Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-02-03
MEDICAL EXAMS,
PUNAHOU ORDER,
MEETSPROTEST
Statements Made Of Objections
to and Arguments For
Health Record

ents Of Punahou students.
Two Of these parents have asked
! the Star.Bulletin to set forth briefly
| their objections They say that the
examination is unnecessary. inasmuch
as the parents Of Punahou students
already look after their Children's
health carefully; that the medical fee,
while not large, constitutes a tax
| which the parents should not be com
peled to assume The fee, they un-
! derstand, will be $3.50 per inspection.
"9ur children are already we'll
| looked after, and our physician at
tends them carefully" said one par
ent, We feel that il is not fair to
inaugurate such system
In addition, several Of the parents
have conscientious sCruples against
such examinations, among them
number OF Christian Science follow
ers. 1t is possible that some children
will be withdrawn from the school by
parents who object to medical exam
| nations.
Following Is the notification sent out
| by President Grilfths to PupahOu par
ents:
The trustees of the Oahu College
have decided to have a record OF
health made of the students in attend
ance at Punahou this term. The eX-
animation for this record is required
of all students; it may be made either
| by the school physician or by the fam
| lily physician, as the parent may de-
eide.
THE school physician is Or. f. D.
| Kilbourne, whose office is at 1853
| Beretania street.
THE record is to be made Oh the
form, Oahu College Record of Health,
which accompanies this statement.
| On this form certain facts which will
be of assistance to the physician have
been recorded
Your cooperation is requested In
the following ways:
4. Please have your children eX-
amined at your early convenience.
20 Have the physician record the
results of the examinations or each
of the points specified on the form.
"3. In the column Action Taken"
have the physician record any remed-
ial measures taken or proposed.
a. Return the form properly filed
| out 10 TIE SCllOOl IlOI ldlSI lIidh
day, February II.
"The information on the Record of
Health will not be disclosed. 1t will
be used by the school only to promote
the physical and intellectual wellbe-
| ing of the student.
1T is believed that such a record of
| health of all the students is worth
| taking at least once. The discovery
of physical defects in any number of
cases and the finding of a remedy for
them will justify the expense, labor
and trouble involved If there are
any physical detects, their discovery
and remedy will add to physical and
mental power; If there are none. there
will be satisfaction in knowing ii.
THE trustees ask from all parents
their interest and cooperation in max
| ing this medical survey a success.
The ease with which it will be done
will depend very largely upon the
promptness with which the parents
have the medical examinations made
and the records returned to the
school"
President Griffiths added to this the
following statement this morning:
"Punahou's decision to make a rec.
ord of health Of all tie children in at
tendance at the school deserves gen.
eral approval. II lays emphasis on
the fact, which too many parents fail
| to recognize, that the intellectual
progress and happiness of the child
are very largely based on the physical
condition of his body. A careful phys
ical examination, following a pre-
scribed form, will discover any physic-
al defects which should receive atten-
ton or reveal a state of health In the
child the satisfaction of which is COM
pensation for the expense and trouble
| involved. 49,.
"Bv these records the school is able
to know the physical disadvantages
| under which the child labors and to
| take them into account in his school
work. In order properly to meet its
responsibilities the school must know
| the physical weaknesses Of it's stu
dents for whom it presCribes daily
physical exercise in school hours I'M
| der a physical instructor and upon
whom it urges active participation in
games and sports outside of school
| hours. But the benefits after all go
chiefly 10 the child whose ills are dis
COVERED and benefited and whose phys
ical and intellectual life is ordered on
| the basis OF his bodily strength and
needs.
The value to the school lies large
~ in having such a record of all of
its stu1ents The absence Of records
of some students. even OF a few, in
validates to a large extent the concln-
sions that may he drawn from those
that are made. There are doubtless
some parents who from sincere con-
viction prefer not to have such rec
ord made of their children. Their
tolerance and broadmindedness are al
ready being shown by their express
sions of willingness, in sDite of their
beliefs. to have the record made of
their children in the interest of what
! the trustees of the College believe is
| for the good of all the students and
for a larger and better service of the
school to its patrons.
The results of the health survey at
Punahou will doubtless not reveal the