The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1912-03-29

~~O
been held responsible for the physical
Welfare of his pupils during school
hours, a logical responsibility that has
never been gainsaid.
From this have come various regu-
lations and laws protecting school
children from infectious and con-
tagious diseases, legislation that, on
the whole, has been necessary n
commendable.
This acknowledged responsibility
has also led to the scientific study OF
school sanitation and hygiene, which
simply means surrounding the child
with healthful conditions while 1t Is
removed from the care Of its parents.
Medical inspection" formerly meant
the vigilance exercised by the teach
er in detecting diseases likely to prove
contagious. In the same n en-
ployers are medical inspectors" and
so are hotel keepers n ship captains
and all transportation companies.
School teachers have been medical
inspectors in this sense from remote
times, just as they have been sani-
tarians and fire inspectors"
With the. recent Misrepresentation
of science, however, came a host OF
experts. including the professional
medical inspector or school doctor.
Its Insidious Growth.
This modern yet essentially me-
dieval idea came from the Latin coun
tries Of Europe where it's growth has
been co-extensive with what the late
William James calls "the Gallo spirit
of regulation and REORGANIZATION
Let us see how it has Jared in Amer
lea.
The first regular medical inspector
of schools in the United States was
appointed by the city of New York IL
1892. Mark the date.
Boston in 1894 inaugurated a com
plete system of school inspection, dt'
viding it's public schools into fifty dis.
tricts, to each of which a doctor was
assigned. This, however, was intend
ed solely as a protection from cpl
denies.
Connecticut in 1899 was the frs
state to pass a medical inspection law
when it authorized the testing of chill
dren's eyesight by the teachers every
three years. This act, harmless as |
seemed at the time, meant the entering
wedge for the pernicious practices tina
were so soon to follow.
New Jersey in 1908 advanced to {
"permissive'' law allowing the munich
paIities to establish a complete medica
inspection with examinations for tn
detection of physical defects.
Then came Massachusetts in 100
with the first mandatory" inspection
act, a law that has~been revised sew
eral times and is now heralded by tn
advocates of enforced inspection as
model for the whole country.
What irony Of fate that the yer,
state to initiate the conflict that re
suited in our political independents
should a century n a quarter late
i~naugurate an entirely exotic system
of oppression.
From this small beginning medica
inspection has increased to n follow
ing enormous proportions:
Seven states today have mandator
laws, that is, laws making schoo
medical inspection compulsory !
municipalities; ten states have per
missive laws, and two states n tn
district of Columbia have board Q
health regulations which are offlciall
described as having the force Q
laws" In all the other states there i
a vigorous effort being made to hav
similar laws enacted.
The statistics Of the cities are eve
more alarming. Beginning with on
city in 1892 and only eleven in 190l
there were last year (1911) no les
than All cities enforcing a system &
school medical inspection more OF les
drastic, and wholly arbitrary, if nc
actually brutal, in its application.
Chief Exponents and Beneficiaries.
It is an undeniable fact that tn
plan of school inspection by doctor
originated with the so-called regula
or Allopathic school of medicine.
To doctors or lay assistants of thi
school without any known exceptio
have been awarded the positions an
emoluments resulting from medics
inspection laws.
There is also Overwhelming proc
that compulsory inspection has ION
been a definite professional policy, ad
~xocated with increasing zeal as tn
possibilities OF state medicine hay
doomed larger on the political horizon
The chief advocates Of such laws ]
the United States r the America
medical association and a~fflliate
bodies, notably, the state and mum
cipaI boards of health.
TO the champions of a national med
ical monopoly the control Of the schoc
points to the ultimate control Of til
home, the store. the factory, the en-