Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1909-12-23


ETC.. as Well as defective sight and
hearing. After the examination is
made record is kept in the office
and in order to be of practical val
lie there must be close conn ection be-
tween this and the class room rec
ORD. 1t would be of little use to have
record in the office to the effect
that Willie was stone deaf in the
night ear, while the teacher knows
nothing of it and seats Willie in the
back left hand corner of the room.
In Pasadena, California, a space is
left in the teachers roll book to in
sert any physical defect, thus apply
ms any practical knowledge gained
by the examination.
Regarding the methods used for
testing the sight and hearing of the
pupil, I shall not speak further as
that subject will be comprehensive
~ dealt with later.
In the administration of system
OF medical inspection many questions
present themselves. Some are: 1st.
Is it better to have the inspector
devote his entire time to the work
or is it preferable to have him de-
vote a part of his time to outside
practice? End. Should the doctor be
allowed to prescribe for the child
rem? 3rd. What should be done in
cases where the parents are too poor
or indifferent to- take measures rec
commended by the physician? 4th. If
the child has defective vision and
glasses are needed, who will furnish
them If the parents will not? The
answers to these questions will de
pend somewhat on local conditions.
In general it is considered best not
to have the doctor devote his entire
time to school work In answer to
the second question ais to whether or
not he shall prescribe, the answer
must be that in no case should he
lay himself open to the charge that
he is using his official position for
the purpose of charging his private
practice. This is the inyariable rule
except in cases of emergency. The
problem of furnishing eye glasses has
been discussed but in most cases the
parents have provided the same and
where they were unable to meet the
expense it has always been possible
to arrange with some charitable or
ganization, so in one way or anoth-
er the questions are all being solv-
ed satisfactorily.
There is some question as to the
authority which should control such
a system. 1t has proven most sat
isfactory, however. to have them act
under the authority of the Board of
Education and in cooperation with
the Board of Health.
| can think of no more fitting con
clusion to this paper than a portion
of the code of health adopted by the
Board of Education of Kenosha. a
city about twice the size of Grand
Rapids.
/. For the purpose of maintain
ing a good sanitary condition in the
public schools and to prevent the
spread Of contagious diseases there
is hereby established a system of
medical inspection.
2. The medical inspection is to
be made by legally qualified ply
stefan resident of Kenosha to be APP
pointed by the Kenosha County Med
ical Society. Such physician to serve
for one school year or until his sue
cessor lis appointed, his services rem
dered gratis.
3. During an epidemic of contag-
ious diseases all pupils shall be ex-
amined by the inspector each school
day morning between the hours of
eight and nine o'clock. Except dur
ing an epidemic, the inspector is to
be at the call of the school princi-
pal or superintendent
6. At the beginning of each year
all pupils must be inspected by the
regularly appointed inspector to note
their physical condition and to dis
cover if they have the scar of sue
cessful vaccination. A record of sucI
inspection is to be kept by the school
superintendent. (This rule is not to
be interpreted to mean that any pup
ii not having such scar of vaccina-
ton is to be excluded from the
SCHOOL,
Z. These rules are to apply only
to pupils in the grades from the pri-
mary to the eighth inclusive
8. Every classroom in the grades
from first to eighth inclusive must