Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-04-16
lspeeIal correspondenee.l

~ ARTS. April Education in the
- open air has been arousing
Widespread interest among all
classes in France for some
months post II Is indeed matter for
surprise that this grave question
should so long have escaped the notice
Of public men i'm this country. where
the steady decrease in the population
Is assuming the proportions Of ma
tional calamity II II is "a hopeless
task 10 preach TO French fathers and
mothers that their families should be
more numerous. II is for that very
reason that the state should strain
every nerve TO prevent wanton waste
OF its human raw material. France
should. therefore take the lead among
the nations in safeguarding her pre-
cious progeny against the attacks Of
that most insidious and deadly Of dis
eases. tuberculosis.
PHYSICAL and intellectual educators
are now alive to the fact that the
school must be made "a more supple in
strumcnt. one that will adapt itself 70
an situations A recent law has order
ed the formation Of special classes for
backward children. II is now the turn
Of the weakly ones. whose frame is at
the mercy Of the deadly microbe.
II was the late Prof. Grancher who
first opened his countrymen's eyes by
delying into the primary schools ia
Paris with the help Of his pupils
and friends. he carried out a series
OF Investigations, and proved that
there was an enormous number Of
scholars threatened with or predispos-
ed 20 consumption. His memorable
communication 20 the academy OF
medicine sounded the note OF alarm.
and at the same time pointed out that
Il was precisely in the school that the
enemy could best be grappled with.
LYONS FIRST TO ACT
While Paris hesitated, Lyons, 50
often IN the forefront OF progress, act
e.. Prof Grancher had In 1906 declar-
ed that there was latent tuberculosis in
10 per cent Of the school children, and
had stated that IL was In his opinion
absolutely essential that sanltorlum
schools should be created for such chill
dren. SO that they might continue their
studies under doctors eye. The
regime FOR such children was. ne said,
plenty OF fresh air and "super-alimcnt-
alton" \ year later the municipality
Of Lyons was already carrying out the
professors Ideas.
The city fathers CHANGED 20 possess
fine l1-ucre property on the banks
OF the Saone at lie Nernay, FIVE miles
from Lyons. Here there was an
abundance Of fresh air and sunlight
Just what they wanted The house
had long been the summer residence
OF the mayor project Of the city, The
vast rooms were htted up as class
rooms. dormitories dining rooms, etc,
and the first year 30 children were
sent there for the summer In the
second year the number was Increased
20 90.
In the selection OF candidates for
this open-air school. two fundamental
considerations we're borne I'm mind. the
child's state OF health. and the So
cial condition Of the family. out OF
the group Of weakly children thus
brought together, the doctor made his
choice and following Prof Grancher's
advice, gave the preference TO chill
dren In the first or second stage OF
tuberculosis rather than 10 those
merely predisposed II Is found that
infantile tuberculosis taken az this
stage can almost always be cured. The
ages Of the children were hxed be-