The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-01-05
|SCHOOL CHILDREN !
NEEO ATTENTION
Statistics Show That Large Proper
ton OF Them Are Not In the
Best Of Physical
Condition.
THREE QUARTERS WRONG
Medical inspection Laws Needed In
Every City, Wiesbaden System
From Germany Being
Suggested.
THREE QUARTERS WRONG
UNITED Press Special service.l

UNITED Press Special Service.l
child healthy?
WASHINGTON, Jan. Ais your
| If he Is In school and Is receiving
only the ordinary attention paid to
school children, he may have some
defect which may initiate against
| him before he reaches his maturity,
according to DR.. Thomas D. Woods,
professor OF physical education at CO.
lumbia university.
Seventy-five percent. OF the school
children in the country today are suf-
fering from remediable defects which
need medical attention, the doctor
declares. Between so and SO per cent.
have defective teeth; between 100000
and 100000 of the 100000 school
children the country over have or
ganic heart disease.
Five percent Of the country's chill
dren have, or have had, tubercular
disease of the lungs, the doctor says,
and an equal number suffer from cur
vature Of the spine or flat footedness,
| to degree that 1t interferes with
their general health. Twenty-Five per
cent. have defective sight and an
equal number are suffering from NAL
nutrition. Thirty per cent suffer from
adenoids or enlarged tonsils and
many million children have both all
mente.
Arguing for an entirely new order
of teachers, nurses and physicians the
doctor makes this impressive state
ment in bulletin just issued by the
bureau of education:
IF 1t were possible to estimate ac-
curate the gain to the race and to the
nation In one generation by. practical
care Of the child health-the country
would be. startled by one Of the most
stupendous facts in human history
and energized into a telling educa-
tional campaign.
THE majority of the school chill
dren of the United States are MOI as
healthy as they should be. And what
may the child be allowed to accept In
exchange for any actual or vital part
of his health?"
Reviewing the growth Of the phys
ical examination Of school children
by duly appointed examining physic-
ians, he declares that while it be-
tokens an awakening, the systems are
unsatisfactory.
"One hundred cities have adopted
medical inspection laws" he said.
Each one has different type, but
none seem satisfactory"
The Wiesbaden system, he explain
ed, calls for complete physical exam
nation Of all children entering
schools This examination Is record
ed and filed, and the defect found. II
there are any. are Immediately reme-
died. where possible. Then at stated
periods other examinations are held,
and are again recorded Each sue
ceeding examination result is compar-
ed with its predecessor, and If the
development of the child is not norm
al, special dietary and gymnastic
courses are given the subject.
The pupils are given free meals
necessary to prevent malnutrftion.
Subnormal children are segregated.
and all are forced to battle at regular
periods. Teachers divide the classes
in the endeavor to place congenial
children close together, and the en-
tire system is treated as the integral
part of the school. as much as the
text book curriculum.
Declaring that some such system
must be adopted by American schools
as a whole, the doctor argues that 1t
is the greatest economy the country
can practicable conservation of the
health Of its children-the future men
and women who will spell the fate of
the nation, when another generation
shall rule.