The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1917-03-23
CONTAMINATED is STATE
MEHT by INSPECTOR
Sanitary Conditions Are Poor, Declared
Annie E. Shetland; Light and ventiIa-
lion Are Inadequate and Faulty nthe
Great Majority Of Schools; General
Criticism Found With Conditions in
Minnesota Rural Institutions

st. Paul, March 19.-Minnesota is
spending millions of dollars annually
for public schools but paying far too
little attention to the health of pupils
required to attend them, In the opinion
of Miss Annie E. Shetland, rural
schools supervisor in the state depart
ment of education.
above the average in practically every
respect and Minnesota now has an
opportunity to take the leadership IN
safeguarding pupils physical well
fare by adopting pending legislation
to establish medical inspection in the
country schools, she says.
Miss Shetland would have the school
health insurance system far-reaching
and make it include general santa
ton. Among conditions to be cor
rected, she asserts, are:
List of Faults.
Water supplies are contaminat-
ed in the great majority of
schools. ;3fa SO
Light and ventilation are inade-
quate and faulty in many schools.
Sanitation is taught only in one
school of ten, and the percentage
giving physical exercise is even
- smaller.
Floors are scrubbed Oftener
than twice year only in one out
of three rural schools -
Housekeeping is good in only
As per cent.
Few school toilets, perhaps one
in twenty, are clean, screened
from flies and supplied with pa
per.
Places to wash are unknown in
surprising number of schools
and others lack basin, soap or
towels, and when supplied the
towels are generally dirty and
gerIn-laden.
The need for medical inspec-
tion for rural schools is shown.
Schools Near Cities
No survey having been made in
Hennepin county, Miss Shetland in
pointing to conditions under the
shadow of free dispensaries in the
larger cities, cites findings in Ram
sey and st. Louis counties"
OF 899 rural school children ex-
amined in Ramsey county, the inspec-
ton disclosed that Iii had serious
tonsil trouble, ITS, defective teeth;
SO, adenoids; So; defective sight; Z,
serious nervous trouble. Three need
the teacher, janitor and several
children had diphtheria, two had small
p0x and several had humps.
The inspection fortunately halted
the epidemics.
In st. Louis county the examination
extended to 1,4S5 pupils in IS country
schools. The nurses found nearly 800
children with diseased tonsils, more
than $50 with defective teeth, 148
with defective eyesight and 81 with
adenoids. There were 81 cases Of goi-
ire, z of nervous disorders and 81 Of
defective hearing.
This survey revealed further that
scarlet fever existed in Ave families
and that every member in five others
was tubercular.
Where Aid Was Great Benefit.
Prompt surgical treatment saved
the lives of two children. This survey
showed that medical inspection would
be of direct benefit to nine out of
every ten children besides protecting
the tenth one.
Reports from the University of
Minnesota show more than rs per cent
of the students are physically defec-
tive and that more than half of these
defects could have been corrected by
proper physical training and correct
lighting and seating in the lower
schools" Miss Shetland said.
"The authorities agreed that con-
sideration of health should come first
in the schools, and that the first
definite step should be toward medi-
cal inspection. Nurses can be OBJ;
tanned at $50 week and money spent
in this way will go far and prove q
wise investment"
The bill pending now in the legisla-
ture has the support Of organizations
for promoting public health as well
as that of educational leaders in both
county and state work.