The copper era., 1910-03-24
What 800 Cities Are Planning For The
Physical Welfare of School Children

League of New York City, the Bureau
of Municipal Research has learned
from superintendent of schools and
health boards what $50 cities in forty
two states and the District of Column
bia are doing this year to discover
and remove physical defects of
school children. All told, these cities
haye total population of $4,000, 900
and total school enrolment of over
100000 OF these cities 149 with
100000 school children are not maxi
ing any attempt to discover trans
missible diseases at school; 2l1 are in
specting for such diseases; 234 are
examining for defective vision; Ill
for breathing troubles, and 1l9 for
bad teeth; 107 with a population of
?, 100000 have no examination of any
kind for their $50, 900 school children.
Because finding diseases and defects
does not protect children unless dis
covery is followed by treatment, in
So cities nurses take children to dis
pensaries or instruct parents atschool
houses; 48 send nurses from house to
house to instruct parents and to per
suade them to have their family
physicians or nearby dispensaries
give the necessary attention: 10l
send out cards of instruction about
tuberculosis, dental hygiene and diet
to parents, either by children or by
IL. h ! Ia 4
special cooperation with dispensaries,
hospitals and relief societies for
giving the children the shoes or cloth
ing or medical and dental care which
is found necessary.
Children found predisposed to tuber-
culosis or already infected with it
will be sought out and given some
special care or instruction by 81 cities.
Out-of-door schools, roof schools, ferry
boat schools and hospital schools for
tuberculous children are provided
New York City will spend next year
Sc, 500 for making over and equipping
20 rooms in regular buildings, first
step in an entirely new plan of YEN
tilation which will give outdoor air
to all children, sick or well. New
York also excludes from school
children already infected with tuber-
culosis, which in justice to these
children makes necessary proper care
and special classes away from other
children.
Three or four years ago medical in
spection meant hurried looking
over of school children to discover
measles, scarlet fever, diphtheria,
etc. Now % cities look more for de-
fective vision than for transmissible
diseases.
Three years ago adenoid growths
were almost unheard of among school
teachers, and not even progressive
medical men were taking an interest
in dental hygiene. 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 diseases
of which people are more afraid, and
119 cities are taking inventory of
dental needs at school. Following
Minnesota's example "Boston 1915, :"
under the leadership of DIR. Richard
c. Cabot has committed the board of
health to thorough examination of
all children early in the school year
to find "diphtheria carriers" in order
to locate in advance of the winters
usual epidemic those children who
are breeding this disease. Enlarged
tonsils and adenoid growths are
thought to favor the spread of other
diseases.
No gain is more revolutionary than
that the schools of 1I9 cities are dis
covering which children need atten-
tion to their teeth. While dentists
prefer that examinations for bad
teeth be made by dentists, 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 parents
laugh that bad teeth mean bad health,
bad looks and bad earning power.
Particularly notable in this revolution
in dental hygiene are the Massachu-
sets State Council of Dental Hygiene
and the four dental clinics organized
in connection with three OF the New
York Children's Aid Society schools
and Bellevue Hospital. Ia some cities
tooth brushes are given by school
authorities; in other cities children
are asked to bring brushes to school
so as to be taught how to use them
without injuring the teeth. Not only
dentists but general medical practi-
TONERS as well, are rousing them
selves through public discussions,
scientific meetings and popular ex-
hibits to secure better dental clinics,
to persuade dentists TO clean and fill
teeth instead of extrdc citing them and
to induce hospitals and dispensaries
to put in dental clinics for both
children and adults.
Chicago's board OF education has a
special division of child study for