El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-12-19

to secure greater results. Educators
! now understand that normal mental
progress can not possibly be expected
from an unsound body, so it is SIMPLY
| economy tc overcome every condition
! detrimental to the child's physical
! health in order that he may be fully
! qualified to profit by the money ex-
I pended for his mental development.
! Proper food, clothing, medical and den
| tai treatment are therefore regarded
| only as judiciOus investment OF public
| funds. This generous provision mas
! come about entirely within the present
/ century. Ten years ago, only eight
/ American cities had organized health
work in their public schools and this
/ of a rudimentary character. Now
/ nearly 500 cities have regular depart
| ments for the supervision of the health
/ of school children. A school nurse III
| an elementary school was almost I'M
! heard of ten years ago. Now few
, cities are without a corps of nurses.
School Dentist Appears.
The school dentist is stin d later in
nOvatiOn. Perhaps a hundred cities
have an organized dental STAFF for their
public schools. but more are being
added each season. The work of the
! school nurse supplements that of the
/ dentist. She gives instruction in mouth
sanitation and the use OF the tooth
I
how many children are accustomed to
using a family tooth brush. The
mouth is the greatest germ disse mina-
tor in the body and in a number Of
schools steps have been taken toward
supplying an individual tooth brush
for each child
First Open Air senooI.
The first open air school for tuber-
I cular children was opened in Prov
ijdence in 1903. Now nearly every
large city mas a number OF schools OF
this kind, each having the fullest
equipment of the things required to
restore these afflicted children to their
normal health. Specially designed
garments of the Warmest texture pro-
tect them from the cold, while plen-
tiful supply of the best foods furnish
the extra nutrition required for the
treatment of this disease. Their school
IS kept as nearly as possible in con-
torrance with that of the ordinary
school and it is possible for a large
percentage of these children to return
TO their regular grades after single
year IN the out door school
Open Window Class.
The open window class is another
health innovation. In Philadelphia Il
was first used for children who were
inclined to be anemic and therefore re-
CURED special care These classes are
held in an ordinary school room but
the windows are kept constantly open.
A cheese cloth curtain is lowered when
necessary to keep out rain or snow.
These classes are now popular with
normal children who keep up their
regular work In Cincinnati. any class
room may be transformed into an open
window class with the consent of the
parents of the children. If the parents
OF 80 children are willing and the
parents Of one child object the win
dow remains closed unless the child of
the obJector can be transferred into
anotner room The great gain in
weight. viSor and physical strength
hoLed IN some children and teachers
after few months IN the open win
dow class room is doing much to pOD-
ularize the innovation.
The health Of school children is rec
oSnlSed as so important matter that
every preventive measure is being
taken to protect them from incipient
oisease- In growing number of cities
the annual physical examination OF
every school child is REQUIRED by law
BY this means any tendency towards
a serious malady may be overcome by
preventive work In Philadelphia this
examination is conducted by the city
health department. but the EXPENSE is
borne By the board of education. In
milwaukee,, a school health DEPART
ment attends to this work This de-
partment, which is regarded as a model
tor . city Of its size, has the follow
ing organization: A medical director.
ten medical inspectors. a sDeciaIist for
the eye, ear, nose and throat. a full
time dental inspector a special assis-
Iant for psychological and anthropO-
logical tests and five school nurses.
IN New York, Chicago and other cities
the organization is even more COM
plete so that the health conditions OF
the child in city schools are well pro-
tected-
Have Reid Daily Inspection.
Normal health may be readily low
cred by unsaDitary conditions, so a
rigid daily inspection of the school
room must De made In some cities
cnlldren are being trained to under
take part of this work. cooperating
with the JanitOr and others in author
lJy. one plan, in operation in several
cues, consists in having a child ap-
pointed In each room to act IS health !
OFFICER He is RESPONSIBLE for the
temperature. ventilation and humidity
ol the school room atmosphere His /
urst duty IS to read the thermometer I
hourly and record the readings in a
book. Afterwards he charts the read !
lngs as nurse keeps a clinical chart. !
rms chart may be placed upon the }
blackboard Several simple Instruments I
may pc used in standordiZing the at :
mospherlc conditions of the school I
room. whirlinC wet-dry bulb has /
been recommended BY the United
states weather bureau for registering ]
humiQlly This can easily be read by /
enid eleven years old and one in /
Suument OF the kind is sufficient for 4
an entire building.
The humidity can be recorded half 4
an hour before the opening Of a school /
session When needed, the health Of /
flcer can readjust the artificial sources
or humidity, cooperating pans and rad 4
iaIorS, so as to maintain a relative
humidltv of so percent When venti- /
l2tlnS flues have no current indicators
the health officer can learn to meas
ure the current of a room by an in
Strument designed for this purpose or
ne can learn to estimate it by burn
Ing candles or joss sticks.
me freshness Of the air may be de-
termined by smell. comparing that or
the room itself with that which comes
from an open window. Each child of Z
sufficient age should be permitted to
act as heath officer during the year
In order that the knowledge gained
may be carried into his own home. I
The instruction in this work can US
ually be given by the school nurse
The provision of food for school I
children has been opposed by many
upon the ground that it was not the
province of the school to feed the chill
nren. but most city school boards now I
beheVe that it is the province of the
school 10 do any thing conducive to !
the health and welfare of the child.
The establishment of the open air
school has much to do with the rec
ignition OF the need of SUPPLYING food |