The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1913-12-06
Miss Davis Has Examined
122 Pupils Past Week with
Marked Results
WISDOM OF WORK
is MUCH APPARENT
Many Cases of Neglect, Especially as
to Teeth, Brought to Light-Unclean
Heads, Skin Diseases and Defective
Speech and Vision Found.

Miss Anna Louise Davis, superin-
tendent Of the Mutual Aid association,
who, in addition to her other duties, has
undertaken the work of school inspec-
tion, finished yesterday her first week
in that capacity. That only l22 pupils
have thus far been examined, in spite
of hard, steady work, indicates how
carefully and Thoroughly the inspection
is being done and how heavy the task
is for one nurse
Many have considered that a few
hours each morning would be all that
would be required for such work but
they have not taken into consideration
the necessity Of calling upon parents.
especially the more preiudiccd, to i'm
press upon them as tactfullv as possible
the advantage Of cleanliness and health.
not only in their own children. but in
the relation their children bear to the
| other pupils Of the public schools To
call upon such requires long hours in
the evenings and these calls are the
most effective of the work done by
4 the nurse.
y few statistics given The Reformer
Iby Miss Davis late yesterday Indicate
/ plainly the need for such inspection. In
al of the l22 pupils examined She
found but one for whom the parents had
caused a dentist to care for the first
teeth.
Twelve children with unclcan heads
were sent home from school with in
instructions 10 their mothers how to
clean the heads and keep them clean
and everyone OF the Youngsters report
ed back within a day or two and pass
cd muster.
Two with skin diseases and two with
badly grauulated cyclids were found
and steps were taken TO have theii
troubles cared for.
Seven suffering from eve strain a,
the result Of defective vision in va
lrious degrees of severity were found
One boy, sitting i'm the seat nearest
the blackboard, could read only th,
largest writing or printing aud told tn,
nurse that after looking at the black
board minute it no looked az thu
white wall above that looked black
too lie was asked if his father coul,
mot send HIM to an oculist and rCplie'
! that there had been nine children il
the family, of whom SIX were living
bat that his father could not possihl,
afford treatment for his eyes.
II is i'm such eases as this. where TIN
children are backward because of som
defect which proper treatment NIGH
rectify, at least IN part, that II
; hoped to have the financial aid OF tn
Woman : club or the Associated Char
tiles in providing the necessary treat
ment that they may have fair chanc
in life. In some eases, even among tn
most poor. the parents will make ever
effort to find the wherewithal to pa
: the bills, bat in others this Is absolutcl
! impossible.
! Three children were found with q,
: fectiye speech one practically mutt
{ and nine others who were deficient
mental ability because of some phvsic;
defect There were 20 eases of very el
larged tonsils and many more who's
tonsis were found to be slightly el
larged.
/ Rev Father Michael J. Carmody. pa
tor of St Michael's Roman Cathol
church, has asked that the Parochi
Il school children be included in the i
7, spectioG. and this request Will be cor
= Piled with.
:. Miss Davis is greatly pleased wi
lilt itftIllnH Silt his ItNtlN til ~
IS pupils and parents alike. In no sing
T. instance has there been an effort To 7
le pulse her ana a general willingness h
been displayed to aid in the work
= improving conditions so far as the j
telhgence and financial means Of 4
interested parties permit.
Miss Davis finds that the work Of t
s district nurse and the obstetrieal nur
has paved the way for her efforts
- the school inspection work. for in sol
of the families upon whom she h
called the other nurses have workc
and a nurse now il any guse is W
| coined.
Besides the work of inspecting t
children Miss Davis Is giving attenti
to sanitary conditions and surrour
ings, and in this her efforts are sure
yield valuable results The wisdom
the district in voting TO have insp
tion in the schools is already We
! much apparent.