The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1912-04-05
CHILDREN MUST
HAVE HEALTH TO
SUCCEED IN LIFE
Better Hygiene is Subject Of Lecture
by Philadelphia School
Superintendent

| South Bethlehem, Pa, April g.
Louis Nusbaum, district suporin-
tendent of Public Schools of Phila-
delphia, delivered an address here
today before the Conference on Con-
servation OF School Children, held
under the auspices of the American
Academy of Medicine. Mr.. Nus
baum's subject was yCcrtain I'm
proyements in the Teaching of Hy-
giene," and he spoke in part as fol-
lows:
The purpose of teaching hygiene
is to secure to the individual sound
body, which in turn will tend TO in
crease his happiness. efficiency and
longevity. The subject must be
freed of technicalities, which do not
interest and only confuse the child.
AS physiology has been taught in
the past, we must avoid the attempt
to give didactic moral instruction
concealed under cover of technical
ysiology-children are keen to dis
cover subterfuge and hypocrisy. We
must be particularly careful to avoid
exaggeration in our presentation of
the subject We must avoid arouS-
ing the opposition of the child by
seeming to present an indictment
against those in his own home who
may be users of alcohol or tobacco.
Such teaching creates a community
sentiment against the work OF the
school, and proves to be real hind
rance to the accomplishment of the
desired result What we need at
this time is to teach hygiene and
sanitation with a background OF
physiology instead OF teaching, as
in the past, physiology with fore
grOundsof anatomy.
We are more completely realizing
each day that teaching by example,
f not too obstructive, is one of the
most effective methods Of teaching,
and so we are making the modern
school by its very appointments d.
Incentive to sanitary and hygienic
practices. We provide large, airy,
yell-ventilated well-lighted class
rooms. We have well-lighted, we'll
ventilated, misunderstanding toll
It's, so that even in private filthy or
IMMORAL tendencies are routed out
by cleanliness, sunlight and decent
surroundings. Schools are provid-
ing baths, healthful lunches, medi
al inspection, nurses services,
open air classes and cold-room class
$, and everything about the modern
chool tends to the creation in the
3hild's mind of an ideal sanitary liv-
ng. The most vital factor in Inc
teaching of hygiene is the teacher.
She must in no ordinary degree have
confidence, and faith and enthusi-
Ism in her work. So far as school
ife permits she must be the exempli-
ication of her teachings by her own
abits. She must believe in the
'alue of the child's outdoor games
nd be willing to enter into them
Aerself with spirit and enthusiasm,
md she must act in such way as to
cad her pupils to believe that she be-
ieves in her own teaching of the
work.
We might probably make an in
.ensiye study of few of the organs
'asily cared for, and easily abused,
as for example, the eyes, and the
teeth, so that when the rules of
health concerning these organs are
violated the child will almost auto
natically appreciate the probab!e
consequence of his acts and instinc-
lively tend to correct them.
ANY child can be made to apprs-
ciate his community responsibility
matters of personal habit, and he
an easily be led to avoid such often
i've practices as splitting by con-
,ideration of the possible conse-
luences OF such acts when generally
oracticed. He can be led to carry
nto his home the ideas implanted In
lis mind at school and thus serve az
| social agent Of reform. He can be
brought to appreciate the harm done
| ~ allowing filth to accumulate ~
| CELLARS or alleys, by crowding work,
| ers into sweat shops and by employ
| ing child labor in mines and amit
>ther unsanitary surroundings, an,
| lie, collectively, will become a vita
force in the future eradication o
many such evils. BY his own prac
tees he will often be able to con
vince parents of the need of atten
ton to decayed teeth, poor eyesight
obstructed breathing, constipation
or physical deformitles. A brief In
PRODUCTION into the subject OF bac
teriology WILL perhaps, lead him t
| give some wholesome advice q