than l0SvU were
found to be suffering from some contagious PhySI-
cal defect"
The Commissioner declared that II the time lost
in school attendance through illness was taken INTO
account, as we'll the acknowledged lnaolhly o'
the physically defective child properly TO assmhate
his lessons il was able to suppose that the
large majority failed Of promotion because OF thelr
physical condition. Alert mentality. he SAID as q
general rule dfd not exist with physical weakness
abnormality.
One of the most important parts OF the "orh' 'ii0
Commissioner said, the watching OF nlld"lNeS-
the care of infants eyes at birth. He SAID thdI
fourths of the blindness in this city occurred
from lack of care at time of birth. This was
new work and the cost Of the care Of the pima III
future years he said, would amount to many times
the amount asked for to prevent its occurrence
The work of the summer corps, the actual saving
of the lives Of infants was demonstrated last
summer the doctor said, paid for out OF the
appropriation Of the bureau of child hygiene. Dr-
Darlington will of course, prosecute the Work 10
the full extent that the appropriation will alo"