Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-09-20

while it is a well-known fact that tu-
berculosis has its origin in many cases
through the medium of unclean mouths.
Children with bad teeth and dirty
mouths are not only the most inviting
incubators for diseases that could be
imagined, but are a constant menace
to all those with whom they come in
contact. Their teachers and school
room mates, penned up in what are
often close, hot rooms. ale open to IN
tamination from the children who are
carrying around with them the germs
of the most deadly diseases, and the
examination of the teeth of some of
the children in our public schools has
shown that they are harboring germs
that when developed would be suffi-
cient to prove fatal to every child in
the lass. The extent OF this condition
can be better grasped when 1t Is known
that in the school year of 1909 4,S03 chill
dren were expelled from school because
they were In danger of concentrating
other children, yet the new system of
examinations has been so effective that
this year, for the same school year
period, with a considerable increase in
the number of scholars. there were
only 1905 children expelled for the
same reason.
This year with an increase Of nearly
6 per in the enrolment 1t is
expected that the number will be even
less, yet If the schools had the kind of
clinics that they need the percentage
would be so small that few children
would be compelled to lose school time
and the danger of contamination would
be reduced to a minimum. Since the
care of the children's teeth became a
leading feature of h regular physical
examinations the Board of Education
has endeavored to carry on the work
beyond the limitations of the school
room, and with that idea in view there
is being distributed among the children
a list of questions and instructions rel
alive TO the care of the teeth that
the pupils are asked to lake home and
have their parents read and explain to
them. The instructions represent the
simple rules of the care of the teeth.
and are so framed that most children
can easily grasp their meaning. 1t
has been found that these printed lists
have lone a great deal to aid the work
Of the examining physicians, and has
brought many parents to a fuller real
ization of the importance of caring for
their children's teeth.
After this has been In the hands of
the children for a week or so they
are asked to answer the questions that
appear in the list, and the nurses and
visiting physicians inquire as to
| whether the instructions have been fol-
lowed.
1t is believed that when the boards
plan of having a travelling exhibit and
simple lectures on the care of the
teeth are held in the schools hat there
will be still greater interest created
and much more Roadway made in help
ing the children to help themselves.
| Meanwhile. DIR. Holmes Is doing the
best he can with the small amount OF
money at the disposal of his depart
ment for carrying on the work 1t is
firmly believed that when the impor-
lance of the work is more fully appre-
ciated the city will see the necessity
of a~ppropriating enough money for this
| phase OF school life to make posi-
BILE the establishment and maintenance
of properly equipped clinics and the
employment of a regular staff of den
lists, who will be able to devote their
entire time to the public school chill
dren. 1t is something that Newark
needs and should have at the earliest
possible date.