The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1909-06-01

are being taken in this direction and
organized agencies are forming for
this grand and noble work. Some
States in our union are far in ad-
vance Of South Carolina in this re-
ispect, and not only physicians are re-
quired to report all contagious and
infectious diseases coming under
their observation, but also the citi-
zens in whose homes such maladies
may come are required to make
prompt reports of same to a health
officer.
A conscientious mother on the sub
urbs Of Philadelphia, desirious of
obeying 1.-THE law strictly, made
this report to the local board of
health: "Dear Sir: This is to notify
you that my boy Ephraim is down
bad with the measles as required by
the new law" A little out of order
in the wording Of her report but
much better that than to act as one
who wilfully neglects or even con-
mines to hide the true situation,. and
thereby jeopardizes the health and
life of others.
| We have briefly followed the child
through babyhood and the age be-
tween that and the school life, and
We shall now direct our thought to
that time in its life which places it
before the public for instruction and
preparation for life s duties.
This is the time in life in which
proper health can be more effectively
dealt with by the public than at any
other. Whatever has been neglected
can now be corrected if the authori-
ties so desire. No child should be
allowed to enter school unprepared in
health or food or clothing, and be ex-
pected to keep pace with its mate IN
the task before them. Too much is
expected of parents who will not or
cannot perform their duty. A parent
may know his child is physically
weak, but does not know the remedy.
He does not know the child has de-
fective vision or hearing probably, and
the child suffers at school as dul-
lard in the estimation of his play
mates and even the teacher.
The first thing that would suggest
itself to a prudent public authority
would be to take stock of them and
see what they are like. It is the new
raw material on which the education
al machinery is expected to work;
and it would be business-hke to learn
its quality and see whether it is able
to do that which may be expected of
it. The simple precaution of having
the children of the school examined
by a competent physician would be
acting the part of wisdom. The i'll
developed rickety tuberculosis child
cannot cope with the robust The
near or far-sighted child canncS read
unaided by lenses, intelligently
enough to advance with his class
not to say anything Of his suffering.
The child hard of hearing from that
very common affliction-adenoids-
cannot be expected to hear the ex-
PLANTATION given the class by the
teacher. Tire one whose cerebral It's
sue has been slow in development
cannot be expected to keep pace with
the precocious.
Notwithstanding these facts the
schools as ordinarily conducted yoke
them all together and cry out,
"Devil take the hindmost. "
millions are spent in providing
ships and rifles and guns for wars
that will never happen: the smallest
outlay is grudged towards providing
the men to man those ships and ire
those guns, should the occasion ever
arise for the people to defend their
eountry,''
Not only the manned by hered!ty
or accident are those who fall by
the wayside, but many who are an=
derfed through ignorance or poverty
meet the same fate. The children
Of the rich even are not always prop
erly nourished.
DR.. Eichholz, who made very
careful and painstaking study Of this
subject, said, II hold a very firm
opinion, which is shared by medical
men, members of education commit
tees, managers, teachers, and others
conversant with the condition OF
school children, that food is at the
la. ~ oil child 1aronoracv. that is