The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1910-07-21
A FIGHTING CHANCE FOR THE
CITY CHILD.

That there are Ia the schools OF the
United States about $4,000. 900 chill.
dren In Immediate need of medical
and surgical attention. a large major
Hy OF which are doomed to invalid.
ism or death, is. an appalling fact
brought out in Rheta Chide DORIS
amazing article, "A lighting Chance
for the City Child" In the July num-
Der of Hampton's magazine.
In Mrs. DORIS series of illuminat.
ing articles. for tho first time, is a
comprehensive and adequate study be.
Ing made of the conservation of chill
dren In the United States. Mrs. Dorr-s s
articles are exceptionally valuable.
however, In that they not only awak-
en- one TO the terrible holocaust of lit
tie ones yearly In our cities. but they
show what has and can be done in
the preservation of child life and
health. Mrs. Dorr says:
Last year the New York Board
ot Health examined 323,344 school
children for other than contagious dis
eases, OF these. 2i204S Tor nearly
two-thirds) were in need OF treatment
for defective vision, hearing, breath
ing; for serious nervous diseases,
malnutrition and defective teeth,
"A year ago the school committee
OF the city Of Boston appointed a
commission of five OF investigate and
report on the problem of tuberculosis
among school children.
The commission reported that 5000
is conservative estimate of the num-
ber OF tuberculosis children In the
public schools of that city.
Although generation behind
Switzerland, France or Germany In
these matters, American school au-
thorities are now trying to discover
r0eans OF educating children without
exposing them to disease or subject
Ing them, In the schoolroom. TO con-
ditions of hygiene and sanitation ruin
our to a healthy constitution
About 800 American cities now
have some form of medical Inspection
of schools Some of this inspection
is concerned solely with the exclu-
sion from school of contagious dis
eases. TWO hundred and tbirty-four
cities examine children for defects
OF vision.
"One hundred and Seyenty-one citioS
examine the throats and noses of their
children. In Boston the Board of
Health makes a thorough examination
OF every school child at the beginning
cf the school year. to find enlarged
tonsilS and adenoid growths-diph-
iberia carriers as they have come TO
he known.
"Ih Boone, Iowa, the result of the
physical examination of each child
is included on the report card with
the pupils school work and sent to
parents at the close OF each six
weeks period. In Cleveland, Ohio,
the school authorities keep the health
record of each child throughout the
school course. Indianapolis has a
card system and index Of the physical
condition OF each child examined.
Several of the more progressive
states have followed Massachusetts
example and have made school hy-
glene a matter of state control. Min
nesota Iowa, New York, Texas, Ohio
and Indiana law provides that cities
of over one thousand population shall
set aside 'one-half of one per cent per
hundred of the taxables OF the city,
irrespective of what the taX-levylnS
limit of the city may be, Tor the In
spection OF school children In private,
public. parochial and kindergarten
schools
Medical inspection OF schools full
filIs very satisfactorily its original
purpose of excluding children afflict-
ed with contagious diseases. The
public schools. once hotbeds of con-
tagion, are now comparatively safe
in this respect But exclusion rom
school does not always work well for
the excluded child
Especially good work, Mrs. Dorr
shows is being done In the open air
treatment Of tubercular school chill
drnn.
THE problem Of tuberculosis in re-
lation TO childhood Mrs. Dorr says
SIS much more serious than has peen
imagined.
providence, Rhode Island, was the
pIoneer American city TO establish an
onen.air school. Two women physi'
ci,ns DIR. Ellen A Stone and DR..
Mary s Packard, we're the moving
snirits in the enterprise, which has
been a signal blessing 20 some nun
drcds of afflicted children. Boston tol
Iouad the example OF Providence.
a.d now hna three open-air class
rooms.
New York purchased three old
sashioned. slow.going ferryboats. mt
fed them up with every necessary
comfort. and every day classes of tu
borculos{s and anaemic school chill
dren put out to sea; Not very IA. ial
ont Il is true. but far enough from
shore to get the full benefit OF the
ocean breezes.
"pIttsburg. Hartford. Connecticut
Asheville North Carolina, and Chlca
so now has four. Hall a dozen otnel