The Newark star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1909, 1909-05-14
WOULD EDUCATE
SCHOOLS To FIGHT
WHITE PLAGUE
Dr.. Poland Declares Pupils Can
Be Made the Greatest Force
Against tuberculosis.
TO READ PAPER ON
THE SUBJECT TONIGHT
Shows an I~rrefutabIe Array of
Facts to Bear Out His
Theory.

That school children may become rthe
most formidable foes of tuberculosis in
the fight which is being everywhere
waged against that dread disease
through instruction In tbs public school
of its deadly nature and the proper
method Of prevention. is the novel idea
advanced by DR.. A. B. Poland. superin-
tendent Of the Newark public schools.
in a paper he is to read tonight In
Washington. d. C, before the members
Of the Association for the Study and
Prevention of tuberculosis. The two
days annual convention of the associa-
tai today and tomorrow.
DR.. Poland, in his paper, .sTl1e Rela-
ton of the Public Schools to the Anti
Tuberculosis Movement presents an
apparently irrefutable array of reasons
why the public schools should be draft
ed into the fight against the great
white plague" It says, in part"
When individual effort fails in a
democracy collective effort becomes
necessary. Such collective effort may
be voluntary. as in the case of this as
ISOLATION. or obligatory. that is re-
quired by law. AS a rule voluntary
collective effort precedes and paves the
way for legal ENACTMENT. Such has
been the history Of the public schools,
as shown by the introduction into
school curricula of the kindergarten,
Fairgrounds. manual training, medical
inspection. cooking. sewing and most
other school activities that are now
almost universal. The public. first of
all, must be educated to recognize the
new need, and the surest and quickest
way 10 educate the public is to show
the new activity In actual operation.
AS an instance in point, / may cite the
Fresh Air School for pretuberculous
and tuberculous children. established
in Providence in 1907.
The responsibility Of the State for
the physical welfare of the child is not
fully discharged when it makes pro-
vision merely for hygienic school sur
roundings; it must see that the child
Is In a proper condition to be taught
and that he is taught In the most
effective name To be effectively
taught the child must be healthy, we'll
npurished. supplied with capable In
s~tructors, not subjected to mental
overstrain, ETC.
Having in mind, then, its true func-
ton. is the cooperation of the school in
the anti-tuberculosis movement either
necessary or desirable? There are sew
erai reasons, in my Judgment, why such
cooperation Is eminently needed and
much to be desired.
First, such cooperation will afford
the quickest and most effective mean
to disseminate knowledge as to the ma
ture of tuberculosis and the best meant
for its prevention and cure. APPROX
mafely rs per cent of our total popula-
tion are enrolled in public and private
schools.
Second, children are the best pro-
motors Of new ideas in the homes.
1T may be objected that the school
curriculum is already SO full that no
time is left to teach tuberculosis: or
that this kind of instruction has no
place In the schools. but there are par
t~icularly strong reasons. II seems to
me. why tuberculosis should be taught
IN the schools:
u. The study of hygiene is already a
part of h school curriculum.
"2. The facts desirable to teach lend
themselves readily TO distribution
among all grades.
During the past few years The
county council has opened three open
- --LA~1- A. 1rAoA ~s.,tIo. 20 fho
Charlottenburg School. Each of these
London schools contains about 70
pupils, selected. by the councils medi-
cal officers from among the schools in
the nearby district. Glasses are not
expected to exceed twenty-five chill
dren. Hours r from Q a. m. to 7 p.
M Children receive three meals a day.
"The success of these schools is said
to be highly satisfactory. Not less
than Is per cent. ave been perma-
uently cured. and IS per cent. greatly
improved. The educational results have
been more remarkable.
From the standpoint of school ad-
ministration the most salient feature
of the open-air schools described above
is their comparative cheapness. AS a
matter of fact 1t would cost less to
house and teach these children in the
open air than to provide suitable ac-
accommodations in u ordinary ARTIFICIAL
ly heated and ventilated school build
|ings.
THE possibilities that are opened up
by these open air schools are of vital
Importance to the anti-tuberculosis
movement. An immediate and organ
lied effort should be made to establish
such schools everywhere throughout the
United States, In doing this. the Ma
tional Association should be the chief