The Delta independent., 1910-11-11
PHYSICAL TESTS
FOR CHILDREN
FIRST YEARS RESULTS SHOWS
ASTOUNDING NUMBER ARE
DEFECTIVE.
Bates Law Reported Upon by Fifty
Four of the Sixty Counties of
the State Shows 41,54G De-
fective Pupils Out of
2,421 Examined.

The state superintendent of pub
liic instruction has compiled the
results of the first year S enforce
ment of the Bates law for physical,
mental and moral examination of
school children for effectiveness of
all kinds.
1t reveals an extraordinary con-
dition.
While the returns are incomplete
and not wholly accurate, owing to
unfamiliarity of teachers with the
law and its provisions in this, the
first year of its existence, they are
sufficiently complete and reliable to
give an idea of the Importance of
what is in some respects the most
important piece of legislation for
the protection of children ever en-
acted in this state. None but the
author OF the bill probably foresaw
its revelations or anticipated the
extent of child effectiveness it
would disclose.
The report is tabulated by coun-
ties. Out of the sixty counties in
the state, Dolroes, Garfield, Kiowa,
Larimer, Park and Washington
failed to make any return. If the
law was complied with by the sup
erintendents, principals and teach
ers of these counties, there is no
evidence of it, and their children
are not included in the totals.
In the remaining fifty-four coun-
ties, 10S.I9s children are enrolled.
OF this number 92.427 were exam
ined, with the result that 41,546
were found defective physically,
mentally or morally to such de-
gree as to warrant reporting their
condition to their parents in accord
ance with the terms of the law.
Surprising as this result is, and
certain as it is to be received with
incredulity by all who have given
the matter little or no attention, it
is still short of the percentage of
detectives found elsewhere. 1t
must be remembered that this ex-
animation is pretty thorough and
searching and covers effectiveness
of any kind, which in many cases
might go unnoticed for years even
ty the parents of the children. This
IS especially true of the sight, hear
ing and breathing tests. The law
provides that especial attention be
paid OF the eyes, ears, nose, throat,
teeth and spine. If effectiveness
were looked for in no other organs
and if mental and moral defective
ness were left out all together the
number of children found defective
would very nearly equal the total
found. In fact the returns show that
sight. hearing and breathing alone
would account for nearly all of
them. The number of adults who
have perfect sight, perfect hearing
and whose air passages are in nor
NAL condition is very small indeed,
and while the proportionate number
of children normal in these respects
is higher, it is much lower than most
people suppose.
The returns from Colorado show
forty-five per cent of effectiveness
in the children examined. In Chi
cago, out of 12S.S97 children exam
ined. fifty-one per cent We're found
detectives; In Kansas City fifty-six
per cent were found defective. IL
might naturally be expected that the
per centage of defective children
in a great city like Chicago would be
higher than in the country, and un-
Ger such conditions of social and
economic welfare as prevail in Colo
RADIO.
Out of the Al $40 children found
defective, defects of sight existed
in 26,97S, hearing in 6. 50. breath
ing in S.045 and unclassifed de-
fects, 21.S25. There We're S,O71 de-
fective mentally and TAG moral de-
fectives. No seperate return is made
es to defective teeth. In Chicago
32.S per cent had defective teeth.
20 per cent enlarged tonsils and
lJ5.e per cent defective vision. In
Colorado 29.l per cent had defect
i've vision, condition which our
brilliant sunshine and frequent dust
storms perhaps account for in part.
In Colorado &C per cent had de-
fective hearing and S.S per cent
defective breathing.