The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-10-02
SCHOOL HYGIENE.

The study of conditions surround
ing school life which may injuriously
affect the growth and development OF
the child, and proper appreciation Oh
the influence of physical defects on
the intellectual capacity of the young,
have until quite recently received
little consideration in this country
The first attempt to exercise medlcai
supervision of schools in the United
States was by the city of Boston, IN
1894, for the purpose OF controlling
the contagious diseases Of childhood
From this beginning, the movement
has developed until now most OF our
cities maintain a more or less COM
perhensive supervision over school
hygiene and the medical inspection
of school children is mandatory in
number of states and elective in some
others.
In this respect we are considerably
behind European countries, notably
Germany and England, where the sys-
tenn Of medical school supervision Is
more extensively developed, has been
longer in operation and Is practically
national in character That this is
SO is largely due to the fact that con-
sideration of dirt, restitution and
disease, has not been of such imme-
date Importance with us, except in
certain restricted areas.
School hygiene is complex prob
lem. Our knowledge Of its principles
IL greatly In excess of their practical
application The position OF schooi
medical officer presupposes, in addi-
ton to thorough training in physiol-
ogy and psychology, practical work
ing knowledge Of the physics OF heat.
light and ventilation, and an ability
to recognize and coordinate the physf-
cal condition and educational needs
OF the developing child.
The need of skilled services and
the expense incident thereto have
been instrumental in restricting the
practice of school hygiene largely to
urban communities. This is unfor-
tunate, because the great bulk of the
school population Of this country is
as yet scattered over the rural dis
tricts.
The disproportionate prevalence OF
diseases. among urban
and rural populations is not great,
the necessity, therefore, OF educating
rural communities to the exercise OF
sanitary precautions necessary for
the preservation of health is appar-
ent. The importance Of school hy-
giene in this respect is paramount,
because the sanitary redemption OF
the majority of rural communities
must largely be brought about through
the practi cal education of the young
in orderliness, cleanliness and the
observance of sanitary precautions.
Furthermore, the medical inspection
of school children Is in more or less
intimate relation with the homes,
which in turn are component parts OF
communities. The educational effect
of school hygiene extends through
these channels for the betterment OF
the community health.
There Is necessity for uniformity in
methods of examination and of class
flying the results for collective sta
tistics to be of value. There Is need
of uniform methods and systematic
classification Of results before these
observations can be of value in study
| ing mental and physical standards,
and the effect of changing social
conditions on development.
| The object Of school hygiene, says
| The Journal of the American Medical
Association, is to place the impress
sionable child in the most favorable
| environment for physical and mental
development, and to detect and cor
rect defects which may impede in
| tellectual training. The medical SUI
pervision of schools may, however. be
further utilized by the state in deter
mination of the prevalence of COM
municable diseases. especially in ru-
raj communities. The ultimate con-
troll of malaria, trachoma, tuberculo-
|, sis and typhoid fever in these COM
munities must be largely through
educational methods. For these rea.