White Pine news weekly mining review. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1910-1920, 1914-05-10

paiSa, showing Inaf the average or
mental defects among city children
was o. per cent, while the average
among rural school children was 0.S
per cent. Heart disease Is twice as
prevalent among country children as
among city school children. City
school children have only ola per
cent OF curvature of the spine, while
rural school children have 3.5 per
cent. Ear troubles are five times and
eye troubles are four times as freqent
among country children. Adenoid
are found in city school children In
80 ptr cent, but In the country the
percentage Is 21.5. The children In
twenty-five cities showed an average
percentage of enlarged tonsils of s.8,
while a similar number of country
children showed oyer 30 per cent.
and in Idaho the percentage ran up
to 43. g..
Discussing the cause for these amaz-
ing and startling conditions. DR..
Wood finds that even in the slums.
where the pinch of poverty is the
sharpest. the food is better prepared
than 1t Is In the country, while the
distance from dentists, oculists and
clinical advantages accounts for the
large number of defects of sight.
hearing and teeth. Country houses
are often drafty and overheated,
The chances for house infection are
greater end children are more expos
ed TO cold, heat and dampness. The
school houses are often old and care
lessly built and have insufficient
equipment. In seven states there is
no regulation of the sanitation of
country schools. Heating Is general
ly by means of a stove, and bad ven
t~ilation Is usually the result. Seating
accommodations are bad ventilation
Is usually the result. Seating accom-
modations are bad and general sani-
tary conditions often unspeakable.
fitao1h1f thC Ohif Dtof "
cleanliness are a pail of water, a dirty
basin and a common towel. Drink
ing arrangements are bad and drink
ing water often contaminated. DR..
Wood sums up the situation thus:
Now take into consideration the
many other contingencies which the
country child has TO metaphysical
labor, chores before he starts for
school In the morning. a badly assort-
ed breakfast, a long walk over bad
r~oads-then subject him TO direct in
lection. TO bad water, and 1t is small
wonder that he falls prey to a dozen
maiadies more readily than the city
The results of this survey of rural
schools cannot fail to shatter some of
our previously conceived views re-
garding rural conditions. and at the
same time to point out the remedy.
Not one state in five today provides
for its country school children. In
most of the cities some kind of super
vision and are of school children Is
maintained, but rural schools have SO
far been left very largely TO shift for
themselves. THE welfare of our
country" says DR.. Wood. depends
on no factor more indispensable.
more vital, than the welfore of our
rural life. Our finest crops are our
children. The former does not see
this truth. If he did. he would rise
up and demand state protection for
his younsters-a more important
matter than regulations"
A few days after the publication of
DIR. Woods article In the Times, the
New York Evening Post. in a long
editorial. discussed his statement,
which II characterized as of excep-
tional interest. 1T is not often.
says the Post. that SO striking a sur
vey of statistical results in the do
main of health bears such clear
marks of trust %worthiness and sobrie-
ty." After reviewing the article and
DIR. Woods conclusions. the Post in
dulges in some general optimistic re-
fieetions. 1t says: Just as surely
as the child of the city Is more free
from defects and ailments than the
child of the country, just so surely Is
the city child of the present in better
case than the city child of the past.
II In spite OF crowded homes. impure
city air, lack of recreation facilities,
In spite often of the poverty into
which he is enyironed, the city child
makes a better showing than the
country child. 1t is because of the
multitude OF benefits which have been
bestowed on him by the progress OF
science and the steady advance OF
civic eara nliphfenman and