The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1909-11-12
SCHOOL CHILDREN
GIVEN attention.
What Is Being Done in Many
Cities and States of the
Union.
HELP FOR THE AFFLICTED
SUGGESTIONS MADE BY BUREAU
OF MUNICIPAL RESEARCH.

Acting for Miss Dorothy Whitney, for
mer president OF the Junior League of
New York City, the Bureau of Munich
pal Research has learned from superin-
tendents OF schools and health boards
what 35S cities in AZ states and the Dis
trict of Columbia are doing this year
to discover and remove physical defecIs
of school children. All told, these cities
have a total population OF 2,0O0,VO ana
a total school enrolment of over 4,Oc0,VN.
OF these cities I4S. with 10000 school
children, are not making any attempt 20
discover transmissible diseases at school;
20 are inspecting for. such Diseases ~
are examining for defective vision, Ill
for breathing troubles, and III Tor Dad
teeth; l06, with a population of 20O,OOO'
nave no examination OF any klnd IOf
their $4,000 school children.
Because finding diseases and defects
does not protect children unless discovery
is followed by treatment, in SO cities
nurses take children TO dispensaries or
instruct parents at school houses; iS send
nurses from house to house TO instruct
parents and to persuade them TO nave
their family physicians or nearby dlspen-
saries give the necessary attention; IS
send out cards of instruction about tu-
berculoss, dental hygiene and diet, to
parents. either by children or by man;
while 14l cities have arranged special CO
operation with dispensaries, hospitals and
relief societies for giving the children the
shoes or clothing Or medical and dental
care winch Is IUunu necessary
Special Care to Be Given.
Children found predisposed to tubercu-
losis or already infected with it viii be
sought out and given some special care
or instruction by IS cities Out-of-door
schools. roof schools. feTrybOat schools
and hospital schools for tuberculous chill
dren are provided. New York City Will
spend next year $3.50 for making over
and equipping - rooms in regular build
ings. a first step in an entirely new plan
of ventilation which will give outdoor air
10 all children, sick or well. New YORK
also excludes from school children al
ready infected with tuberculosis. which
in justice TO these children makes neces-
sary proper care and special classes away
from other children.
Three or four years ago medical inspec-
ton meant q hurried looking over of
school children to discover measles, scar
let fever, diphtheria, etc. Now II more
cities look for defective vision than Tor
transmissible diseases.
Three years ago adenOid grOwths were
almost unheaTd Of among school teach
ers. and not even progressive medical men
were taking an interest IN dental nygl-
enc. Yet today in III cities adenOids,
hypertrOphied tOnsils, breathing defects
are seen to be a more serious menace TO
child welfare and school progress than
the more easily detected contagious dis
eases of which people are more AFRAID,
and III cities are taking inventory OF
dental needs at school Following Min
leadership of Dr. Richard c. Cabot, has
committed the board OF health to thor
ough examination of all children early
in the school year to find "diphtheria
carriers i'm order to locate in advance
of the winters usual epidemic those chit
dTen who are breeding this disease. En-
larged tonsils and adenOid Srowths are
thought to favor the spread of other dis
eases.
Dental Hygiene.
49,.
the schools of IL cities are discovering
which children need attention to their
teeth. While dentists prefer that exam
nations for bad teeth be made by den
lists, in all parts of the country their
state and county and city associations
emphatically demand that decaying teeth
should be located and both child and par
ents taught that bad teeth mean bad
health, bad looks and bad earning pow
er. Particularly notable in this revOlu-
ton in dental clinics are the MaSsachu-
sets State Council of Dental Hygiene and
the four dental clinics organized in con
uection with three OF the New York Chill
drens Aid society schools and Bellevue
hospital. In some cities tooth brushe;
are given by school authorities; in Other
cities children are asked to bring bruSAe,
10 school so as TO be taught how to us'
them without iniuriug the teeth Not ONLY
dentists, but general medical prpctitOn
ers as well, are rousing themseiYet
meetings and popular exhibits TO secur
better dental clinics. to persuade dentists
10 clean and FIJI teeth instead OF eX
tracing them, and to induce hospital
and Gispensaries TO put in dental clinic
for both children and adults.
Chicago's board of education has
special division of child study for eX
amining all children whose defects ar
deeper seated than those above men
toned. Both Chicago and Philadelphia
have a private pathological clinic 70
children. which takes up nervous Difficult
nd "a he a
either hereditary troubles or deep-seate
defects.
Several cities prov de school meals q
cost In many the teachers have relic
funds for the purchase of shoes, foo
and clothing. while others have speca
arrangements with private societies 70
giving home relief where the home
found TO need more than the educatio
which nurses and physicians can give. L
several there are special schools for Grip
pied children In New York the cripple
children's driving fund discovered tina
in the majority of instances. cripple
berculOsis had taken away father o
mother, or other relative, or else frOI
houses where one or more tuberculou
patients have died.
In New York the division of child nv
giene Of the department of health an
the city superintendent Of schools hav
arranged TO examine for physical fitnes
all school children who are applying fo
work certificates before they get the
certificate of education fitness. Here
tofore. the examination has been made /
one central place. Now in each scho,
the principal asks the school physical
to examine candidates for work certif
Gates and the principal who knows II
child and the parent. viii explain the in
portance OF having teeth eyes, hose an
lungs IN normal sound condition befOT
the child joins the industrial army
Several cities have written I'VE war
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