The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1911-04-23

Mistaken economy, by cutting
down the number of medical in
spectors of the children in the pub
lie schools, increases the risk of the
spread of communicable diseases
throughout the city and lessons pub
lie protection against the dread dis
eases, such as diphtheria and scarlet
fever, with its fearful after-effects,
to say nothing Of the less frequently
fatal though equally distressing
diseases Of childhood, according to
assertions made yesterday by the
board of health and officials of the
school board.
TASK Is COMING.
DR.. Woodward says that next school
year will see each of the school medical
inspectors trying e look after $500 chill
dTen, because there will be only one in
spectOr to every seventeen buildings.
Among the colored schools conditions will
be even worse. for there will be only one
inspector for every twenty-four buildings,
containing $500 pupils.
Congress cut down the number of
medical inspectors at its last session by
dropping two, and putting two dentists
in their places" said DR.. Woodward
NEXT year we will see one white dentist
serving somewhat more than $500 pupils
scattered throughout 113 school buildings,
and one colored dentist serving more
than 1850 pupils in c. buildings.
These inspectors are graduated physi-
clans of at least five years experience as
practitioners. and they receive for COM
pulsory attendance of at least three hours
daily the splendid sum of $500 year each.
When the time that is spent going the
long distance between buildings scatter
ed over sixty square miles. is deducted
from the time they devote each day, the
utter inadequacy of the service and the
risk of exposure which the people of the
District run will be apparent to every one.
The only thing the health department
can do under the circumstances is to re-
strict the activities of the inspectors TO a
limited area of the entire District and to
try to give that part a good service in
Stead of dissipating the efforts of the in
spectors over a larger territory
Superintendent Stuart paid high compli-
ment to the valuable services which the
small band of inspectors gave to the city
of Washington by their efficiency. zeal,
and faithful discharge of duty under the
most difficult circumstances.
Children Overloaded.
I'VE have discovered the intimate rela-
ton that exists between a child's physi-
cal condition and his progress at school.
Without a knowledge of a child's bodily
health, many a child is overloaded with
work and his failure to keep up with his
class by reason of his bad health is often
wrongfully attributed to dullness, in
attention, or some fault.
Many child is accused of a lack of
brains when it is the need of medical at
tendance or advice that is at the root of
the trouble. We are handicapped beyond
measure by the lack of a suitable num-
Der of physicians to inspect the school
children. We are behind every other
city in the country Of our own size in
this respect. The men we have. do their
work splendidly so far as they can, and
it is only in the number of the inspectors
that other places are ahead of US. .
why. Chicago, Boston, and many
other cities have. in addition to the in
the sick children to their homes when
sent from school, and see they have
proper attention there, and the trouble
is promptly removed.
Every child in our public schools ought
TO be examined frequently by medical in
spectors, as a safeguard against defects
of eyesight, hearing, and the presence
of adenoids, all of which retard his prog
ress in school and undermine his health.
But we cannot do it. The best We can
do is to have the teacher go over the
school in the morning TO look for evidence
of i'll health among the pupils. If any are
found that are apparently sick, these are
sent to the principals room, where the
assembled number is looked over by the
medical adviser. OF course, these in
spectors do the best they can in the time
impossible for them to visit each school
every day as should be done.
In Daily Life.
Personal hygiene is now at the front
in all daily life. Its value is not con-
fined to the school. No one supposed that
when Congress was asked to put on two
dentists It would take off two medical
advisers to make room for them, when
the sum involved was only $1,000 a year.
But that is what was done, and the ef-
fects are deplored by all connected with
the schools"
1t is certain that some of the schools
of Washington must be deprived of the
advantages Of medical supervision next
year, as the health Office declares that
the number of the inspectors is so small,
that the value of the service is now
greatly impaired by the action Of Con-
gress.
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