The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1911-12-28
TEETH MUST Re ATTENDED TO
Other Cities Have Provided funds to
Garry Out Suggestions Following Elk
aminations by Dentists Good Chance
for Charitably Inclined Citizens.
(Rv Mary D. Bradford.f

one DAY, aIter Jne DENIAL inspection
recently carried on in the public
schools had been completed and the
cards sent home, was called up by
woman and asked why / was al.
ways doing things that made it hard
for poor people. The voice said,
+" First, you have the doctors in the
schools and send us home cards about
eyesight and hearing, and noW< you
have the dentists and send US home a
report about teeth. y
/ told her that it was farthest from
our purpose. to worry the poor, al
though / could easily understand how
these things might produce that effect
Our immediate purpose in the last in
spection was to help the children, and
to let parents know what the dental
inspectors had found out in regard to
the teeth of each school child, There
was no compulsion exercised in regard
to the inspection, and parents were
left entirely to their own discretion
as to what to do about the report
The woman replied that the reason
why she thought it hard, was that
poor people knew as well aas we did
that their children IS teeth needed at
tention; but that they did not have
the money to pay for the work, and
that our reports had therefore seemed
unnecessary and cruel. | replied that
it was very evident that what she said
was not true of all parents, although
it might be of some; for frequently
children were left to suffer where par
ents were abundantly able to have
help for them.
This woman, whoever she was, mere
ly suggested what has been found a
necessary next movement, wherever
dental inspection has been made.
Something had to be done for the
children whose home conditions were
such that nothing could be expected
from that source.
Some cities make an appropriation
for that purpose. Sometimes philan-
thropy steps in with offers to- help. /
was told last winter by the health in
spector of the public schools of st.
Louis of the assistance given by a
wealthy citizen, who offered to pay all
dental bills for the work done for
certain children-these children being
those whom the visiting nurses report
ed as proper subjects for such relief
and care.
a recent investigation in Boston
shows that at least 70 per cent Of the
children need dental care and that
about half that number are unable to
pay for it. Coming generations in
Greater Boston will owe great debt
of gratitude to James Bennett For.
syth, former president of the Boston
Betting Company, who made provisions
in his will for the erection and endow-
ment of dental infrmary for child
rem. This in6rmary will be devoted
to the care of children's teeth, and
deserving children between the ages
of five and sixteen will be given ex-
pert care and advice free of charge.
In view of the statistics recently
printed in the Evening News show
ing the conditions in Kenosha den
tai infrmary or special aid, might well
be another agency for good to follow
the hospital and the Associated Chair
ties.
Medical inspection and dental in
spection are national movements in
line with modern thought, which final
! ly has arrived at the conclusion that
| it is the duty of society to do every
thing it can to conserve the lives and
health of children, and am proud of
the fact that Kenosha is not at the
tail end of the procession in this re-
spect.
When we have kitchens in the ward
schools, where girls can learn the fun
damental things about a woman IS
work as housekeeper, so that every
girl before she leaves school. will
know how to plan, cook and to serve
a well balanced meal; and when we
have a well equipped domestic science
department. in our high school where
the elementary work Of the grades may
be carried Up into its more scientific
phases, then Kenosha will be up with
the procession in another movement
that makes for public betterment
through general uplift of the homes.