The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1913-01-10
ADDRESS FARMERS CLUB
DR.. Alice Wakefield Advocates Medl-
cal inspection in Public Schools.

Cal inspection IN PUBLIC Schools.
Montpelier, Jan 1.-THE regular
meeting of the Farmers club was
heiG IN Representatives hall this eve
ming. President Wright introduu ed
as the first speaker DR.. Alice Wake
field of st. Johnsbury, who gave an
interesting address upon the subject
OF medical inspection in public
schoo S. DR.. Wakefield contended
that the physical condition of the
scholar should be made a matter OF
more public concern, since the mind
of the pupil is reached only through
the organs of the physical senses any
defect in those organs must interfere
with the speed and accuracy with
which these messages reach the
mind. Fifteen per cent of the chill
dren fail to pass required examina-
tons; 10 per cent because they are
not physically well; rs per cent have
physical defects needing attention;
so per cent of the children have poor
teeth; 80 per cent have adenoids
and enlarged tonsils or enlarged
glands in the neck; % per cent suffer
from poor nutrition; five per cent
have tuberculosis, and an equal num-
Der have spinal curvature or other
deformity The principal defects of
school children are those of sight,
hearing and breathing Defective
hearing is mainly due to the same
causes as defective breathing Ninety
five per cent of deafness is due pri-
marily TO diseases of the nose and
throat. A child who is deaf is oblig-
ed to make more mental effort than a
normal child to do the same amount
of school work. Such children are of
ten punished, kept in from recess or
after school TO make up lessons.
Truancy is thus encouraged. The
federal bureau of education Statistics
show that 80 per cent of school chill
dren have adenoids. Next to defec-
tive and decayed teeth adenoids are
the most prevalent defects of school
children. Mouth breathers should
have attention. 1t indicates de-
formity of the jaws and irregulacity
of the teeth. Defective teeth are
found in so per cent of school chill
dren. One of the greatest needs for
medical inspection of schools is the
early detection OF tuberculosis among
children
All other countries are trying to
solve this question of medical school
inspection and so must VIC, DR.. Wake
field declared There has been some
criticism of House bill 226 because
OF the clause relating TO assistant ex.
amlners and because an annual ap-
preparation of $4,000 is asked. The
first objection is on the score of
youth and incompetence DR.. Wake
field was OF the opinion that gradu-
ates of medical schools during the
last 10 years are fully as competent
as the graduates of 80 years, ago.
Latest report shows that it costs the
state $3.50 TO maintain each pupil
in school. Fifteen per cent of all
school children fail in examination;
10 per cent fail because not well;
every year we lose 5000 children
from schools on this account. At
$3.50 piece this has cost the state
Sls4,000 The bill calls for $4,000.
Congressman Frank Plumley, at
the outset of his remarks on oleomar-
garine, paid a high compliment to the
members OF the Vermont Senate.
which body he had visited during the
afternoon. He told his hearers of his
efforts in aiding to frame the national
oleomargarine bill, on which he will
speak at future meeting. Often the
large meat combines and the cotton
raisers of the South are interested in
the oleomargarine and butter Dusl-
ness of the nation, he said. There is
mot Cnf1tfianf hnffnr
and some substitute must
be made, and this must be cheaper
than butter can be made All are
agreed in this The oleomargarine |
of today is a clearly and wholesome !
product but not so healthy as but
ter. The issue is this: Oleo meets |
a condition which cannot be other
wise obtained, but il must be made |
and sold and consumed as aleomarga- |
rine, an artificial product, and at a |
price commensurate with its cost. |
This is the purpose of the law being |
enacted.
Mr.. Plumley then detailed at length |
the process devised by Congress to !
prevent evasion by dealers in the pay
ment OF the revenue the require
hNhtS VI NbiOis tNN-g HAtu ny the
bureau of standards in the depart
ment of agriculture. He described
The methods OF the agricultural de-
partment IN teaching the southern
farmer to raise diversified crops when
he staple cotton crop had failed
hem through the ravages of the boil
geavil. He closed his address by
Urging Vermont farmers to take ad.
vantage of the government offer
made to them. If this is done we
nay double our crops and double, our
'evenues at slight increase in ex-
lenditure