The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1909-03-19
TIE SCNOOZ ROAM

! Open air treatment for tuberculosis
has extended to the public schools, at
least this is so in Boston, which city
is believed to be the first in this coun-
try TO establish such open air schools
This experiment is being carried on
jointly through the winter by the Bos-
ton Association for the Relief and
Control of tuberculosis, which organ
lied it, and the Boston school board.
Besides furnishing the teacher, the
board has recently issued 200 street
car tickets. These are for the children
who are too poor to pay car fare, and
for those who live a long distance
from the school.
The principal reason for starting the
school, says Walter E. kruesi, secre.
tary of the Boston Association for
the Relief and Control of tuberculosis,
was that there were many tuberculous
children and nowhere to send them.
The association hasn't money enough
to take care of all the children in the
public schools who are affected.
The school board has signifed its
Willingness to make an appropriation
to increase the size of the school when
assured of the permanent success of
the scheme, and so great has been the
Improvement in the children in this
school that the matter has passed be-
yond the experimental stage.
Mr.. Kruesi would like to see the en-.
tire building, of which now only the
roof and the dining hall in the base
ment are occupied made over into an
open-air school, accommodating $50
pupils. This could easily be done If
the library which is maintained in the
| building at present were abolished
The progress made by the pupils in
this open-air school is the same as
that made ty normal scholars in the
same grade in the public schools. but
! if these same children We're compelled
to remain in the ordinary school they
would not progress at all
Since this school was started, letters
have come from Cleveland, Cincinnati
and Columbus, from men interested
in the experiment. the principal ex-
preston from those interested being
| surprise that no one had thought of
starting an open air public school be-
fore
There have been for number of
years open air schools for the children
of the rich. private schools, and the
one which was established ia an aban.
doped scboolhouse in Providence, r. l.,
last fall. the first of it's kind in Amer
ica-which is not, however, a public
school-another at Glen Gardner, n.
j., while in California is located the
Marienfeld school for boys.
DR.. James J. Minot made a report
to the school board in which he stated
that there were 1000 children who
needed outdoor schooling. more than
$50 of whom should have special nour.
ishment and special attention to ny.
giene and should be allowed the maxi.
mum of fresh air.
Mayor Hubbard will be remembered
for one thing" declared Mr.. Kruesi.
"and that is because he recommended
to the schoolhouse commission the ad-
visibility Of providing a fresh air
room for tuberculous children to be
built in the new Abraham Lincoln
school. and in the architects plans
this provision has been made. although
the plans have not yet been submitted
to the scheolhouse commission"
The superintendent Of public
schools. Stratton D. Brooks, heartily
| indorses the experiment. but believes
the children affected by tuberculosis
| should be divided into three classes,
as follows:
First. those so i'll that their disease
| is infectious Such children shouldn' I
be allowed in the school room any
more than a child with diphtheria or
measles OF any similar disease. Sec
ondly. those who are weak. and in
such a condition that their diseases
| may become dangerous to other pu-
! pills: and thirdly. those who are
slightly affected. who, might never
have been In that condition If they
had not been confined IN sluffy rooms
This last class Of children will be the
ones directly benefited by having an
open air room built in every school
! house.
Miss He!ea NJ. Mead is the teacher
of this interesting class OF fresh Iii