The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1910-11-12
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The subject of Hygiene and Health
has been made one of the chief topics
and hobbies of the thinking public for
the past few years. A few centuries
ago a pain was called pain and not
a mental delinquency. Parents treat
ed their children with home reme-
dies and remained true to the ortho-
dox rule of putting their children to
bed when they were i'll and giving
them something hot and bracing.
A few years later, Christian Science
inaugurated and introduced by Mary
Baker Eddie was launched upon the
public and drew its swarm of follow
ers, as every religion does. The sci
ence Of health and of the body was
later made a study in the schools and
physical and calisthenic training were
given both girls and boys with splen-
did results. Before, If a person were
i'll, a doctor was called, who looked
the patient over with an expression
OF hefitting gravity. Several varieties
of bitters were given, little more
cheerfully and instructions were left
the patient to take the unknown guam
titles of pink and white pills and burn
ing fluids. If he left poison, poison
was taken by the ignorant patient,
such a thing as questioning the con-
tents of the bottles, representing not
only an unforgivable error, but seri-
Gus breach of the medical world.
One Of the most novel and alto
gether new and interesting system Of
health treatment has been initiated
into the school Of MontClair, New Jer-
sey, where medicine has failed and the
school authorities are endeavoring to
make pure air and good food prevail
At the beginning of this school year,
the board of education opened up the
first open-air school ever established
i'm this part of the country. To this
school were sent twenty of aenemic
and backward children, from the pub
lie schools of the city. This wonder
school is in a tent on the corner of
the Fairgrounds adjoining the graded
schools. Beneath the tent a hard
wood flooring is built over a hygienic
alright basement The tent Is equip
ped with side curtains, but they are
never lowered unless in case of storm
or unexpected high wind. The interior
tent are the same as those of any
ordinary school-room. In order that
the children may not suffer from the
cold in extreme weather the board
of education has furnished wooden
sweaters, blankets. mittens, caps felt
overshoes and padded sitting bags.
Good results have been obtained
from this unique plan. 1t has not been
the purpose 10 make the open-ai"
school a sanitorium for cOnsumptives.
but simply an open air school for
aenemic pupils with perhaps a heredi-
tary inclination or tendency toward
tuberculosis In addition TO the regu-
lar school work, which is carried Ou'
completely each day, the physical cul-
ture teacher comes each day and gives
exercise in Calsthenics to increase
the circulation and lung activities Of
the pupils. If a child becomes cold
during any part of the day, he may,
without permission, arise from his
seat and exercise for a few minutes on
the playground
Another feature Of the school is a
special dietary training for the pupils.
A portion of the school building has
been set aside as a kitchen and dim
ing-room for the pupils of the out
door school. In the kitchen, a special
luncheon is prepared each day by the
cook. That the health progress Of
the children may be carefully follow
ed, a careful record is kept of each
child. Every Tuesday morning the
children are weighed, their tempera-
ture and pulse recorded and their gem
eral health noted. At the compile
ton of the first week of school, the
aggregate weight Of the class showed
an increase Of eight pounds
In a scholastic way the results have
been quite as remarkable as physical
ly. Without exception the class has
shown a decided improvement in the
mental grasp of the work assigned
them. The children not only are de-
voted to their school-room and work
but are the envy of all the other school
children as well.