Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1909-02-04

ment during the formation period of
life. The rapid system of getting SO
much into child's brain il such a
short time. | fear each year is claim
ing it's victims. School inspection is
doing much to improve hygienic con-
ditions to prevent the spread OF COM
municable diseases and to detect and
remedy troubles of the eye, ear, nose
and throat. In spite of criticism and
some disappointing results it has ac-
compliShed most marked improve
ment where given a careful and ildi-
cious trial To be thoroughly effec-
tive it should be general and thor
ough school inspection in New jer-
sey is optional-it should be compul-
sorry In order to be thorough it
should be done by competent ply
sician, who should receive adequate
compensation for thorough and pains
taking work | believe, however, hat
in every community there will be
found physicians who would aassis1
gladly in putting inspection on d good
firm foundation without compensation
until such time as school boards cps.id
make some remuneration for enis SER
vice. Uniform standards of require
ments and methods of inspection
should be adopted. While school in
spection which will go far towards
detecting and preventing diseases it
does not accomplish all for the ply
sical welfare of the pupils. Practical
hygiene should be a part of the cur
riculum in so far as it would insure
normal bodily development. The
duty to properly care for the body
should be early impressed upon the
child, and practical ideas shonld be
instilled how to accomplish it. The
love of life is a God given instinct and
the preservation of health q sacred
duty. If the principles of personal
hygiene were more fully appre, ieGed
as duty and more fully lived up to
the standard of individual morality
would be proportionally elevated.
Bodily health in the fullest ana strict
est sense has a very intimate relation
to moral integrity.If the laws OF by
giene are carefully inculcated IN
child when they are at such a racep-
tive stage and such a time when they
are so essential, I am sure that in
many instances they will remain all
through life We should nave de-
partment of physical education which
should aim to develop, strengthen and
discipline the human body by directed,
systemas1c exercise TO secure Sad main
tain gooA health through practical
knowledges of the laws of hygiene
Many educators are urging the need
well, of the public schools of New
York City, says: That no school is
doing adequate work without physi-
o1 in 1,o r,f II
naStics and manual training.
The question of medical inspection
is very vital adjunct to physical
training; each school district should
have an inspector who should visit
the schools, not at prescribed times
when the school rooms are prepared
to receive him, when the children are
also slicked up for the occasion, but
he should make his visits ait any time
during the day to carefully observe
the conditions when the ordiary rou-
tine work is being done and the nor
NAL conditions exist in school life,
not especially prepared ones. The
cleanliness, ventilation, water supply,
closets, the accumulation of dust, the
examination of children's eyes,
throats, nose, ears, and skin, together
with their general physical makeup
should be gone into. If a child is
defective note should be given to
the child for the parents with the re-
quest that the family physician should
be consulted for treatment. The in
spector should have absolute author
ity to exclude from the schools any
child with an eruption on its face or
hands, and to take such steps as his
Judgment indicates as necessary to
prevent the spread of communicable
diseases. Let us take for example,
the eyesight, how much our eyes have
deteriorated in the last few years.
The number of people wearing glasses
has markedly increased over the rates
in population. On our eyesight de-
pendS our ability to conduct properly
the affairs of life. Notwitnsta icing
the great damage or degeneration that
the eyes of our school children are
constantly undergoing, do not know
of school board which has a techni-
cal expert to decide on questions of
vision. School books are adopted, but
no standards are established based on
adequate research, as to the length
of lines for the various eyes, size of
type, width of margins, the type of
drawings and the finish of the paper
This peculiar condition as to vision
is not alone. The school has changed
the life of the child from predomin
ent activity to predominant sedcntary
in character. Five to six hours day
seated. So radical an adjustment of
the life habits has never before been
attempted. We know nothing Of the
effect on digestion, circulation, nu-
triton and posture are as yet un-
known quantities. Yet we have no
experts who are attempting to faith
ON these problems.
There has been certain amount of
data collected by physicins that many
children's progress in schools is
markedly retarded by hypertrophied
tonsils or adenoids. But there is
not employed an expert to study the
reasons for the occurrence OF such
growths, especially as related to
school life. 1t is noncontrovertible
fact that growth is more necessary
than education and that when too Sc
uoro cfrnin mt T,ron thn y,,sap+a1