The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1916-12-21
EXPLAINS
HIS POSITION
DEFENDS SEX EXAMINATION UN-
DER PROPER CONDITIONS
AND APPROVAL
THINKS It NECESSARY IN SOME CASES
Makes Good Case For Himself But
Will Not Convince People That He
is Right
THINKS It NECESSARY IN SOME CASES

Prof. w. Franklin Jones of the Uni
versity of South Dakota has written
the following letter to the Republican
explanatory of the sexual examina-
tions" conducted by him over the state
of South Dakota:
To the Editor of the Republican,:
Mitchell, South Dakota.
| am writing you in fultillment of
my promise of a few days Ago.. | can
state in few words what | have to say.
The charges to which you have ask
ed my reply are the most contemplate
mineling of fact and fable that it has
ever been my privilege to know. |
have never allowed myself to degener-
ate into personalities of speech, either
real or disguised, and in spite of the
malicious spirit behind the affair, |
shall briefly but plainly state the facts
underlying this controversy.
/. The attack to which l am now
Cyl llS 10 lOl anu NpllIOl hoilNHtly NC
an attack on sex examinations, but is
clearly a yelled attack on the educa-
tional attempt to supervise and inter-
pref in educational terms all physical
and mental examination of school chill
dren. 1t is clearly a yelled attempt to
say TO the fathers and mothers of the
state that they shall not have the right
to determine what educational tests
their children shall take.
No scientific educator assumes to
deal with the child mind as something
distinct from his body. and mental de-
fects always call for examination for
physical defects, if the educational
clinician is assuming to do work that
is anything more than m~ockery.
2. No self respecting physician as
sumes to give educational interpreted
ton to defects. either mental or physi-
cal; and if such defects are to be in
terpreted at all, they must be inter
preted by men trained in educational
science.
8. When the abnormal child is
brought to me, sent by a reputable
physician, as he usually is. | cannot
give and do not assume to give educa-
tional advice until / have made an ex-
animation, as thorough as professional
science knows.
5. Mental defects often grow out Of
defects of genitalia and if the educa-
tional clinician is to make his work of
value to humanity, he cannot refuse
tional significance.
6. Then genital defects that are SO
far known to have significant relation
tc mentality are external and there
fore require but brief simple and harm
less inspection, with but few cases
that need study in the light of family
history.
Z. The educational significance Of
bodily defects is not the medical sig
n%ifcance, The physician in his work
cannot judiciously rely upon examina-
ton and report of the educational
clinician. nor the educational clinician
upon that Of the physician. Each needs
first hand information.
&. 1t is sheer mockery to assume
that medical examination is all the
examination that we need in our
schools, and the physician who stands
on such ground is a dangerous enemy
of school hygiene in any state.
8. The educational clinic, which
combines the skilled service of dentist,
physician. and educator, and perhaps
other specialists, has come to take the
place of the one sided survey which
we have known as medical inspection
and the fact the claims, side by side
with many of the clinics, side by side
with many of the best medical men of
the state, has led me to believe that
most of the medical men of the state
are moved by the spirit of service
rather than by the spirit of se%ltishness.
Many of these physicians have brought
me their own children and asked for
complete examinations.
10. In dividing up the work Of the
clinic, it has usually happened that
the physicians have asked me to make
sex examinations. apparently for the
reason that genital defects are more
important in education than in medi-
cine.
IL. Any man of the present day who