The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1911-09-29
Can INSPECT
The SCHOOLS
BULLETIN OF STATE BOARD OF
HEALTH CALLS ATTENTION TO
IMPORTANT FACTS - MEDICAL
INSPECTION rs HIGHLY I'M
PoRTANT.

Discssing the theme Back TO School
the health bulletin for the month
has the following to say:
Vacation mas ended and the boys
and girls are again face to face with
another year OF school life. Rudy
faces, bronzed skins, bright eyes, rug
ged forms and laughing hearts are
what they bring with them. A years
work will make sad inroads into their
stock Of stored up energy. The de-
mands OF school work are every year
becoming more exacting and the unfit
mentally or physicaaly-must fall
by the wayside. 1t has been demon
strated beyond doubt that the men
tality of the child Is affected very ma
teriaIly by his physical condition.
What are known as backward children
often turn out to be the brightest in
the school when their physical dis
abilities are removed. Among the
conditions which require correction
are diseased tonsils, adenoids, errors
OF refraction, decayed teeth, defective
hearing. etc. These are usually very
easily detected and respond very read
lily to proper treatment. The child
is surely entitled to a square DEAF
In it's struggle for advancement. Com
petition in all departments is now so
keen that handicaps should be as far
as possible removed. It has been as
certained that a very large percentage
of school children are below par In
some part Of their physical makeup.
To detect these defects and TO remedy
them seems as much part OF the
course as TO grade them mDntally
School boards are beginning 10 rec
ognize this and are paying mere at
tention to the physical welfare Of the
children than formerly. Medical in
spection In our better class Of schools
In becoming very common. It's advan-
tages are so numerous and so sell
evident that 1t Is not thought neces-
sary at this time to enter into any
detailed statement regarding them.
North Dakota has recognized this and
the last legislature very wisely gave
school boards power to employ medi-
cal inspectors. Section 236 OF the 1911
session laws reads as follows:
"The board of any school corpora
ton may employ one or more physi-
clans as medical inspector Of schools.
II shall be the duty of the medical
inspector to examine, at least once an
nually, ali children enrolled in the
public schools of the district, except
those who present a certificate OF
health from a licensed physician, and
to make out suitable records for each
child. one copy OF which shall be filed
with the county or city superintendent
oT schools. Notice OF physical de-
fects of abnormal or diseased chill
dren shall be sent to the parents. with
recommendation for THE parents
guidance in conserving the child's
health. The medical inspector shall
cooperate with the state, county and
township boards of health In dealing
with contagious and infectious dis
eases and TO secure medical treatment
for INDECENT children. II shall be the
duty OF the county and city superin-
tendents Of schools to cooperate with
school boards In promoting medical
inspection. They may arrange schools
by groups, especially in the rural dis
tricts, for the purpose Of inspection,
and shall advise school boards with a
view to securing the most efficient and
economical administration Of this law.
The school board or board of educa-
tion shall furnish all blanks and 9TH
er needed supplies for this purpose"
School boards could not make a
better or more economical outlay than
by taking advantage OF this provision
and by giving their school children
the benefits arising from medical In
spection.
Additional evidence of the trend OF
modern thought In regard to school
sanitation Is furnished by the action
OF the last legislature in passing the
following law:
Each local board Of health, at
least once every thirty days, In such
manner al 1t shall direct, cause to be
disinfected each school
house. within Ito jurisdiction: provid-
ed this act shan not apply to school
houses during vocation; provided, that
except in case of emergency, the dir
injection of schoolhouges shall be
made after school on Friday after
noon Or on Saturday"
From the foregoing II may be noted
that the campaign Of education that
has been carried on In regard TO suoh
matters has not been entirely In vain.
Here ia another matter that ID Of
good deal OF Importance. There Ii at
every school opening more or less
danger of spreading diseases An I'M
case may expose 4 whole
school. II III very important that
these cases receive early recognition
and isolation Where there ID no
inspection this duty falls to
the teachers. 1t Ii very important
that our school teachers should il