The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1912-11-07
Childhood and Health
Need More Attention
PSYCHOLOGY TEACHER WRITES
ON NEGLECTED ASPECT IN Ed.
ucATIoNAL SYSTEM
BY Miss Glands Nelson


BY Miss Glands Nelson
Mems sano in copore sano is an old
Roman saying to which, except for
the translation, We have given little
attention. 1T is true that Rablais,
Milton, Lock, Rousseau and others in
their treatises on education have re-
sounded this phrase of Juvenal, but
in practice We still hold to mind first
and exc out meager training for the
body or none at all
Today We have about 20,000,000
children spending a greater part of
their day in the school room, and it
is safe to say that in majority of
cases these school rooms have re-
ceived small attention in hygienic
way OF the 1898 cities reporting in
1911; 496 had adjustable seats; 7s5
had drinking fountains; 264 had in.
dividual drinking cups. These cities
have Well organized systems under
and smaller graded schools in this
country where little or no attention
is given to seating, lighting, heating,
colored walls or any of the other num-
erous things that make for healthy
living
Aside from the mechanical phases
of hygiene, how many Of these 20,OOO,-
900 children have some physical de-
fects that need medical inspection
DR.. Airport of Chicago estimates that
in the United States 100000 children
are suffering from some form of di-
sease and DR.. Irving Fisher of Yale
says there are 100000 children who
need immediate medical attention.
Teachers and doctors must join hands
in this great work and bring medical
inspection into our schools. At pres.
ent about 500 schools have medical
examination, one of which, according
to the report of 1911 is in North Da-
kota. ~
Cost 10 Cheap.
In general. the cost of medical in.
spection in this country ranges from
ten to fifty cents per annum for each
pupil. This work should be under.
taken and paid for by the state at q
living wage. Considerable blame is
being attached to charitable and phil
anthropic endeavors of the day, be
cause they encourage the production
of children by unfit parentage and
place so large burden of expense on
the fit that our population is growing
by accessions from the unfit resulting
in racial degeneracy. 1t is phase Of
the hygienic situation of grave import
ance to the teacher, for she canno
make bricks without straw"
Especial attention should he giver
to health in the. primary grades as
! the foundation for health is laid ii
these first years. OF 1000 cases O
spinal curvature in the Danish school.
ffty-six per cent developed between
the seventh and tenth years; bat
teeth, adenoids, defective vision, etc.
and If not corrected, handicap thu
child for the serious work Of life.
"A few years ago much attention
was given to the fatigue periods dur
ing the day. Taylor says one year II
ten may be saved by the judiciou'
arrangement OF programs to avoit
heavy work at these periods. Thorn
dixie, after much. experimentation
rather disparages these set fatigu.
lperiods and recommends good teach
ling as a cure for the larger PEI
cent OF fatigue cases. 1t would seen
advisable, however. for teachers t.
famifiarize themselves with the loca
signs OF fatigue, such as restlessness
yawning, wandering attention. irrita
bility, etc, and provide such changes
as will give relief.
The problems concerning stronl
minds and bodies are up for solution
and the teachers who are doing mos
for the promotion Of healthy ant
sane race are the teachers who arr
concerning themselves most, not will
books alone, hut with the physica
child as well.