Newark post., 1910-03-30
Medical Inspection In
lhe Schools
Address By Prof. Messersmith Be-
for New Century Club

|
The inspection for non contagious
diseases and for physical defects is
from the point OF view of the school
work itself more important than that
| for contagious diseases. Contagious
diseases will make themselves appar-
ent in due time without inspection, of
course, not before considerable serious
injury may have been done to school
and the child. Non contagious affec-
tions and physical defects may pass
unnoticed until the child has suffered
irreparable injury. Ii Johnny squints,
it's all right because he has always
done SO, but in truth, it's all wrong.
! because he mas be doing his weak ewes
great injury, and his progress in school
may be retarded. | have in mind a
boy in our school who, six years ago,
at the age of II, was in the third
grade-normally, he should have been
i'll the eighth. X found that his vision
was very poor-and on inquiry learned
1t had been defective for years. The
father had steadily refused to provide
glasses. 1t took two years before we
could compel the father to provide
spectacles. By that time the boy had
reached the fourth grade, was 10 years
OF age, but he left school absolutely
discouraged. AT 10 he had the develop
ment OF boy OF 10. He is now man
OF 20. in year more he can vote. He
IS what they term a high grade i'm
oecile, not by birth but by the results
OF early neglect
Allow me to make more concrete
what | will presently say of physical
defects by giving another case that has
come under my notice. Up to the age
of 6. Clara K was bright. cheer
;ul, well-behaved girl. In school she
had made normal progress and was a
tavorlte among her companions Grad
ually she became less cheerful the re-
ports from school became discourage
lng-she was llstless, careless, making
no progress, and at times was sulen.
| a. home her parents were alarmed at
the change in the girl, she slept poorly
at night, had dreams from which she
would awaken much scared and excited.
| her parents wishes were obeyed sui
lenly. Her bright and cheerful coun-
tenance was gone-and a new look ap-
peared i'll her eyes. The family ply
stefan was consulted and fortunately
he was man who knew what he was
about lie suspected adenoids, re-
cSrainended that she be examined bv
specialist. The adenoids were re
moved, the sleepless nights AMI dreams
ceased, the sullen look and temper
wore away. and the reports from school
showed normal progress. Clara was
a fortunate girl in having careful and
intelligent parents. Had the adenoids
not been removed her mental growth
would have been stunted and her social
| usefulness greatly decreased Now
there are hundreds, even thousands of
| Clara's i'll our schools who do not
have such parents. The change is
seen III the behaviour-bu it is evil
| IDENTITY not matter OF the doctors ats
tention, and Clara has to suffer, and
when Clara suffers, society loses. The
adenoids will i'll time be absorbed, but
I she will never fully recover from the
mental retardation they caused.
nave given these specific cases of
retardation due to defective vision and
to adenoids. 1t would be to the point
TO give cases showing concretely all
the detects which | will now show the
school does or should aim to detect
but the limits of my time and the good
patience will allow me merely to men,
ton them.
! E4Eo.-The eyes are examined bv
ve.y simple tests for near vision. far
VISION, and for astigmatisn. 1t must
be remembered that these tests are
merely to discover the defect-the ex
animation for 'its correction must be
made by an oculist. These tests show
alarming conditions entirely unsus-
pected.
The examination made, a card is
| sent 70 the parents to notify them
thei child has defective vision that
must 'e corrected either by spectacles
or by proper care. Experience has
shown school authorities that while in
many cases the parents take immediate
action, n many more cases it is neces-
sary to urge-and urge again.
| III many instances the parents either
| through sheer neglect or through
stress OF poverty, entirely neglect the
notice OF the inspector. So important
IS the correction of eye defects-for
there is probably no more common
cause OF retardation, that school and
health authorities are compelled in
mary cities to provide for both the
specialists examination and for the
lenses: The city of Philadelphia last
year fitted over 1900 pupils with lenses
at no cost to the parents
1t is the opinion of most school au
thorities that the blind cannot be ade-
auately cared for i'll the public schools.
he states as rule provide special
schools in which adequate training for
the blind is given at its expense. Some
parents prefer to send their afflicted
Gn,aren omn enndo.s to private ate schools at their
Baltimore, tells OF blind girl who
through intelligent help at home, made
normal progress in school The ac-
tual school, conditions however, make
II necessary that this class of unfor-
tunates have special schools. There
should be, as there are, special schools
| supported by the State for the pupils
from the small towns and villages:
| large cities, however, should support.
with State aid, their own school for