The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-06-02
Literary Digest.

Di6Oots
The difference between US and the ancient
Greeks, rays Superintendent George E. John.
son, oflhe Plttsourg Playground Association
writing in The Psychological Clinic Phlla-
delphia, March l5), ls that they cared tor the
strong and sometimes left the weak 10 perish,
whereas we care tenderly for the weak, and
often leave the strong 10 the tender mercies
Of disease. OF the two plans, the Greek, some
what heartless, would appear TO be Tor the
greater public good. There is no reason how.
ever, why we should not give 10 both weak
and strong the opportunities and care fitted
10 make them the best citiz ans. Play grounds,
Mr.. johnson thinks, are the means for doing
this. After a brief discussion Of the death
rate during SCHOOLGIRLS, he goes on 10 say
1T Is 20 the death-rate during the school
age. however great or small. that Is the Sly.
ultcant thing for US. The significant thing Is
whether in these years OF natures smiles,
strength or weakness is being laid by for fu-
ture years. We are learning more and more
certainly every year that our skulking Toe,
the microbe. OF whatever tribe, strikes when
a man is down. Patiently he bides his time,
gathering his forces In secret until the time
TO strike.
Speaking along this line, DR.. Tyler says;
creased death-rate Of girls at eighteen and
thereabout from consumption and other dis
eases Of relatively slow action Ia the culDi-
patton OF an attack begun at thirteen or -FOUR
teen. II we are to diminish this death-rate,
we must fortify the girl against the periods
OF greatest weakness when she Is most likely
TO receive Hospitality the germs OF fatal dit
eases. To accom- plish this we must not wait
| until the twelfth or thirteenth year, but meet
the difficulty In childhood. Huber. also, In
| his work on 'Consum ption' says: There Is the
long period OF latency in which. II the child
be well nurtured and II he live hygienicalIy,
he will be likely to overcome such tendency
10 disease as he may have begun life with
when at some future time posterlty looks
back upon the conditions that prevail In our
day, H. will behold no darker picture, no
more disgraceful thing than our weak SUI
render Of our children 10 sickness and death.
What excuse can then be offered for the fact
that even IN this land, more Than oue-half OF
all the children born into the world die be-
lore they have reached mans estate' that II
per cent of scboo!-2hildren suffer some physl'
cal handicap, more or less serious, at the very
threshold Of Ilfe's ::opportu ollies; that oul
schools not ouly do not tortify the children
against known enemies. but actually setray
them, in their innocence. to their deadly foes?
ITO the American School Hygiene AS oci,
alton belongs the great credit of an organized
effort to free US from this national error. but
may 1 present the humble claim that the ad
vocates OF the playground offer the most
promising single means for Its accomplish
10 epl?
From amoeba TO man the essential con.
ditions 10 life and health have been few and
plain. Through ell The ages OF that slow as-
cent, but with varying emphasis. these have
been food, air, sunshine, exercise. Upon the
supply OF these IN proper KIDD and amount
depends the health Of amoeba, worm, tsh
| 4 ooB vi CA 'SS ~
these for obvious reasons. let us consider the
Importance OF each OF the others In Boboo
hygiene and the office Of the playground In
supplying them.
"Air. The playground is the only plac'
where q schoo ! child gets air in the prope
amount and kind, the only place where he Oh
tains full and complete aeration OF the blood
A desplcable fraction OF schoolrooms hav'
standard neutrality-suspicious., and tn
rooms that have do not b ways ~adequatel.
| benefit thereby. l have personally tested
score of schoolrooms almost under the shad
ow of the capitol ola State that has the bes
Of existing laws. and %found.the supply of al
to equal the standard In only two OF tn
rooms and in some ii fell TO less than one
fourth OF thai amount.
"But even could ventilation be perfect In
schoolroom, there would not be the sam
. a~eratlop of the blood in q seated studyin
r child as In a child on the playground. Ther
!, must be the e%xhiiaration of joyous exercise
j the strengthening pulse the quickened, deeI
' ened breathing, the full chest, OF susta1ne
effort that drives the air 10 TO the very apexe
OF the lunge, to meet the needs OF the GROWN
+ child. The schoolroom may be made Les