The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1915-01-07
VERMONT FEDERATION
or NoMEN'S CLUB S

al heart. have come 20 feel that the
place Tor them to exert their influence
at the present time is for the pupils
/ IN our schools. To make the. money
which is put into our public school
system count for most the scholars
must be in the best physical condition.
Professor Mcfarland says "A
low index Of efficiency Of a school is
due probably more 70 defective physi-
cal and material conditions--condi-
tons that can be remedied or allcviat-
ed than to any other cause"
Humboldt says Whatever you
would put in the State, you must first
put into the schools. . To US this
means if we wish healthy people in
this State we must see that the chill
dren of the State make good start
toward health. 1t means that the
sooner we can reduce the number of
epidemics that run through our
schools. the less deaths and diseases
following such epidemics we shall
have. Every physician can tell of
lung troubles, kidney troubles, deaf
ness, poor eyesight, occasional dumb
ness, to say nothing of the innumer-
able cases of adenoids and throat dis
eases coming from run of measles
and scarlet fever. To overcome this,
we must handle our medical treatment
from the new standpoint, that of pre-
vention instead Of the old way of cur
ing if possible what might have been
warded off.
How are we to bring about a
change Some few states, but only
very few, think they have found a
way. In 1910 there were only three Of
them, Massachusetts, New York and
one other which cannot name. Prob
ably now there are more, but ] am told
there are not many.
They found compulsory medical
inspection of schools was q great
check to the entrance of disease. Here
is the reason Massachusetts gives for
her law-"to ascertain whether ne
(the pupil is suffering from defective
sight or hearing (this examination
made by the teacher) or from other
disability or defect tending to prevent
his receiving the full benefit OF his
school work, or requiring modifca-
ton of the school work in order to pre-
vent injury to the child or to obtain
the best educational results.
We have today law which says
"The school directors of any town or
city, or the school committee OF any
incorporated district, may appoint one
or more medical inspectors for their
schools, provided the legal voters Of
such city, town, or Incorporated dis
trict at their annual school meeting by
vote instruct said directors or commit
tee so to do" 1t has been found that
in some of the larger places, where
people were alive to the need OF this
inspection, it has been done But the
practice is not general.
Vermont is not a State Of many
cities, nor Of large proportion OF
large places, hence this inspection IS
not reaching the majority OF It's
people. Is it fair thing that, be-
cause a boy or girl must live in small
place, he should be debarred from the
same kind of medical care, which may
mean fair start in life, that the boy
or girl of the larger place has given
him? We talk much of keeping our
young people in Vermont and at home
if we can. Can you expect the young
man, who we want and need, to look
across the border line into Massachu-
sets, seeing the advantages of better
care of his children in the schools in
the impressionable years of their lives,
and be content to stay where he thinks
state is behind the times ?"
1t ought not to be necessary to make
such a thing as this inspection COM
pulsory, but the millennium has not yet
arrived, and we have not come to
think of it as business proposition,
to the advantage of the State, as we
shall some day grow to do,
Again let me quote Professor Nc
Farland, who says There are few
cases where economy in money affairs
should outweigh economy in vital pow
err. The State compels attendance at
school under certain ages. 1t ought,
therefore, to provide adequately for
the conservation of vital power in the
case of every pupil who comes under
its jurisdiction"
The word compulsory refers only TO
insisting that each child be examined
certain number of times during the
year. Except in the case Of contag-
ious or infectious diseases, this does
not mean that any parent can be COM
PEELED to follow the advice Of the
school physician He has no right to
prescribe, but sends a message to the
parent that his child has certain dis
ease or tendency toward it, and ought
to have medical attention. But no one
has the power to say that adenoids
must be removed or spinal curvature
Strengthened. However, it amounts TO
an examination that might cost quite
a sum Of money, given to each child,
and in most cases, the parents would
come to see that the comfort OF the
child in after years, to say nothing OF
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