New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-11-29
BAD TEETH IN SCHOOLS
PHYSICAL Director Says 90 Per
Cent of Pupils Have Them.
MANY ALSO HAVE FLAT FEET
BOARD of Education Should
start Campaign Against Such
Defects, Says DR.. Champion.

r,,,r,, % per cent Of the school children
., Nv, York City have defective teeth,
o..ordiDg 20 Or. c. Ward Champion, di-
- of physical training in the public
lois DR.. William II. Maxwell, City
,,.,,,rirtrndent Of Schools. has submitted
~, ,.ro~t 10 the Board Of Education.
.,rpa teeth Of the school children are in
"a condition" declares Dr. Champion
..rbo situation IS serious. The depressing
,Tsfts OF this state of affairs are meal
,',atra constantly working to defeat the
s.b,laetic and hygienic labors OF the
scbooIs and constantly sapping the vital
nv of the children
This condition, DR.. Champion says eX-
..,. dcsrtte the efforts Of the Board OF
Health. -
~ commend" he adds, that our de-
,..,,r,snf should at once attack this prob
l.r, jr.,tudng a campaign TO the end
,t..t the child with an uncared-for tooth
shan De the exception rather than the
rule. ~,
Dr Champion says that the work oil
,5rrstlla is incomplete unless the health
~ ,hs pu 1fls is both safeguarded and en-
HANGED. and he asks for bureau oil
hygiene ~, %
Health has assumed to protect the health
M the pupil by the inspection Of con-
,.ricgs diseases. and has undertaken the
rsrooyaI Of uon-contagious medical de-
,.rts It's work has been frequently in
vsstigated and found faulty in many
respects.
THE duty Of medical inspection, DR..
Crampton declares, belongs 10 the depart
,,apts Of education and not boards OF
health.
DIR. Champion finds "hatfoot" prevalent
in the high schools. In the Dewitt Clin-
ton High school of 2O59 students eX-
amircd in the last year, Co., or - per
cont. had a slight degree Of tiatfoot and
asn or u per cent, had broken down
arches. At the Manual Training High
school test examination Of 200 glrls
was made. with the result that 1919 per
cent were found with fiatfoot
"FIatfoUt Is the result of constitutional
weakness or a lack OF proper use Of the
foot. or both" says DR.. Champion. III
s not caused by walking on hard pave
mcnts or by high heeled shoes
An such cases in high schools receive
spcclal attention and corrective exercises
are prescribed. Several cases are sent
10 physicians The situation, DR.. Cramp-
ton says, is adequately met in so far as
the high schools are concerned, but IN the
elementary schools special prophylactic
measures should he instituted as part Of
the work Of the proposed bureau oil
hygiene
SPINAL curvature also is common among
school children. according 10 DR.. Cramp-
ton. In one. S-B boys class, twenty-nine
ont Of thirty examined showed q distinct
lateral curve.
This deformity is exceedingly rare in
la grade" Dr. Champion declares, 'and
AN convinced that IT develops during
school life owing to the greater use
% the right arm and shoulder slight
left dorsal couveXlty Is TO be considered
normal
There arc often. however. serious dis
tortlons. with considerable rotation which
develop during the elementary school
course, apparently unnoticed and unCor-
rccted by the inspectors OF the Health
Department"
The addition Of folk dancing and other
rhythmic work to the course Of study in
physical training, it is pointed out, has
been one ~ the most widely appreciated
and beneficial additions to the work. It
has been copied. not only throughout the
United states. but over the whole world
Il is said