Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1910-02-10
RURAL INSPECTION
RULES ARE GIVEN

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The secretaries of township school
boards in Montour county have been
receiving copies of a circular letter
that State Health Commissioner Dix
ion is sending out relative to the health
of the pupils attending the little red
school houses in the rural districts
of the state.
The act of Assembly Of 1907 provides
that where heating is accomplished
by common stove, this stove shall
in part be enclosed with q shield or
jacket of sufficient height and suitable
material so as to protect all pupils
while seated at their desks from di-
rect rays Of heat. It further provides
that the school rooms shall be furnish
ed with ample means of ventilation
and that thermometer shall be kept
in each room so that standard systems
OF heating and ventilation can be se-
cured
There seems to have been difficulty
in various localities with the matter
of jacketing stoves.
This, however, should not be the
case," writes Health Commissioner
Dixon, for we believe in all in
stances the stoves can be jacketed in
such way as to comply with the law
without interfering with the heating
of the rooms. The screen in common
use consists of solid band of galvan-
lied iron which extends around three
sides of the stove. Where this kind of
screen interferes with the proper
heating of the room it can be modi-
fed by using q screen composed of
strips"
The circular letter continues as fol-
lows: 1.-The health officers OF the sew
eral districts of the State, under in
structions from the Department of
Health, make two inspections of
schools each year in townships of the
second class and report to this depart
ment.
1t is not only the purpose of the
Department of Health, in making
these inspections and sending out these
notices, to secure the observance of
existing laws regarding the sanitary
conditions of schools, but also to en-
courage and assist boards of school di-
rectors to make all necessary or desir-
able sanitary improvements.
Surface closets are in all instances
undesirable because they are con-
trary to the spirit of this act and also
in violation Of the acts of Assembly
regarding pollution of streams. OF
necessity they are at all times over
flowing and during rainy seasons this
overflow washes into the water cours-
es and streams.
Regarding the matter of water |
supply, it is, of course, always desir- |
able that the children be furnished |
with the best drinking water that can (
possibly be obtained in the vicinity, |
and that sanitary measures in regard |
to drinking cups and utensils for hold |
ing water be maintained in the school |
room.
If water is secured from a spring !
or we'll this spring or well should be |
protected from surface drainage and |
from water seeping back into it.
Individual drinking cups in schools |
are a necessity and must be provided |
either by the pupils or the school au. |
thorities and provisions made for fill |
ing them, either by cooler with a
spigot, or, if bucket is used, COM
mon dipper should be provided and |
the water dipped from the bucket in
this dipper and the drinking cups fill |
ed in that way. The children should |
not be allowed to dip their cups into |
the bucket. The use of a common |
drinking cup in the school room is ex-
ceedingly dangerous and constant |
menace to the health of all the pupils. |
"These matters are of great import |
ance and it should be the aim of all |
boards of school directors to comply |
with these laws and to further i'm
prove sanitary conditions in their
schools just as much as local condi-
tions will allow"