Arizona republican., 1916-09-11
The Care of the Child

A Word to Parents and Teachers:
 Now, when we are about to open our schools again for another nine months of training for the children, it seems an appropriate time to say few words of warning and counsel regarding subject which to me is the most inn portaLt for the children's future wei fare and success in life, namely, their health
 It is a great handicap for any child, say of 16. to begin life without a fair education but it is a still greater handicap 10 begin life with impaired health. for one can be acquired all through life by close application, but a youth who starts life in poor health does indeed face a dark future.
 It seems to me it ought to be a sacred duty of every parent and teach CT to do everything possible not only to conserve the health of the child but to aid the weak ones in attaining good, sound healthy body
 The public Is liberal with money towards the equipment and upkeep of the schools and it has right to ex- pect mental and physical efficiency of the child in return, for either mental or physical deficiency is an economic loss to the public.
 r UT d HuHiDtT Dl ears 1 nave treat ed children for various ailments and have observed that nearly all defects like curvature of the spine, round shoulders. flat chests. etc, occur be- tween the ages of g to II years of age, for the prevalence of those defects among our people ask your family phy- sician or any one who has to examine q great number of people like a re- cruiting officer or insurance examiner although later in life it may have de- veloped into some disease more pain | tul than the original cause. You, your l self may be convinced by observing | your children or your friends and you will be surprised how many of them | have defects of the spine shoulders, | rips. chest and ribs.
 | In seeking cause for the prevalence of those defects at the age of to IA, | | have come to a positive conclusion | that most of them are caused by im- l proper positions at home and in school. At that age the child's bones are more pliant than later in life or strong | while the muscles are not fully devel- oped or strong enough to hold the | frame in its normal position. If the child's body is held in the same un- natural position day after day while il is growing it will eventually become permanent only as if grows thS defect becomes more prominent. Fol child who already has acquired q defect only expert treatment can cor
 rect it.
 Our school desks and the system o
 seating the children are the cause O
 most of the physical defects mentioned Most school desks are bought because
 the agent is d good talker, they lool
 good or are cheap. The average schoo board does not study what desk i
 the best for the child because mos
 of them have no special training il
 that line. A straight, scientific desl
 ought to be adjustable so it could b.
 raised or lowered or pulled close t the chest or farther away according t the size of the child. l do not knoy where such desk is to be had, bu undoubtedly any of the school furni
 ture manufacturers would be glad t ! make them. However that is for tn : future, so it is up to the teachers t
 do the best possible with presen
 equipment.
 Here are a few facts that might b
 of some aid If a desk is too hig
 the child is forced to put one arr r down while the other guides the per f pencil or book on top of the desk. Tn
 result is one shoulder higher than tn n other and great danger of forming r lateral curvature of the spine. If tn