The Washington herald., 1913-08-03
PUPILS HEALTH
.TOBEDISCUSSED
Matter viii Be Taken Up At
Congress at Buffalo
This Month.
HYGIENE OF THE MOUTH
Another Important Topic to Be Geo.
idered-Prevaleaes Of Tlbsreu.
losis Among School Teacher.
BY, w. G. EBERsoLE,

puDnc health.
Many important public health and hy
giene conferences have been held in thi
country and abroad. but heretofore al
these have dealt principally with adui
or infant life. When the individuaT ha
reached adult life, he has attained al
age when health education has to b,
forced upon him. while In infant If
the individual is too young to receive
lasting impression II Is with the schoo
children. then. that the most effectiv,
and lasting work can be accomplished
In dealing with the health problems thai
confront humanity. Therefore We MAKE
| the above declaration. that the fourth
International Congress on School Hy.
siene VIII be the most important health
conference that has ever been held In the
| United States.
The congress Is to be conducted under
| the patronage of the President of the
| United States. and Is being supported b.,
practically every civilized government In
| the universe. showing that at last we
are coming to recognize the value of
| having a proper foundation upon which
to build and support the health of the
individuals who form or support the
various. governments.
Movement Is Recent.
For the period OF time within the recol-
lection OF any one living at the present
date, the health of the armies and nayies
OF the world has been presided over by
the most effective corps Of medical and
health experts possible to secure It
Is but recently. however. that the govern
ments Of the world have begun to learn
that those who are to be their future
citizens should receive the same care and
consideration that Is given the armies
and navies
Many governments, like our own. make
1t compulsory for children, within GER
tain age limits to attend school; but
until the recent past little thought or
consideration was given to the condi-
tons which surround the public school
children of the country from the health
standpoint. except that which was ex-
erted by the boards of education n the
different communities.
1t is only when such startling reports
as the following from the Michigan State
Board of Health become current that
the governments. municipal. State, and
national. become active in dealing with
these problems:
In making a study Of the occupational
relation to tuberculosis. one cannot help
being impressed by the frequent occur
renee OF tuberculosis among school
teachers. A careful study of the follow
MS tdblc klNt q very COmpIenenElve
idea Of the situation:
lover a period OF years s2i per cent
Of the deaths among school teachers,
between the ages Of twenty-five and
thirty-four, were due to tuberculosis,
while only 25.s per cent of the deaths
among all persons in Michigan between
the ages OF twenty-five and thirty -four
were due to this disease. Among school
teachers Of all ages 27.6 per cent Of the
deaths were due to tuberculosis, while
among all persons of all ages only 80
per cent were due to this disease
This is a matter which should en-
gage the active attention not only of
but of the patrons Of the public
schools. 1t would appear from our data
that the conditions under which public
schsof teachers labor are conductive to
This is. in a great many
Instances. an easily established fact
Now. this ought not to be. The school
teacher. who should be considered as the |
most valuable factor in the establishment |
of an efficient citizenship. should not be |
required to work under conditions which
are relatively more conducive to the |
occurrence Of tuberculosis than other pro- |
LESSONS.
In Interest of Pupils.
Extreme precaution should be OBJ
'erved by school commissioners and \
boards of education to prevent teachers
Who are affected with tuberculosis from |
in the service. This should
'e done in the interest of the teacher
md in the interest Of the pupils The
olution Of the situation, however, should |
lot rest simply with the attempt to pre-
'ent infected teachers from being en-
'loyed. The school officials and the pa
rons Of our public schools should be
lnited in an effort to remedy the exist
ng conditions. that the public school
Dom can in no sense be considered as
place in which ones health Is sub
ected to unfavorable conditions. A
more active interest in considering the
rinciples Of proper construction. warm
ng. ventilating. and lighting Of school
uildings will go a great way toward
emedying this situation"
From the report of the Michigan State
Ioard Of Health II would seem that the
eaching profession Is q very hazafdousI
rofession. There are many influences
Thich serve to lower the vitality Of
,embers Of the teaching profession and
he writer became convinced some years
90 that the principal factor that entered :
Ito the solution of this problem was the c
onsideration Of mouth conditions. 4,
With the knowledge that the neglected
lg place for disease-producing micro r
rganisms or germs. a series Of expert l
lents were undertaken for the purpose I
showing the influence that neglected or q
seased mouths have upon the health of r
le individual d
Investigation showed that 81 per cent d
the public school children of this I
,untry have faulty or diseased mouths, d
ON which In talking. singing. laughing, b
'ughing. or sneezing. thousands upon n
lousands Of germs are sent floating into 8
10 air and thus carried to other chill v
ZEN or whoever else Is around. n
Having recognized 10 some extent the h
lrt that diseased or faulty mouths might .
ay In the health and working efficiency q
the individual, a series Of experiments o
40 undertaken for the purpose Of e
the important part that v
outh hygiene plays in the general hy- r.
enc Of the body. Is
Interesting Tests Made.
The forty children having the worst b
al conditions out Of S46 pupils in Marion e,
hool, Cleveland. were selected for these b
periments. Psychological tests were m
ade to show the mental working ef- llo
tency Of the children at the time they "
sre taken into the class Faulty condi- In
ms were corrected. and the children OF
night to properly care for and use their e.
ouths; and 1t the end Of the year OBJ tc
rvations were made relative to the 10