The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-09-18
HYGIENE OF RURAL SCHOOLS.

(; In q short paper In the weekly PuD-
lie health reports Of September II,
1914. the need OF proper medical ana
sanitary supervision of rural schools
is emphasized. Despite the TACT that
the necessary requirements OF scnooi
hygiene are known, rural communities
have been slow to take advantage OF
this knowledge because the element
of expense and the want OF trained
sanitary advisors. The lack Of SAM
tary supervision in the construction
and maintenance of rural school
buildings and OF medical supervision
of the pupils was revealed during tne
recent investigations carried out py
officers of the public health service
during which 4 total OF $50 schools IN
nine states were inspected by service
officers engaged in the work ourlns
the scholastic year.
In number Of rural communities
it was found that the school attend.
ance was small although the chic
population OF these districts was reia-
lively large. 1t Is believed that que
attention to the proper constructor,
equipment and. maintenance OF sehooi
buildings and the proper adjustment
Of the curriculum to the capacities OF
the child will largely prevent sucn
absences from school and Will reduce
juvenile delinquency. The neglect Oh
sanitary supervision OF schools IN
these communities results not only In
injury to the child through inabiiity
to take advantage Of the opportunity
for intellectual training by reason OF
the presence OF otherwise prevent
able and durable defects, but also in
actual calculable monetary loss
through loss Of time in school attend
ance.
The duty Of the state with respect
to safeguarding the physical and men,
tai health of the school population is
patent. The necessity of this protec-
ton to, rural communities is great be-
cause. according to the 1910 census,
there are over 100000 more chill
dren in attendance in rural schools
than in urban. Furthermore medical
inspections in this and other coun-
tries have revealed high percentage
OF physical defects among children
that are largely preventable and cur
able. There are numerous children In
rural communicates who are suffer-
ing from defects of this nature, by
reason of the want of skilled medical
advice.
In the course Of these investigations
one oficer of the public health ser
vice found more than 10 per cent OF
the pupils in twenty-one rural schools
suffering from trachoma and more
than 20 per cent In eleven schools.
The neglect Of sanitary precautions
will favor the continued spread OF
this disease and the only hope for
complete eradication lies in the edu-
cation of the rising generation.
It is the exception to find sanitary
! closets provided for the use of rural
school children. In a number OF In
/ stances no closet accommodations
wers provided and soil pollution in
/ the vicinity of the school house was
evident. In one county, eleven cases
| Of typhoid fever with two deaths
were traced to the infected wells OF
/ two schools in the year preceding
these investigations.
| The paper concludes with the rec.
ommendation that wherever full-time
health officers are not available be.
cause of lack Of funds. the rational
combination OF the duties OF health
oficer with that OF the medical sup.
ervision OF schools would make the
employment Of such an of1icer prac-
/ ticabIe and profitable.