White Pine news weekly mining review. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1910-1920, 1914-05-10
CITY VERSUS THE
RURAL SCHOOLS
FORMER HAD ADVANTAGE OF
BETTER HYGENIC AND HEALTH
CONDITIONS AS SHOWN BY
SYSTEMATIC INVESTIGATION.

One of the most important COM
mitees appointed by the council on
Health and Public Instruction of the
American Medical association is that
on cooperation with the National Ed
ucation association. This committee.
appointed two years ago, has been
working with a similar committee ap-
pointed by the National Education as
ISOLATION on the subject of school hy-
giene. The first year of the comit-
tees existence was devoted largely to
a survey of the field and a considera-
ton of what activities should be first
undertaken. After careful discus
sion. the committee decided that the
rural school wal more In need of at
ton and assistance than the city
school. Then the question arouse as
to the amount of available informa-
ton concerning rural schools and
school houses. Surprising as il may
seem. 1t was found that little was
known of the actual conditions of
rural schools In the different states.
A preliminary survey was according
ly undertaken with a view to remedy
ing this defect. Through the United
States Bureau of Education. Profes.
sor Desslar of Nashville. Tenn,
made a careful study of a large num-
Der of county school districts In the
south. Special surveys In Connecti-
cut, Vermont and New York. as well
as general Investigations which
gathered statistics from every state
in the union, and special studies of
rural conditions in Idaho, Massa-
chusetts, Pennsylvania. New Jersey
and Virginia. resulted in the ac-
emulation of a large mass of in
formation which is now being digest
ed and drawn up in the form of a re-
poIt. Professor Dresslar's work will
be made public through a special re-
port Isued by the United States Blu
reau of Education. While the work
of the committee is only begun,
enough has been learned TO show that
the sanitary condition of rural
schools Is not by any means so salts
factory Ms was generally supposed. In
the New York Times, March 8, APP
peared a lengthy article based on a
statement by DIR. T. ID. Wood of
Columbia university, chairman OF the
education committee.
Afer describing the organization
of the committee and the work which
II had undertaken. DR.. Wood said
I'VE grew up with the notion that the
school children in the country were
bound TO be much healthier than the
children OF the cities. Our parents
always credited the children of the
cities. Our parents always credited
the little red school house for their
excellent constitutions. OF late years.
however. there has been a good deal
of suspicion cast on hal same little
red sehol house. We have begun In
this day of sanitation and medical In
those unqualified benefits"
DIR. Wood then gives a few specific
Instances In proof of the general pro-
position that the country school child
Is from Is per cent to 20 per cent
more defective than the city child.
In Pennsylvania. a study of 1881
rural school districts was contrasted
with the health of the school children
In Harrisburg. Pittsburgh and Al
toona. The percentage of defective
children in Altoona was SO per cent,
In Pittsburgh 1922 per cent, while in
the rural districts studied. the aggre-
gate of defective children amounted to
rs per cent. This can that three
fourths of the 294.427 county school
children in Pennsylvania are In need
of special care and treatment. while
even In New York City only ~ per
cent of the children are at all de-
fective.
The investigation of specific de-
fects gives the same results. For In
stance. a comparison of the school
children OF Orange county. Virginia,
with those of New York City. shows
that with all OF the surroundings and
disadvantages of city life, the num-
Der OF New York school children with
lung trouble amounts to only a frac-
ton of 1per cent, while 81 per cent
of all the school children in Orange
county, Virginia. suffer from some ar
lection of the lungs. When the
nutrition of rural school children was
considered. II vas supposed that here
of course the country child would
- e.