The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-05-21
PHYSICAL Condition School
Children Is Not Perfect.
So Says Franz Schneider in So.
cial Survey Report.
MANY DEFECTS ARE NOTED
But They Are No More Numer-
GUS Than Elsewhere.
Careful Examination Is Urged
in All the Schools.

That a large number of Topeka
school children are handicapped by
easily correctable physical defects Is
brought out in the section of the So
cial survey report on Health ana
Sanitation by Franz Schneider re-
lating to a physical examination OF
school children conducted by Drs. w.
N. Mills, M. G.. Sloo, NJ. b. Miller and
F. L. Loveland.
The report does not claim that con-
ditions in Topeka are worse than in
other cities; in fact, the statement
in the report is made that the finding
accords with those obtained In other
parts Of the country.
OF the 216 children examined in
the Central Park, Garfield, Quincy
and Branner schools, 72.7 per cent
had defective teeth. All but one
hundred had enlarged tonsils. and
thirty-five were on the list as having
adenoids.
Comparison Of Schools
The highest per cent Of children
with defective vision was found In the
Quincy school-18.2 per cent. How
ever, this school made the best show
ing in respect to the condition of the
teeth. At Branner school 1872 per
cent Of the children had defective
teeth while at Quincy the percentage
WAS Out 40.4. IN COIHQdIlu6 luC
schools the report says:
1.-THE relative showings OF the four
schools are not exactly what might
have been expected. The large num-
Der Of defects among children in the
Central Park school. which Is s1tua-
ted in a district where excellent liv-
ing conditions and good medical
service would be expected to prevail,
is rather surprising. The matter is
evidently not one concerning only
the poor"
Need of Examination.
The report states that a thorough
examination of the Topeka school
children should be made. It con-
tinues:
Retaliation of the seriousness of
such a situation has induced practi-
cally all the large cities to institute
careful and systematic examinations
of all school children. Parents are
notified Of the defects found and are
advised to have the conditions reme-
follow up cases in the poorer homes
to help obtain proper treatment for
the child. Here surely is a situation
where an ounce of prevention in
childhood is worth it's pound of cure
to the adult, fact which is now
pretty universally recognized, and one
which Topeka cannot afford longer to
ignore. To deprive it's future citizens
of what is fundamental necessity is
unfair and unwise. BY hiring a
school nurse the school authorities
have made a start: 1t is a step in the
right direction, but cannot, of course,
take the place of careful physical ex-
aminations by competent physicians.
Protection Against Disease.
such a systematic examination
system is. at the same time, an added
protection against contagious dis
cases. in the control Of which early
recognition and isolation of incipient
cases is Of prime importance. In the
test examination described above, two
cases of trachoma, a serious conta-
Eious disease Of the eye, were found
in the Quincy school. This disease is
difficult to cure and dangerous to the
eyesight, often resulting in complete
blindness; it is communicated by per-
sona1 contact, and the use of COM
mon towels and the like. The symp-
toms in the early stages are simple
reddening Of the eye or Inflammation
Of the eyelids. The undecided pres
ence of such a disease among school
children is a matter the seriousness
of which is obvious; as is the argu-
ment such a condition makes for a
regular and systematic examination
Of all the children.
Inspection of Teeth.
Since the test examinations of four
Topeka schools were made, the mem
bers of the Shawnee Medical society
have examined the teeth of the chill
dren in all but a few of the school
buildings in the city