The log cabin Democrat. [volume] (Conway, Ark.) 1908-current, 1912-11-08
MEDICAL NEEDS
lin PUBLIC SCHOOL
SUPT. CANNON'S VIEWS
DOES CONWAY NEED MEDICAL
INSPECTION IN HER PUB
Lie SCHOOL?

This is day when much is beinl
said in the public press and from tn,
public platform concerning medica
inspection for schools. In nearly al
of the larger cities medical inspection
has already been established Condi
tions discovered have, in nearly ever,
case, fully justified this tardy act OF
justice in behalf of the helpless chill.
dren of our country. We are accus.
toned to think that such things are
all right in cities and large towns
but that there is no real need for any
thing Of the kind in smaller towns,
such as Conway.
Let those VINO think this way study
carefully the following facts gathered
from the first six grades of the Con-
way public school,
recently prepared and handed out
to the teacher of each of the above
mentioned grades a blank, calling for
the number of cases showing any of
the following symptoms of disease,
disorder, etc.
In addition to the foregoing. 10
cases of defective speech are report
ed. 1t will be noted that of all the
disorders reported on, the cases of
dental trouble far exceed any of the
others, there being 154 cases. Mouth
breathing and adenoids come next
with AZ cases.
Two cases OF eye trouble are re-
ported as mild, the others as being
more or less serious. Ten pupils have
difficulty in hearing. Thirteen show
marked disposition to nervousness
or sluggishness. An adequate medic
al examination would doubtless reveal
the cause in most of these cases.
Is there not cause for grave con
Germ in the facts shown here? Take,
for instance, the mouth-breathinp,
adenoid children. Many of them are
undergoing daily the slow process of
oxygen starvation Many of them
are already retarded one, two, three.
or even four years in their work.
They are becoming more and more
discouraged each year. Their express
Isionless faces and lusterless eyes look
their mute appeal each day to the
teacher who feels herself powerless to
give the help needed. And who, that
has studied the question, does not
know something of the troubles ac-
companying or growing out of bad
teeth? From the sixth grade alone
30 cases of bad teeth are reported,
more than 60 per cent of the number
enrolled in that grade. The teacher
of the fifth grade writes: Thirty
pupils have hollow teeth" The teach
er of the fourth grade writes: lone
boy especially needs attention. He
seems to have mixture of all the
troubles possible. Notwithstanding in
his case is very pronounced. There
are some bad adenod cases" This
grade reports Is out of the AZ cases
of mouth breathing and adenoids.
Another teacher writes: II have
one pupil who has an offensive odor
all the time, though this pupil ap-
pears to be cleanly dressed. Another
has very weak mind, apparently
He disturbs those around him most
of the time, and is very troublesome. "
Another writes: -Four children
with defective speech. Six unusually
dull. Four" (giving their names)
need attention before | can do any
thing for them"
| asked the teachers to note only
such cases as any observant person
might easily note; also, to state
whether the case was mild or acute
form, and whether, in the teachers
Judgment, the case or cases noted
needed medical attention at once in
order to be able to do school work
properly. Following are the total re-
suits:
Mouth-breathing, adenoids .... AZ
Colds, diseased glands ........ 10
Eye trouble ,..... ............ IT
Ear trouble ,..........,. ,..., 10
Dental trouble .,.. ..,........154
Malnutrition, undersized ...... 4
Nervousness, sluggishness .... 13
Skin disease, scrofula, ringworm,. 3