Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1916-07-13
great harm to the childs ability in

great harm to the childs ability in
school.
Among the devices that have been
used for improving the health Of school
children is tho open air school room
This consists Of room without heat,
open to the weather except possibly on
one or two sides and equipped in such a
way that children may be comfortably
clad even in the coolest weather of our
northern climate. For n time these
open air schools were confined to the
use of tubercular children. In these
rooms extravasent claims have been
made for the benefits that could
he derived by normal school chill
dren. During the past four years
have participated in an investigation
of the value of open air school rooms
in comparison with properly ventilated
| indoor rooms Except for the fact that
children and teachers who arc under
taking this novel experiment tend to
be enthusiastic and therefore to enter
upon their tasks with somewhat more
vigor. no marked differences have been
discovered between indoor and out of
door classes. 1t seems to mo that in
well follow the example of some of
the rural school teachers of our state,
who make it a point to conduct some
parts of their school work in the open
air. because many Of our school build
ings are not properly ventilated.
In most States there are regulations
which even require or permit the test
ing of the children's sight and hear
ing by the schoolroom teacher. From
the standpoint of the school man these
tests of cyesight have not been salts
factory because thAy tend to locate the
difficulties that children have at look
ing out at objects at q distance and
too often fail to discover defects that
interfere with reading books or at
close work The only satisfactory
method of dealing with the children's
physical examination is to have a
properly qualified physician, who may
be assisted by a trained nurse.
| need not dwell upon the attitude
of most States and communities in re-
| spect to the common drinking cup,
proper ventlating. heating of school
| buildings. and to the sanitary condi-
lions surrounding the children Most
States have adequate machinery for in
| spection. but as regards the rural
school in particular there is great diff
Guilty in carrying out proper orders
! The letter of the law may he fulfilled
as it is in one school building in Yer
mont, where n ventilating flue ends in
a closed room near the roof. The
spirit of tho law. however. cannot be
obtained until the patrons of the
school understand the Importance OF
proper health regulations.
Provisions for safeguarding the
health of city children are at present
very common and in most cases cffec-
: tive. In our rural schools. however
where more than 60 per cent. of our
children attend. there are very made
quate health provisions I think | am
safe in saying that every investigation
of this subject has shown that at pres
! ent city school children tend to be
more healthy than the rural children
\ proper enforcement of the law car
do a great deal to help the health OF
the country boy and girl. but more
than all else the parent must be con.
WINGED of the need for such care.
The census shows that there are il
this country 1900. 900 children below
the school age. who must he cared fol
in the homes. These constitute large
If not the largest health problem be
fore us, Various states send to tn,
mother of each baby a book dealinf
with the child's care. There are many
Better Babies" associations. Those
of us who have to deal with tn,
schools begin to realize that had the
parents of these children received the
proper kind of health instruction IL
school, many of these present effort:
would be unnecessary Slowly bu
surely there is coming into the regu
lar work of our elementary and hief
schools a type of health instruction
that hesitates to deal with matters o
personal hygiene, home cooking anC
sanitation, and the care of children.
When the boys and girls shall be
come fathers and mothers 1t is no
too much to expect babies will b,
safely cared for during the most crit
ical period of their lives and that tn
school and health agencies can devot
even greater proportion of thei
time and energies to providing health
full activities for the schools.
I assure you that YOU and the medi
cal and dental fraternities can com
mand all of the resources of the com
imissioners office in any effort to for
ward health instruction and protec
ton In turn I beg Your svmpatheti
\ interest and cooperation as tn
schools shall try not only to live u
to the requirements that YOU may sci
but also to teach our boys and girl
the important truths of personal by
giene home sciences. and the import
ant tasks of parefthood.
DR. c. F Dalton, secretary of the Stat
board Of health. opened the discussio
which followed and others who took par
We're DR. II S. Martyr of Cuttngsville
Or II. n. Holton and Miss Cora Curtis
of burlington
A resolution was read by NJ, J. Han
good of Peru, chairman of the spccia
committee appointed at the morning ses
sion for the purpose of framing the reso
luton to the honor Of c. \. Perry o
Readshoro. 1t was adopted.
GREAT PROBLEMS BEFORE INDUS