Evening star., 1915-01-24
WHAT THE GOVERNMENT Is DOING

disease. Mr.. Weiant's survey will last.
1t is expected, from one to one and a
half years, and 1t will be under the
direction of Harry M. Lamon. in charge
Of the poultry Investigations Of the
United States bureau of animal in
| dustry.
| Miss Julia c. Lathrop, head of the
United States children's bureau, is an
ardent supporter
Domestic Science Of the plan of
in High Schools. an aao'ns ts. a csrs course ss
infants as a minor study in the high
(. schools, along with domestic science.
This plan. which has been adopted by
the school authorities of Reading, Pa,
will. Miss Lathrop believes. round out
the course in domestic science which
has been introduced in most progress
sive schools of the United States.
| The chief of the federal children's
bureau thinks that it Is just as impor-
| tant that future homemakers should
know as much about how to care for
baby and the preparation of its food
as they do about how to market and
spend an income. how to furnish and
keep a home and how to cook an ordi-
nary meal. Miss Latrop also believes
that these courses should be opened
| to adults as we'll as to girls in
the high school, SO that the older peo-
pie who have not had the advantages
of domestic science as it Is now taught
| in the schools should be able to learn
the same things which are taught their
| children, providing they have desire
yesterday Miss Lathrop commented as
| follows:
Some one has said that all of US who
care for social progress in this country
l = vryI- 4,.1-
ness at the public schools. This visit
fulness is really in large measure
sense that there are in the schools won
| derful possibilities, not only for edu-
rest of us-the grown-ups. There
comes time when adult persons long
| for learning, culture, inspiration and
knowledge. Children think 1t Is goody-
goody talk when their elders reproach
| them in their play age and say. Oh. If
We could only go to SCHOOL,! Older peo-
pie are usually in earnest when they
say this. because they appreciate the
| need of just the kind Of training chill
dren are receiving in the school.
THE fact is we ought to be a1le to
go to school all our lives. The Danes
have been the wisest Of all the people
In providing schools for grown people
who feel the need of them. The folk
high school of Denmark Is made for
| this work 1t gives practical teaching,
but it also gives entertainment and
high ideals to the anxious. hard-work-
ing people. Observers of these schools
say their work is responsible for max
ing the Danish peasant the best edu-
Gated and most successful farmer IN
Europe. Nor does this school fail to
take women into account: The same
tendency is becoming clear in the
United States, and we can recognize
the feeling of the people in this coun-
| try in the push for civic centers in
schools, the Introduction Of infant care
nd
high school pupils and adults. such as
has been done in Reading. and in other
movements making for the education
Of adults as well as young people"
| 4
| L
| A unique publication on the health
of school children has been prepared
under the direction of
| Education DIR. P. P. Claxton. COM
| ,-., missioner Of the United
aAu aedlIn' States bureau of edu-
| cation. This bulletin, which has been
| compiled by Dr. W. H. Heck, professor
| of education of the University Of Vir-
ginia. is a series of extracts taken from
| standard medical journals and covering
all phases of children's health.
| The bulletin starts with an article on
medical inspection of infants and chill
dren under school age, followed by ar
ticles on medical inspection in school,
! epidemics of children's diseases, such
| cination legislation, hookworm dis
ease. prevention of typhoid fever, heart
disease in children, tuberculosis, state
| care Of crippled children, care of the
eyes of school children, school dental
clinics, teaching of hygiene, the effect
| of athletics on scholarship, and scores
| of other articles Of interest to school
principals and teachers. which have
70 hn mr.
publications.
why is it that the men who are en-
| gagged in campaigns in preventive
medicine or works OF
Preventive sanitation have never
1F.a:.: been given as distinctive
an insignia as the work
ers in the Red Cross. who relieve suf-
fering during times Of war or follow
ing storms, floods or other catas-
| trophes?" This question has often
| been asked by federal, state and mu
nicipal health officers, and has been
! settled in the city of Brookline, Mass,
by its board of health, which has
adopted the yellow Crosse as the in
sigma for preventive medicine.
Surgeon General Rupert Blue and
| Assistant Surgeon General W. C. Ruck-
er of the United States public health
service are now considering a sugges-
| tion from DR.. J. Albert c. Nyhen, di-
rector of the Brookline board Of health,
| that the yellow cross be adopted gener-
ally by health officers as the insignia to
| be worn by workers in the field of pre-
ventive medicine. The yellow cross is
similar in shape to the Red Cross. and
Its adoption by health officers will be
| in line with the action of men in the
\ work of curative medicine, who have
| adopted the maroon-colored cross as
! their insignia. In suggesting the de-
sira bility of adopting the yellow cross
as the preventive medicine insignia,
DR.. Nyhen. in letter to Surgeon
General Blue several days ago. said:
| "The realization that the science of
preventive medicine is distinct activ-
ity from the field of curative medicine
is being brought home to us more and
more every day. But while they are
distinct in their fundamental princi-
pies and line of action, there is un-
ldoubtedly much to be gained by con-
q, tinuing the close alliance Of these two
great branches of medicine.
| The demand for the differentiation
OF these two activities appears to grow
stronger and stronger every day. as it
should, II conservatively carried out.
With this in mind, 1t seems to me as II
there Is a need for a distinctive en-
blem for preventive medicine.
| "As you know. philanthropy has the
| red cross, curative medicine has Its
maroon cross, and there is no reason
why preventive medicine should not
4 II.