Newark post., 1910-04-27
Medical Inspection In
1he Schools
Address By Prof. Messersmith Be-
fore New Century Club
Continued from last week. J

loo lllllSli SllSsS NdllllOL DC ldlQ
on the Importance of these specia.
schools. They are society means
of conserving its interests. The
feeble minded can be taught to
care tor themselves and to make
a livlng--and not to become
charges on society and the tools
of already finished criminals. The
truant and the incorrigible can be
trained to feel the restraining in
| tluence of the law and grow to be
useful citizens--and not become
through the family's and society's
neglect, the fut'lr occupant Of
our prisons and penitentiaries.
The prison records OF our cour-
try show that the majority of
criminals are neither able to read
nor write. or at best are of low
mentality. 1t is conclusive cvi-
dence that they represent that
| part Of our school children whom
we designate as backward retard-
cd, defective, truant, and incorr1,
| Sible now grown up into fixed
| habits and mental state | do not
say it is conclusive evidence that
had they gone TO a special school
in youth they would not now be
criminals. But contend that the
success which has crowned the
work of these special schools al
ready in our populous centres, war
rants their trial as a social CON
seryatlonal experiment through
out the country and | for one am
not doubtful as to the result. /!
do not hope for the entire moral
regeneration of Our race, nor do |
anticipate the day when criminal
courts and prisons will not be
needed, | do want to see the men
tally and morally deficient child
given every opportunity to grow
up into self-respecting. law abid-
ing, producing and progressive
citizenship, instead OF being iore-,
ordained by society's neglect to
being soc;etys charge.
And what can we do to meet
this problem in Newark. ! have
presented the matter to YOU in its
larger aspects SO that it may seem
an important but too complex a
matter for us. But in a small
community like ours the matter is
not so difficult nor expensive as
it would appear. ~
| Let It's say our Board of Educa-
| ito decides to have medical in
spection this coming year. The
first necessity is a medical in
spector. We have four physicians
i'll Our town. | am sanguine
enough to believe they have the
public spirit and interest in the
matter to serve foy year at
least, without any charge. One
| physician could have charge one
week, another the next, and so on,
each serving one week in the
month. 1t would take not more
than thirty minutes day for this
service, sometimes not that long.
This would provide for the in
spection for contagious diseases.
! Would some Of the ladies of this
club be willing to take turns to
act as school nurse, say for a
week at time. The labor would
not be onerous, and might be
io,md interesting.
| \ physician may sc employed
to make the tests tor physical de-
tccts and for non contagious dis
eases. Some public spirited man
may be prevailed upol to pay the
cost 1t wouldn't take over two
weeks In community like ours
practically every family has its
own physician and the family ply
sician can treat the children. Ii
there are any too poor to provide
Espectaclcs, some one ca.l be per-
sraded. | am sure, to- pay for the
examination and the lenses. The
printers may be asked TO do our
printing free and the druggists
will probably fill properly certi-
| fed prescriptions without cost for
the poorer families.
| This is what lie lical inspection
| would mean tor us now. We
have some mentally detective
children, but the State provides
no school. We have some truants,
but we don't want to send them
to the Ferris School; we have
some backward and retarded, but
we can care for them i'll Our
grades. The State in time will
| proyide SDecial schools