Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-01-25
WORK OF THE CITIES.
Inquiry Regarding Welfare of
School Children.
DISEASES AND DEFECTS
Bulletin Mailed to Superintendent
by Bureau Of Municipal Re-
search, New York.


York city, has sent to school superintend-
entitled What 36O cities are doing for
the physical welfare of school children"
at the same time requesting the super
intendents to send in reply a statement
Of what Is being done along these lines
in their own schools or cities
These cities, says the bulletin, have
total population of %. 900 600 and
total school enrolment OF over 4.tno,O0o
OF these cities 149 with 7OO,O00 school
children are not making any attempt TO
discover transmissible diseases at school;
2l1 are inspecting for such diseases. 234
are examining for defective vision III
for breathing troubles and 11a for bad
teeth; 1O7 with population OF 2.so0.W0
have no examination of any kind Tor
their $50, 900 school children.
Should Be Followed by Treatment.
Because finding diseases and defects
does not protect children unless discov-
cry Is followed by treatment. in IS cities
nurses take children to dispensaries or
instruct parents al schoolhouses; IS send
nurses from house to house to instruct
parents and to persuade them to have
their family physicians or nearby dis
nensaries give the necessary attention;
fn1 send out cards of instruction about
tuberculosis. dental hygiene and diet to
parents, either by children or by mail,
while Isl cities have arranged special CO.
operation with dispensaries. hospitals
and relief societies for giving the chill
dren the shoes or clothing or medical ana
dental care which is found necessary.
Children found predisposed to tuberci-
losis or already infected with 1t VIII ne
sought out and given some special care
MI aifio t.
of-door schools, roof schools. ferry boat
schools and hospital schools for tuoercu-
lous children are provided New YORK
city will spend next wear $500 for max
ing over and eauipping twenty rooms In
regular buildings, first step in an en-
tirely new plan of ventilation which Will
give outdoor air to all children SICK or
well. New York also excludes from
school children already infected with tu-
nerculosis. which in justice to these chill
6ren makes necessary proper care ana
special classes away from other children.
Three or four years ago medical IN
spection meant a hurried looking over OF
school children to discover measles. scar
let fever, diphtheria, etc Now twenty
three cities look more for defective vision
than for transmissible diseases
Increase OF AdenoIds.
almost unheard of among school teachers,
were taking an interest in dental hygiene.
Ye. today In III cities adenoids, hyper
tropsied 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 1t school Following Minneeota's
example Boston. 1915. under the leader
ship of DR.. Richard c. Cabot, has COM
nitted the board of health to a thorough
examination of all children early in the
school year to find 'diphther1a carriers,
IN order to locate in advance of the win
ters usual epidemic those children who
are breeding this disease. Enlarged tom
sis and adenodd growthe are thought to
favor the spread Of other diseases.
NO gain is more revolutionary than
that the schools OF 119 cities are dscoy-
erinE which children need attention to
their teeth. While dentists prefer that
examinations for bad teeth be made by
dentists. in all parts Of the country their
phaticaliy demand that decayinz teeth
should be located and both child and par
ents taught that bad teeth mean bad
health, bad looks and bad earning power
Particularly notable in this revolution In
dental hygiene are the Massachusetts
state council Of dental hygiene and the
four dental clinics organized in connection
with three Of the New York Children's
L.
In some cities tooth brushes are given by
school authorities. in other cities children
are asked to bring brushes TO school SO a.
70 be taught how to use them without in
juring the teeth Not only dentists, but
general medical practitioners as we'll are
rousing themselves through public discus
sions. scientific meetings and popular ex-
hihits TO secure better dental clinics to
persuade dentist. 70 clean and All teeth
instead OF extracting them and to induce
hospitals and dtspensartes to put in dental
clinics for both children and adults
List Of Cities Prepared.
The bureau Of municipal research has
prepared for distribution a list Of cities
and states tina, are both getting tnforma-
ton about defects and taking steps to re.
move these defects. II suggests. however
thar the supreme need throughout the
country is that the state superintendents
OF education and state secretaries of health
shall establish clearing house. of infor-
nation which will show volunteers and
ohicials in country and city not only what
ought to be done and what Is being done
bur how 10 begin 70 get done for their
own localities what the physical welfare
Of school children requires. What can be
done from such headquarters is illustrated
by the pamphlets issued by the state
board Of education of Massachusetts en-
,itled Medical Inspection, Suggestions to
Teachers and School Physicians' 'Tuber-
cuiosie and It's Prevention, Suggestions to
Teachers. and School Hygiene OF Alassa-