The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-10-30
MEDICAL Inspection
N SCHOOLS IS NEED
rHe1t Legislature 20 Be Mcmoriali1ed
BY Medical Society Com
mittcc.
MEDICAL CONVENTION ENDS
Other Committees On Restricting In
discriminate Use of Certain Drugs
and On Feeble Minded Problem 10
10 Named.

3orty sixth annual convention. to per-
FORM will be the naming OF committees
to take up important matters iaio
before the convention during It's SEES
sfons. These will be steps In direction
Of securing medical examination OF
children In public schools throughout
the state: of putting restrictions upon
the indiscriminate use of drugs. and
Of acquiring greater attention by the
state to the custodial care OF the
feebleminded.
Appointment Of these three com
mittees will be made within n few days,
ttfie expected.
before adjournment was taken yes
terday the convention adopted from
the executive council, report amend
Sang the bylaws as proposed by DIR.
ST. Allison Hodges Thursday afternoon
- that members Of the society living
In the city In which the convention is
hold will be ineligible for the Office
Of president during the year follow
Ing. The report also called on the
president to name a committee to look
, Into the use of paregortc and certain
preparations with view to placing
restrictions upon their indiscr.minate
use.
Medical Inspection of Children.
Another committee will place the
matter OF better custodial care OF the
.feeblemtnded before the Legislature. A
''ehird committee will be named to in
veetigate the status of prophylaxis
among school children and to memoir
iAliss the next session of the General
Assembly OF Virginia that II might
realize the Importance and necessity
Of medical inspection OF school chill
Areu and enact Legislation making such
inspection Statewide. This matter was
Laid before the convention by DR.. H.
q. Stephenson of Toano. who Is
former member OF the House OF Dele
gates from James City County.
DR.. Stephenson In presenting the
matter spoke. In part as follows.
with the advanced methods OF d.
aGonsis and new means of treatment.
the responsibility of the physician for
the welfare of his patients and the
public has proportionately increased.
hat In few directions fias the respon-
sibility advanced so rapidly as in that
81 the proper management OF the child
from infancy to puberty
During this period of phenomenal de-
velopment the foundation of those
factors which make most for success
In after life--a we'll trained mind,
we'll developed body. sound health. and
Q good digestion. In SO far az these
fall short OF the normal. Just so far
does the individual miss his full sf-
fsctiveness in the world HcrE. ne
mere consideration OF this matter would
|tAeem to smack too much of idle specu-
were 1t not for the indisputable
fact that we are already In the posses
session OF prophyiactic measures OF
avery day medicine, which IL eonscien-
tioueiy applied TO each child OF our
schools. would produce incalculaole re-
suits.
-since the foundations OF sound
q. ,t,f "A
hood, and IL neglected canot be re-
built. we have at the start n concrete
problem worthy OF our most earnest
consideration. Prophyisxis among
children should begin q hundred years
before their birth that there might not
remain neither disease nor effect of
hereditary disease.
Normal Progress Of Child.
There ts no period in life where
phophylAxis. or preventive media, can
~ practiced with as much good as
during the period or school life, In
stances could be multiplied almost In
kdannlteiy in which trained ohserva~
| ttqn and prompt interference by the
physician may stand between the child
ana lasting consequences.
There is less glory to be attained
~ patient prophylaxis and early re
sort to conservative measures than
nv iAte1 SACCeHS&Qt shtciN eAhtcu W ANb
the threatened damage Is generally
apparent: but the reward or honest sat
fefAction il the greater for the krowi-
edge thar dangers have been fore
stalled and the normal progress OF the
child secured
.Prophylaxis is and ever should be
the highest ideal Of our profession.
and Its silent and unheraldcd VIC
tories are worthy to he ranked even
quests OF Therapeutics ard surgery.
sThe army of laboratory workers
| II constantly putting new weapons In
|Aur hands These focus our efforts
when disease threatens. ard aid in tho
|feductiou Of mortality, but in our en-
fhusiasm for new modes OF diagnosis
kAnd treatment. however important, let
los bear in mind that the most effective
power for human good lies in pre-
Iveution. and that to conserve a healthy
hody 10 a greater achievement than
Ito cure malady which our timely
Aaforts might have averted.
present conditions offer won-
Iderful opportunity to the medical pro-
Ifession to lead the way in the cam
InAiEr for prophylaxis among school
|children II wo embrace the orportu-
aity. the debt of the public to the medi-
|cai profession. as well AS our inf,u-
fAnce with the people. will be greatly in
|ereased
Recognizing the constantly growing
lin portance OF preventive medicine and
the duties of the medical profession
To the public in this respect, the Med
heal Society of Virginia. should pass
h resolution memoralizing the Leyis-
Nature. which meets next January. to
lpass bill providing medical inspec-
gtfon Of our school children. In no way
yW1h "a 1,tnA Sn@i1tE clearly