The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-02-28


lection, and for the reasons above
noted, the employer is financially in.
terested in the sanitary conditions in
the schools.
1t has been charged that the factory
system has caused widespread de.
generacy in the working men and
their families, and it would seem that
there is truth in the statement from
the report of the committee of the
American Medical Association on the
medical inspection of schools, which
says there is a vast army of pupils
in the public schools whose growth is
more or less arrested. Statistics from
all sections of the country show this
condition. 1t is a safe estimate THAI
out Of 100000 pupils in the public
schools of the nation, 100000 are
repeating a grade, End, 3rd and ev.
en- 4th or 9Th time at cost of ap.
proximately s1o0,ooo,oOo annually-an
expense largely wasteful and prevent.
able to say nothing of loss Of life eff.
cheney"
The bad air and poor food are being
recognized as the principal causes of
this lowered vitality is shown by the
large number Of open air schools that
are being established throughout the
country.
Open air schools are of two types
and are known technically as open
air schools and open window rooma
To the open air school are sent chill.
dren Of the CLOSED" or nominations
type principally of the glands or
bones, and distinctly sub-normal chill
dren from homes where tuberculosis
exists. 1t might seem that these chill
dren ought not to be in school at all,
but they are much better off in the
proper environment Of the open air
school, learning the lessons Of right
living than they would be at home.
and the educational value of such
schools to family and neighborhood
maintenance. Open air schools re.
quire extra clothing, extra food, sleep
ing periods and daily medical super.
vision. In such schools the children
are protected against winds, snow
and rain, otherwise weather condi-
lions are the same as in the open.
To provide for much larger class
of children there have been estab-
lished open window rooms In the pub
lie schools, to which are sent pale,
anemic children, flabby children with
| enlarged neck glands and adenoids,
! children who are mouth breathers,
children who have frequent headaches,
children who catch cold easily, chill
dren who contract contagion easily
and children who fail to make grade.
In the open window rooms the win
dows are thrown wide open and the
/ children wear their ordinary street
wraps just as they come TO school.
| ton. That bad air had much to do
with the sub-normal condition OF
i these children is shown by their great
improvement both mental and physi.
cal in the open air and open window
/ schools. The children under my per
sonal supervision during the current
school year have not only kept up
their grades with ease, but have made
an average gain of lbs. in weight.
These schools in the saving OF
many young lives and the teaching
they carry into their homes are Of dis
tinct economic value to the commun.
ity.
Much is said of bad air, but little
/ of what makes 1t bad.
The Menace of Dust.
I DR.. Howard Anders of Philadelphia
in his article in the journal of the
American Medical Association on
THE Dust Menace and Municipal
Diseases: One of the greatest causes
of sickness and death is undoubted.
! ly the widespread prevalence of irri-
tating as well as injecting dust con-
tamination OF our city atmosphere
This dust menace and nuisance is
but likewise in our living and working
! places Municipal dust represents the
accumulation of various kinds, ami
NAL and vegetable, such as dried spit
UNI of human origin, dead insects,
scattered garbage and house sweep
ings, in short mainly an organic com.
: bination which in warm, wet weather
is seething with rottenness, and In
dry weather is blown into our homes,
noses and clothing by gusty winds, or
sucked up as noxious sitting clouds
: by motor and trolley cars.
To the average pedestrian duet is
hardly more than an annoyance,
hence arises our large opportunity
and high duty of men in our profess
sion to educate the public to the dan.
) gers Of dust to show that 1t Is NOT