Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1915-05-26
HOW TEACHERS CAN HELP
i ;;;.,; CRIPPLED Chill DREN.
(From the Midland Schools, April

%:;s.<z: 1851 h /. 49,.
The General Assembly recently
passed a law which the Chicago Trib-
une pronounces one Of the most I'M
portant constructive measures re-
Gently enacted 1t is known as the
Perkins bill, and its object is to aid
deformed and crippled children. and
in addition to this, those suffering
from any malady which may probab-%
ly be remedied, and whose parents
are unable to provide proper treat
ment. ~ .. 80 . ~. ljss999,
The provisions Of the bill may be
thus shortly summed up. Any judge
OF district or superior court sitting
as q juvenile court may, on his own
motion Or on information furnished
by a. probation officer, an overseer
of the poor, regularly-licensedp ply
sician, or a public school teacher,
of a child under sixteen years Of age
suffering with deformity or malady
which may probably be remedied,
order hearing on the facts In the
case, the parents and the county at
torney being notified. The judge Is
empowered to appoint local ply
sician to examine the child and re-
port to him, on blanks furnished by
the state for this purpose, concern
ing the condition of the child and
whether in his opinion there is
probability that he may be helped
by proper treatment. If 1t appears
to the court that such is the case,
and the parents give their consent,
the child may then be committed to
the university hospital at Iowa City
for treatment, and the actual exp pen-
ses at the hospital will be paid by
the state on the order of the exec
utive council. No fees are allowed
to the physicians for this treatment.
The only expense the, state will be
put to will be theactual expenses OF
caring for the child in the university
hospital.
This act will prove a. veritable
boon to many children in this state.
We have at Iowa City now one OF
the best medical colleges in the coun-
try. It is one of twenty-five
medical institutions rated by the
American Medical Association as In
the "a plus" class. The medical
faculty of the university contains
some of the most eminent specialists
in the United States, many of whom
are devoting the major portion or
their time to clinical work and who
make money-making, a secondary
matter. By the provisions of this
act, the services of these sk1lltul
and conscientious specialists are
made available to every afflicted
child within the borders Of this
state whose parents are not able to
pay for proper treatment in the usual
way. ..-.--
AS we look at it, one of the wisest
provisions of this bill is the one
which permits public school teachers
to take the initiative. Public school
teachers more than any other per-
sons know. the needs of the children
Of the community in which they
work, and as a rule they know the
circumstances of the parents as well.
We hope that teachers everywhere
will take note of this and If they
have knowledge of children who
properly come under the provisions
of this act, that they will bring the
matter to the attention of the court:
in the county in which they reside,
and thus secure for the children the
relief which the bill offers. No 9TH
er service they can render will have
such lasting effect for good, D,
The law will be effective July first.
next. For detailed information re-
garding the law and the method OF
procedure, we suggest that teachers
communicate with DR.. L.sW. Dean.
Of the College of Medicine Of the
State University Of Iowa, at Iowa
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