Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1912-09-22


By Frederic J. HaskIn.
Tho work that has been done in the
lpast has demonstrated that the rallying
lground for the cause Of public health
lie In the schools. Among the masses OF
1.-The people It has been difficult to in
lluce the fathers and mothers to accept
the teachings Of modern sanitation.
; Always skeptical about new tangled
notions" they refuse to believe in
germs. With the children it has been
found different. While in measure
influenced by the mental attitude of
their homes, their minds are still open.
and where hygiene has been taught
properly and persistently there has
been marked results.
There are more than seventeen mil
lion pupils enrolled In the schools of
the country. To teach them both by
precept and example there are more
than half million teachers. With
these teachers to captain the fight for
the spread of hygienic knowledge.
proper campaign, it has been estimated,
will be the most effective Of all the
health agencies at work. The main
difficulty is to awaken the teachers
themselves to the Importance OF the
crusade. Gradually the teachers In the
urban schools are being equipped for
this work, and there has been great
progress III inc SAINT oiteet'oii ~
rural schools More than half the
school children of the land already are
receiving fairly satisfactory hygienic
instruction, although the majority of
those do not get as much training of
this kind thew need,
To Snow Ch''drcn Serms'
someone mas suggested INA. ~ eNe'
city in the country there ought 10 De SET
ASIDE one daS III eacii i'ioii'ii ",ieh ''ie
children could De taken thronsh soiiie
pacterloIoglcai iapora'orS anu 'neis
permitted TO see the germs Oh some vi
the princlpal diseases WIN ''ieir own
eyes. Inc elect OF sucii prosrai'I
may be gathered from the resui's Vi
the Rockeieiier sahl,ai! commissions :"
crusade against the loohWoriil WHEN
that crusade began me people Oh the
south were az lhcreuu'ous any
DoubtlnS lholhas couid oe' hit "hen
they saw win their own eyes ,'ieS saio
Seeing is believing ana poSi'iNe an
tagonism was transformed INTO warm
cooperation Inc sahilariais OIL ali
Europe are no" pointing out the mag
nihcent results that may pe accom-
pllshen by "en-rouroeo caihpaleii ~
education, as evidenced ps TINS crusade
against the hookworm.
Many SCHOOLS even IN the rurai com
munit1es, are teachihg thelr pupils
practlcai hygiene III very piac'icai
way one teacher aroused inc interest,"
or her chlioreh IN an eliorl 70 aooiisn
the common orihkihs cup lheS iieiu
littie entertainment, ana ra'seo
enough money 10 get suhicieh' NUM-
Der OF TN cups 10 go around Edch cup
is numbered and each chiid mas mum
Der to correspond Wheh they got their
drinking cups the next 'II'is was u
inspect their water supply - was
found that the spring from "hich the
water came received the drainage vi
hog pen IN very wet 'ifies' ne 'eaci'-
er also mad chart mace showing .he
various strata OF rock III that Nicihi'y'
and thus showed mat the Water-pear-
ing VEN which suppiied the spring
sometimes received water that Perco-
lated from the Vich''y Oh a"ei'ns'
All the children entered INTO these Ut
tie sanitary Investigations WIN Nii'
and gusto, ana mus they hau hssiehlc
measures appned 10 them the Wh'ie
they were learning thelr lessons OF
practical hygiene
value OF preventative meo'c'ne'
In many cities teachers nave mace
good use OF various government PUBL
cations In lmpresslng upon 'he chh-
ldren the great value or preventive
medicine. Ihe fhphc Health ana Ma
rine Hospital service some years since
studied the mix duestloh IN us reia-
tion to the spread OF typhoid teVer'
scarlet FEVER ana inc IKE. IL SHOWS
how cases break OUT on given mix
routes while others are absolutely rree
from the ep'demic' IL also SHOWS now.
when there Is case OF 'ypnoio ie'er
follows an epidemic on the mix routes