Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1915-06-03
TEACHERS CAN HELP
CRIPPLED CHILDREN

The General Assembly recently
passed a law known as the Perkins
bill, and its object is to aid deform-
ed and crippled children, and in adj
dition to this, those suffering from
amy malady which may probably be
remedied, and whose parents are un
able to provide proper treatment.
The provisions of the bill are .Any
judge of district or superior court
sitting as a Juvenile court may, on
his own motion or on information
furnished by probation Officer. an
oyerseer of the poor, a regularly-li-
censed physician, or a public school
teacher, of a child under sixteen
AIRS of age suffering with de-
formity or malady which may pro
badly be remedied, order hearing
on the facts in the case, the parents
and the county attorney being no.
tHfied. The judge is empowered to
appoint a local Physician to exam
line the child and report to him, on
blanks furnished by the state for
this purpose, concerning the condi-
tion of the child and whether in
his opinion there is probability
that he may be helped by proper
treatment. If it appears to the court
that such is the case, and the par
knfc eriya tbair oopco,t m, . ol>:,E
may then be committed to the Uni
versity hospital at Iowa City for
treatment, and the actual expenses
at the hospital will be paid by the
state on the order of the executive
council No fees are allowed to thn
physicians for this treatment. The
only expense the state will be put
| to- will be THE actual expenses of
caring for the child i'm the Univer-
sity hospital.
This act will prove veritable boon
to many children in this state. We
have at Iowa City now one of the
best medical colleges in the country
II is Ole Of twenty-five medical in.
situations rated by the American
Medical Association as in the "a
plus class. The medical faculty Of
THE university contains some of tht
.mbst eminent SPECIALIST in Unit
]aEd States. many of with m are de-
voting the major portion of thIeil
time to clinical work and who maxi
moaey-makng a secondary matter
BY the provisions of this act, ths
services of these shillful and con
scientious specialists are made avail
able to every afflicted child within
the borders of this state WHO'S
parents are not able to pay for pro
per treatment in the usual way.
As we look at it, one of the wis
est provisions of this bill is the on,
which permits public school teacher
to take the Initiative. Public schloo
teachers more than any other per
sons know the needs of the childre
tof the community in whi oh the1
work and as rule know circum
stances of the parents as we'll. w
hope that teachers everywhere viii
take note of this and if tLhley hay
knowledge of children who properl
6ome under THE provisions of thi
act, that they will bring the mat
, ter to the attention of the court il
the county in which they resid
and thus secure for the childe
the relief which the bill offers. N
other service they can render viii
have such a lasting effect for goot
The law will be effective Jul
first, next.
n Bier dttsi'ed information IL
garding the law and the method q
procedure, we suggest that teach
erS communicate, with DIR. L. W
Dean of the college of Medicine o
State University of Iowa, at low
S.l.-