Evening star., 1911-08-28

will produce adequate results Il the
physical condition Of the child is neglect
ed. the educators Of the country are CO.
operating with the physicians in an enort
to improve the general health OF the pub
lie. The advisability Of making physical
as well as intellectual requirements OF
all students entering q university or In
stitution OF higher learning IL being seri-
ously discussed. Several states are now
giving legislative consideration to physical
requirements for students entering state
normal schools and state colleges and
universities. The University of Michigan
last year formulated the following health
questions, which were presented to each
candidate for admission:
do you sleep well?
"Is your digestion good?
do you exercise regularly each day,
and what amount Of time do you devote
to it?''
Other schools are now preparing much
more elaborate system Of questions,
which are, at least, suggestive OF gen.
eral. trend toward the requirement or
average good health from all those who
desire to secure higher education
In the public school health and hygiene
are rapidly becoming recognized as Of
paramount i'm
Health and. Hygiene. portance. Free
Of Prime Import. ton has been
provided for the public schools In most
OF the large cities. and in several states
it has been made compulsory by law.
The medical inspector visiting the school
and noting the physical defects of child
| calls the attention of the teacher to Il,
and steps are taken Immediately to have
| It remedied. Where the parents are not
in a position to pay for the required
| treatment the service is rendered At the
public expense. Three hundred and hfty
cities in the United States now have reg
ularly organized staffs Of medical inspec-
TORS in connection with their pupHc
school systems. Other cities nave not
yet reached the same degree OF organiza-
on the part of philanthropic physicians
much is being done to improve the GEL
| eral health OF the schools. That sys-
tematic medical inspection will eventually
lic schools of the country Is indicated by
the progress already made, as there are
at present twenty states which nave
taken legislative action upon the subject.
1t frequently develops that children VINO
are backward in their studies suner from
| some physical defect which can be easily
remedied. In New York city it was as
certained by careful examination tnat
children suffering from adenoids are
usually back in their grades, and that
most invariably led to marked I'M
provement in scholastic standing. Chill
dren with defective vision frequently have
glasses provided for them by the schooi
board and numerous cases OF incipient
blindness have thus been prevented. Med
| ical inspection in the schools. by its detec-
ton and exclusion OF contagious dis
eases in their early stages. is preventing
much misery and saving many lives.
Where a we'll organized system of medi-
cal inspection prevails. physician visits
each p u b c
Schools Are Visited school as soon
Daily by Physicians. after the
opening Of the morning session. Each
teacher ascertains If any child in her di-
vision is indisposed in any way. Those
who report the slightest ailment are
turned over to the physician for exami-
nation Sometimes children do not report
the indisposition, but the teacher is ever
on the alert for any symptom and prompt
action prevents the development Of seri-
GUS illnesses
The equipment for the medical inspec-
ton is comparatively trifiing. Wooden
| tongue depressors, which are broken and
thrown away after being used; supply
of sanitary towels and napkins, a small
case of emergency medicines, together
with sterilized dressings and vessels for
washing out a wound, complete the re-
quirements for each room. The physi-
clans furnish their own instruments. and
1t is understood that the school is not