The broad ax., 1915-09-25
GIVE YOUR CHILD A CHANCE.

Medical school inspection work is a
public service rendered by the Depart
ment of Health and service for which
the taxpayers pay, but unless the par
ents themselves do their share, the time,
labor and money expended practically
have been wasted. Herewith are pre-
sented some figures showing the work
of the Division of Child Hygiene for
the year 1914, that, while interesting,
are not as encouraging as the Depart
ment would like to see them. For ex-
ample, during the year 1914, 119,4O2
physical examinations were made; of
this number 1915 were found defec-
tive and 35,425 advised by the med
zeal school officers to seek treatment.
This means that children so affected
were sent home with a note from the
medical school officer, informing the
parents of the nature of the ailment
from which the child was suffering and
suggesting that treatment be given.
The tabulation figures, however, show
that responses to these suggestions
were few compared to what they should
have been, had the parents been keen
ly alive to looking after the physical
welfare of their children. This is evil
dent by the fact that out of the 35,-
425 cases in which treatment was ad-
vised, only 9,244 corrections, or less
than forty per cent. were secured.
Taking the figures in a more detailed
way, we find the following: of 4,O54
cases Of adenoids and tonsils only 737,
or about eighteen per cent. were treat
ed and corrections secured. Diseased
tonsils, 1854; treatments secured, 223,
being only a little over four per cent.
Cases of discharging ears, 1854; cases
treated lis, little over ten per cent.
Defective vision, 1864; corrections Sc
cured, 1926, or little over twelve per
cent. Cases of diseased eyes, 7,449;
treatment secured, 13S, or little less
than two per cent.
When it is remembered that eve
sight is counted as one of the most
precious of human possessions, it is
difficult to conceive how parents will
ignore medical advice and neglect to
give their children the treatment that
may save them from eventual blind
ness.
The records of the Department con-
tain many hundreds of cases that might
be cited showing the splendid results
from the work of medical school in
spection, where it has been supplement-
ed by the prompt and willing cooper
alton of the parents. Many children
have been thus taken from the sub
normal class and placed in the normal
class where they properly belong. 1t
often happens that a child seems stu
pid, ill-tempered and incorrigible and
is regarded by the teacher as being
entirely so, when the trouble is that
the child is suffering from some of
these ailments that place it in the de-
1ecG1Ve CLASS.
1t may be that some parents are op-
posed to medical school inspection, for
the reason that it seems to them an
Objectionable form of municipal par
entalism. This, however, is not the
proper view to hold. Few parents
have any expert knowledge of medicine
or hygiene and this is why the state
or the city assumes the right to look
after and protect the health of the peo-
pie. No one thinks Of objecting to the
supervision of public health by the con-
stituted authorities, so long as it ap-
plies only to adults; but because school
welfare work is comparatively q new
field in the administration Of public
health service and, therefore, many do
not understand its real function, there