The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1911-10-10
Children Should be Examin-
ed by Competent
Physician.
OPINION OF DR.. \. HARTMAN
Record of Backward Stud
ents is Being Kept in
Cabinet.
Laggards as Rule Have Some Physi-
cal Defect That Is Cause of Back
wardness-When This Is Discovered
Il Can often be Remedied.

EVERY city the size OF Marion
should have a medical inspector com
nuected with the schols to detect dis
sease. diagnose physical defects ana
to assist the backward student. 1t Is
one of the essential features in school
work today and one that would great
| ~ aid the superintendent and the
| teachers" This is the opinion OF Dr.
Henry r. Hartman, superintendent OF
| the public schools. concerning the need
of medical supervision in the schools.
| Continuing he said. probably 1t
would not be possible to employ a ply
sician with q yearly salary who
would devote his entire time to the
work. but one could be employed by
the school board and be paid by the
number of cases diagnosed
This year DIR. Hartman is continuing
| the work of assisting the backward
student to attain his or her highest
possibilities i'm school work. a COM
partmont in an up-to-date filing cab
met, recently purchased by the board
Of education for the superintendent
ofiice is being used in keeping the re.
cord Of each case of retardation and
of students suspected of suffering from
physical defects. Each laggard or
backward pupil is being carefully
watched by the teachers and personal
| investigation Is being conducted by the
superintendent.
with no past record or the back
ward student. II requires, according
to DIR. Hartman, at least three years
Of carefully supervision of e1ch in
dividual before definite conclusions can
be arrived at. In the meantime, such
pupils are given every opportunity tc
advauce with the work. Many stu
dents are passed ION trial. and 9TH
ers are allowed TO make up failures
Statistics show that about one-third
ct the school children suffer from III
health or some form of physical de-
feet. DR. Hartman states that the
parents of great number of these
| children are unconscious OF the fact
| that their children are suffering and
Iit never occurs TO them to attribute
| their failure to advance to these caus-
es
on numerous occasions. the super
tendent has been censured by par
erts who contend that the regular
classroom work given out by the
teachers is too difficult and that no
moro work should be given out than
can be readily mastered by the most
backward pupil in the room.
For example, DR.. Hartman cited an
example of parent in n city where
he was employed who contended that
the seemingly rapid advance OF the
classroom work had placed his daugh-
ter on the verge of nervous prostra-
ton in an attempt to keep abreast
with the work. Upon investigation,
DIR. Hartman discovered that some
years before the little girl had fallen
from building and sustained an in
jured spine. As result Of the fall
she was suffering from nervous trouble
which had never been detected by her
parents and the child had never been
given medical treatment.
This year cases OF retardation and
hyscal defects are being given spe-
cal attention such as persons who
J are not physicians are able to give
4 ! ut that many cases escape the mex
perienced eye Is quite evident.
| The state grants the board of edu-
cation the power of establishing med
lcal supervision In the schools. II Is
probable that at some future time
the subject will be suggested to the
board and competent medical exam
iner appointed.