The Washington herald., 1913-08-17
nations DISCUSS
School HYGIENE
Welfare Of Millions Of Pupils
Subject Of Coming Con-
gress at Buffalo.
TO PROMOTE EFFICIENCY
Three Hundred Speakers from al
Parts. Of the World Have Place
on Varied Program.

Special to The Washington Herald.
New York., Aug. 16.-"By far the mos
elaborate effort ever made in this country
toward improving the health and Ell
cheney of school children" Such, in brief
il the announcement of the executive
committee organizing the fourth Interna-
tional Congress on School Hygiene, which
will meet at Buffalo the week Of August
$3.50, and which will be attended by dele
gates, now gathering, not only from al
the leading important communities of this
country, but from all the leading nations
of the world.
Are little Johnnie and little Susie at.
tending school in a sanitary classroom?
Are they spending too many hours In
school?
Are they hiding germs Of diphtheria or
scarlet fever?
Are they given plenty Of fresh air?
Are they given good drinking water?
Are they given proper rest rooms and
suitable vacations?
Are they suffering FROM poor eyesight.
bad breathing apparatus, and defective
hearing?
These are a few of the questions to
which the educators of today are giving
a large amount Of attention. and which
will be taken up at Buffalo by experts
from all over the world
Altogether SIX Gays VIII De ueNOteO 10
the congress, and over 800 speakers will
tell the results of their experience and
observations, and make known the best
methods at hand for improving the health
and efficiency of school children.
Condition of 2O,OOO,OOO Children.
An important feature of the Buffalo
program will be large number of papers
dealing with the present condition Of the
school chiIdrau N he ITOifad
States. some 1900, 900 of whom, according
to recent statistics, are in need of atten-
ton because of physical defects which
are prejudicial to health and which seri
ously interfere with these children max
ing the best of their time while in school.
At least 10000 school children in the
United States, suffering from tubercu-
losis, and consequently in urgent need of
open-air instruction, will be one Of the
subjects taken up at Buffalo. Another
important topic will be the hookworm
problem in the South, concerning which
a report has Just been made by the Rock
efeller Sanitary Commission, showing that
of the 15s,000 school children examined in
eleven States over 1900 were found to be
infected with this terrible disease.
Not only will the various speakers call
attention to the presence of bad condt-
tons, but also will make plain what is
being done to better these conditions by
the building of sanitary schoolhouses,
with arrangements for abundant lighting,
good air, and proper heating apparatus.
In connection with these papers there
will be shown a notable scientific exhibit.
representing the best that is being done
in school hygiene throughout the world.
together with commercial exhibit of a
practical and educational value to school
people. Motion pictures will be used by
a large number of speakers for the pur-
pose Of illustrating their papers, and one
of the special features on the program of
sex hygiene will be a presentation of the
sociological drama, Damaged Goods"
National Associations Represented.
Among the national associations to be
represented on the program are the fol-
lowing:
National Child Labor Committee.
Society for the Study and Prevention OF
tuberculosis
American Federation for Sex Hygiene.
The American Home Economic Associa-
tion.
National Mouth Hygiene Association.
National Committee for Mental Hygiene.
American School Hygiene Association.
Society of Directors Of Physical Educa-
ton in Colleges.
American Physical Education Associa-
ton.
Society of Illuminating Engineers.
Society for the Prevention of Blindness.
For the purpose of defraying the eX-
penses of the congress, the citizens of
Buffalo have contributed $4,000. Boy
Scouts will act as official guides and in
terpreters during the congress, and elab-
Drate plans are now being completed for
the entertainment of visiting delegates.
There will be receptions at the various
clubs, automobile trips to the parks of
Buffalo, where polo and tennis exhibi-
tons will be given. There also will be an
exhibition of folk dancing, interspersed
by the combined choral societies of the
rity. together with trips to the scenic
wonders of Niagara Falls.
Community Delegates.
Since the object of the congress is "to
bring together men and women interested
in the health of school children" DR..
Thomas A. Storey, secretary general of
the congress, in behalf Of the organizing
committee, has extended an invitation not
only to those directly interested, such as
school officials and physicians. but also
to all persons and organizations interested
in civic welfare. and. accordingly, one of
the interesting features of the congress
will be the presence of delegates repre-
senting the community interest in this
important health work; that Is TO say,
delegates appointed by the Mayors and
Governors, by women's clubs, by boards
OF health, by mothers congresses, par
ents' associations, charity organization
and city and State boards Of
trade.
In the list of contributors to the pro-
gram will be found the names Of a large
number of speakers Of international note,
college presidents and profess
sors, commissioners OF education, public
school officials, public health officers,
physicians in private practice, engineers,
architects. and civic health workers.
The chairman of the Buffalo citizens
committee is DR.. Roswell Park, the sur
geon who attended President Mckinley in
his last days at Buffalo. DR.. Charles w.
Eliot Of Harvard University. will act as
president of the congress. The secretary
general Is Thomas A. Storey. professor OF
hygiene at the College of the City Of New