The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-02-26
Question of Inspection Rais- ed and Alleged Erroneous
 Theories Attacked
 Expense Unnecessary? Germs, Serum, Vaccines and Squirt Guns-Contagion
 and Right Living g

OquIfG OuIIS" S"COIlGdSIOu
 and Right Living g
 The subjoined communication whict sgas printed in the Waterbury Republi. can a few days ago, is of particular interest just now in view of all the talk going on here for medical inspection in our schools. The writer is gen tieman who has given the subject close study and his views are freely and frankly set forth in the following:
 To the Editor:
 Sir.-The subject of medical inspec- tion of the children in the public schools Is prominently brought to the public attention, just now. through re- cent action by the board of health in appointing a medical inspector for the schools; through the special ad- dress of the president of the board the action of the board of finance in refusing to pay the salary of the medical inspector, and it does not seem out of order to take up some features of the subject, of interest to the average citizen, at this particular time.
 l. seems pertinent to ask. first, is there any real need for medical in- spection, in the schools in particular; second, what warrant has the board of public health for its action in ap- pointing a medical inspect r at $1, 200 asked for, for this purpose, had been disallowed; and third, if medical in- spection is as necessary and important as our medical friends would have us believe, can the work be done fully and satisfactorily by one doctor, de- voting only a portion of his time, among the 10 900 children at present in our schools?
 When the subject of medical in- spection in our public schools was first advocated two inspectors were asked for, at a salary of $400 per year each. At that time it was seri- ously questioned if medical inspection, if so vitally important and necessary, could be had at an expenditure of only $500 per year and be good for anything. The advocates of the mat ter-admitted that the sum asked for, tnesaeAWould not begin to yap for the thoroughs-> medical school inspection they declafed we were sadly in need of but gave assurance that, once es- tablished medical inspection would prove itself such a benefit and bles- s.rg to the community that the ap- prppr :, tions for it would be voluntar- fly increased year by year.
 If I remember correctly, it's advo- cates at that time failed to show the need for medical inspection, and the sum asked for was not appropriated. The board of health, however. found itself in possession of an unexpended balance from it's regular appropria- tions, and with this sum at their dis posal established medical inspection, in spite of the failure to obtain a reg ular appropriation for it. In this way the thin edge of the wedge wss used to enable the doctors, in turn. to feed at the public crib, and, presumably, they have been regular boarders since, through appropriations made eSpeci- ally for medical inspection.
 It would seem. however. that the great benefit from medical inspection, which it's advocates predicted, would cause voluntary increase in appro- priations for 1t year by year, has not been realized, for this year our city fathers cut out the appropriation for it in the budget. need for strict economy is understood to be the reason, but it is fair to assume that only such items of expense as, after careful consideration, were found need less and could safely be dispensed with were cut out.
 The advocates of medical inspection base their declaration of necessity for it. first, on the theory that nearly all diseases are contagious and that these diseases arise only through contagion: second, on the theory that disea ses are caused by disease ger1ns'' which, disseminated by the sick, invade the bodies of the we'll and cause infection; third, on a prediction that at some time in the unknown future some ter -ible disease will break out in the schools and spread among the children, a calsmity they confidently expect medical inspection can and will pre- vent.
 It will be my endeavor to show that these theories, and the prediction, are not we'll founded and that. as a con- sequence. there is no such necessity for medical inspection as it's advocates would have us believe.
 The theory Of contagion in disease, and the commonly so-caled germ theory are closely associated, the latter being "the missing link as it were, in an effort to explain, and sus- tain, the theory of conta zion. But, the theory of contagion still remains a theory. and the so-called ''germ theory" although 1t would seem to be generally accepted as a well founded truth. is destined to go down in the annals of medical history as the most fallacious and delusive pathological doctrine ever devised.
 One of the arguments in opposition to the theory of contagion in disease. and that these diseases arise through contaeion only. is made on the tenable supposition that there must have been a first case' some time, and that this first case'' could not have been con tracted, or "caught." the disease from some one else. This argument will not appeal to those who hold that there never was beginning, that all things have always existed. disease included and always will; but they are comparatively few, and their views will not be considered in this argument Therefore, granting that a first case must have occurred. if the same conditions existed today as ex- isted then, they would, necessarily produce the same result in any given case, and it is an indisputable fact that cases of so-called conta gious dis eases occur singly-isolated cases where it is impossible to trace the contagion to any one. no case of the kind having occurred In years before, and where no one caught the dis ease from the solitary patient. Attempts have been made to explain such cases by suggesting that the germs of the disease had hid away | in old clothes, old furniture, in walls | or houses. or what not, and, in some manner becoming liberated, had in- fected the person. In case no similar !