The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-09-24
WARMING FROM
The STATE BOARD
THIS Is THE MONTH OF SCHOOL
EPIDEMIcS AND PRECAUTIONS
SHOULD BE TAkEN-PUBLIC
DRINKING CUP Is CON-
DEMNED.


the schools of the state, the state
health board has the following to say
in the bulletin made public yester-
day:
This is the month for school open
ing and these are occasions for the
starting of epidemics more or less SER
ious. This has been the history in the
past and the same conditions prevail
ing, we can see no reason why 1t
should not be duplicated this season.
With so many children coming in so
short time into close contact sitting
same text books, mingling in the same
in the same room, often using the
playground, using a common drinking
cup and otherwise exposing them
selves to conditions favoring an inter-
change of infective germs, it would
be strange If we did not get an occa-
sional outbreak of some of the con-
tagious diseases incident to childhood.
A single pupil carrying with him any
Of the germs of scarlet fever, measles,
diphtheria, whooping cough, smallpox
or other diseases of a like nature may
very readily infect a whole school be-
fore the trouble is detected. This OBJ
servation has induced many school
boards to take measures that will re-
duce to a minimum the chances for
such conditions. At the beginning of
the school year pupils are compelled
to submit to physical examination.
In this way active cases are at once
detected and the public save from
the expense and inconvenience of a
spread Of the disease. Doubtful cases
are kept under close supervision and
in this way the people are protected.
Not only is examination made on the
opening day but at regular periods
thereafter. There is a strong feeling
and it is growing-that teachers
should be scientifically trained to di-
agnose the commoner form of chill
drcn's diseases as we'll as inherited
and acquired physical defects. We.
consider this as part of the teachers
equipment fully as important as many
of the other requirements.
There is such a close relationship
between the physical and the mental
that to neglect the one means to Grip
pie the other. 'tHe that would be
good must be happy and he that would
be happy must be healthy"
The child is a creature of inheritance
plus environment. over the former
he has no control and over the latter
he has very little in the early years of
his life. He Is entitled to a Square
deaT' and this means that he should
be placed in the best physical and
mental condition that he may be able
to make good" in the battle for bread
which we are all sooner or later called
upon to fight. 1t has been demon
strated that a large per cent of these
defects, both inherited and acquired,
are remedial and that on their re-
moval the mental backwardness which
has been a concomitant condition van
ishes as If by magic. 1t becomes our
common mantle of protection and
helpIessness around those who are de-
pendent on us for their care and de-
velopment.
Drinking Cups.
Another question that is pressing IT.
self on the attention of the school au-
thorities is that of abolishing the COM
mon drinking cup. 1t is now recog-
nized as a relic of the past that has
been tolerated longer than necessary.
A archaeological examination of the
margin of any common drinking cup
that has been in use for any length
of time will show thousands of dis
ease germs. This is no scare state
ment-it is a. act backed up by ample
proof and which any one can have de-
monstrated for his own satisfaction
if at all skeptical. A great move
ment is on foot to have this evil rene
died. Responding to the cry for a
remedy a number of railway and pub
lie institutions have abolished it. In
our state a great many schools have
got on the firing line and have fired"
this Sntiquated disease spreader. This
is proper and ere long we expect to
see 1t fired from every school in
North Dakota. The substitutes are
inexpensive. A nice hygienic bubbling
fountain can be installed for $25 or
upward-no cups being necessary. To
those who prefer 1t individual drinking
cups can be had of paper or parafine at
a. fraction of a cent each. An auto
matte device can be had which de-
livers germ free cup by putting "a
penny in the slot" To those who pre-
fer 1t aluminium extension cups in
neat case can be had for a nickel From
the standpoint of economy, there can
be hardly any excuse for continuing
this public nuisance any longer. The
common drinking cup must go!
We cannot close without entering
a plea for the better teaching of pub
tic hygiene in the schools of our state.
In many of the schools splendid in
struction is given, but in others I am
led to believe that the SIrbioo4 10 cutie
nearly ignored. This is not what
should be the case. How to escape
from disease and how to cooperate in
conserving community health should be
instilled into every American citizen
from his youth up. We suffer from dis
ease through ignorance-we escape
through knowledge" The children is
the avenue by which we will reach the
avenue by which we viii reach the
masses-children today-citizens to-