The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-03-01
M'KINSTRY EXPLAINS

To the Editor of the State Journal:
In a recent issue of the State Jour
nal appeared an article commenting
on Senate Bill 637-relatipg to the
physical welfare of pupils in public
schools. The article states that this
is a bill in which Christian Scientists
are interested. 1t further says, they
are interested in all legislation in
which medical practitioners are given
further legal recognition" TO this 1
desire to say that Christian Scientists
do not oppose any legitimate activity
or advancement of the medical pro-
fession, nor do they object to others
having medical help or treatment if it
is their wish or desire. But, Christian
Scientists do object to, and will strong
ly resist. any attempt of the medical
profession to encroach upon or take
away their constitutional and moral
right to look to and trust that divine
power that created all things good
Christian Science is a religion based
upon the Scriptures and demonstrated
by the Master, and the rights of Chris
tan Scientists to look to God for their
help and healing can not be legislated
away
This bill is an effort to make medi-
cal inspection and examination COM
pulsory, even in the absence of any
danger to the public health. 1t gives
school district boards and boards of
education in cities of the first and
second class authority to employ ply
sicians as physical supervisors of pub
lie schools. According to the provi-
sions of the bill, it shall be the duty
of the physical supervisor to give lee
lures and intruction to the teachers
and make physical examinations of
pupils. The bill further provides for
the employment of nurses to visit the
homes of pupils, in fact unlimited
power is given the physical supervisor
and nurses by the provisions of this
bill.
There are many who believe in
medical treatment. yet they dis
approve of compulsory physical ex-
animation in public schools, as every
citizen has the right to say who shall
be his doctor.
Why this crying need of physical
inspection and examination of school
children? Is there any more danger
of the spread of infectious or coma
gious diseases in schools. than there
is at the picture shows where hun
dreds gather every afternoon and eve
ming?
I have before me the report of hear
ing before the Committee on Public
Health and National Quarantine of
the United States Senate on Febrn-
airy 1 and March IL, 1916.
This report shows a marked in
crease in contagious diseases and
deaths from contagious diseases in
schools Where compulsory examina-
tiol of pupils is required
On page "a of this same report.
Charles w. Burr, NJ. D., professor of
mental diseases of the University Of
Pennsylvania states: 1--WE are doing
rather too much in protecting the
physical health of children. Many of
them are being so inbued with the
fear of disease that the number of
hypochondriacs will assuredly be in
creased, and hypochondriasis is
form of mental disease" On the same
page the editor of the Ohio State
Journal of Medicine is reported as
saving, THE most prevalent and the
most dangerous of all forms of infec-
ton is mental. 1t is far easier to get
bacteria out of the body than to Grad
icate disease germs from the mind
once they get in. Thinking and talk
ing about disease prepare the mental
soil for its reception. Fear and ex-
pectancy promote its growth"
Also on page IS of the United States
senate report we find the following:
Extracts from one sex-hygiene lee
ture and summary of another, de-