The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-05-12
THE PHYSICIAN
IN THE SCHOOLS
Rabbits Plea for Medical
inspection of the
Pupils.

uPiI0G
There was meeting of the Social
Science Club at the home of L. A.
Thurston last evening at which Super
intendent of Public instruction W. H.
Babbitt read the following paper on
=" Compulsory Medical Inspection of
Schools-A Plea for the Child:''
Long before the time of Ponce de
Leon and his futile search for the phan-
tom fountain of youth, were men
endeayoring TO find a specific for the
ravages of time and ''cure-all'' for
ailments in old age, many due TO neg
lect in youth. That we have all this
time been missing the obviously cor
rect source of a healthy old age as well
as preventive to a premature one may
be putting the case too strongly; but
the light of scientific investigation
shows tonclusively that too little at
tention has been paid TO youth in a
preparation for maturity, and there IS
incOntroveTtible PROOF that most Of the
illiteracy, truancy and subsequent crime
among the young is directly traceable
to known, and oftener unknown, though
easily remedia0le, defects in school
children. Physicians and educators in
some of our large centers have worked
out a plan to overcome these defects
in training the child, with results al
ready promising great success and in
dicating that a path to health in old
age, too long neglected, is to be given
a fair trial
"a sound mind in a sound BODY
has long been 4 favorite maxim with
us, but we have given undue emphasis
TO the sound mind to the lamentable
neglect of the body. Many a parent
complaining that his child is not being
properly educated would be well nigh
staggered to know that his own ignor-
ance and neglect have rendered his
child physically unable to receive a
proper education.
SIGHT AND HEARING.
In 1905. there were 100000 blind |
people in the United States, many of
whom would never have become so had |
their defects received attention during |
school life. 1t cost the public some
SIS, 000,O 900 to care for them. Evidence
collected shows that from twenty to |
twenty-five per cent. of school children /
in the country, and about thirty per |
cent. in the cities, are defective in
sight, and approximately five per cent
defective in hearing. In London, out /
Of 5000 children examined for vision,
so per cent were found detectives; in
out of 1896, 80 per cent.
were found detectives; in New York,
out of 55,332, 29.6 per cent; in Phil
adelphia, out of 100000 2S.4 per cent;
in Cleveland. out of 30,045, 20,7 per
cent. In a small minority of eases were
such defects known to parents, teach
ars, or the children themselves. A local !
application may not be out of place.
Somewhat over a year ago word reach
ed me that a child in one of our city
schools had been severely whipped, and
was asked to look into the case. The
teacher admitted whipping the child
for inattentiveness and failure to obey
orders. careful inquiry developed
he fact that the child was almost
totally deaf in the right ear, and that
when spoken to, from that side she
either did not hear at all or so indis-
.inctly as not to comprehend what was
said. The condition was unknown to
,ver $4,000 public school children. An
here would doubtless pro-
luce startling results. For the year
.nding April 80, 1908. the government
lispensary gave 1905 treatments. for
rachoma to children from only twelve
# our public schools in this city. How
many private treatments were given,
md how many in other places needed
treatment, | do not know.
Massachusetts, developed system for
esting sight and hearing, which may
,e applied by the teachers themselves,
md the result of one year s work prov
ID its value Three hundred and forty
line towns reported 432 ,937 children
with 96,609. or % per cent.
defective in sight, and 1887, or per
ent. defective in hearing. Physicians /
tate that teachers properly instructed h
AN discover from 10 to So per cent. i;
# eases needing attention: The sim
,licity and effectiveness of the Massa-
husetts system commend it for adop- I
ion here. Exhibit No. l shows this
vstem in detail The cuts of the boy i,
IN card No. are a fair sample of re- 5
ults which may be reasonably expected {
where treatment is given. The above
ests are ones involving q minimum of
ime and expense with promise of an
lnlanited amount of resultant good. /
S"ch tests. with arrangements made for
,,rnishing glasses or medical attention
II moderate cost to those who could Il
say, and assistance to those who could