Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1918-11-16
VENTILATION Of
SCHOOL HOUSES
URGED BY HOPE
Fresh Air Is Needed by Pupils
in Rural Schools When They
Reopen Next Monday, Says
County Physician,

Calling upon the rural school teach
ers and school officials to observe
certain rules for the preservation of
the childrens health when studies are
resumed next Monday, and advocat-
ing more fresh air-open air schools,
infact-Dr w. G, Hope, county
health officer yesterday addressed a
letter TO all concerned The letter
follows:
GAS a member of the Bernalillo
county board of health, | should like
to say a word to the county school di-
rectors and county school teachers.
In opening the county schools No
vember IS. the County Board of
Health tried to do so advisably, after
mature consideration of all the con-
ditions involved, We realize that the
epidemic of influenza is not over. nor
in all reasonably probability, judging
from past epidemics of this disease,
will not be- over for at least six
months. But it has much abated,
and with vigilance and the following
of a few well established rules of SAN
itation by the directors and especially
by the teachers, we believe that the
best interest of all concerned is best
conserved by starting the schools.
IAN journals of education have in
recent years been telling us about
open air schools. Practically all the
eastern states now have some open
air schools, These schools are grow
ing more and more in favor every
year l believe that open air schools
will soon be the rule throughout the
country. and children will cease to
be exhausted and many of them in
valided at the termination of our
school terms. They will cease to
come home with headaches anxious
for bed rather than supper. Our Rio
Grande Valley climate is peculiarly
suited for open air schools. Our val
ley school buildings, thanks to the en-
terprise of the patrons are architec
turally constructed with plenty Of
windows. All we need for open air
schools is simply to open these win
dows and to keep UP an extra good
fire There are not thirty days in the
year in Bernalillo county that every
window in every school house cannot
to advantage kept, not a little open
but wide open every hour of the day.
Then we shall never need to build
new open air school houses. Allow.
yes compel scholars to keep on all
their wraps, overcoats, etc. all day
long. Have the children who do not
have warm clothing sit near the stove
where an extra good fire is kept con-
BY this method you would
soon educate the breathing tracts of
your scholars to tolerate only pure
air, and they would no more breath
dirty foul air in school room or in
home than they would eat dirty.
food Your children will
learn faster; their physical conditions
will be much better: they will not be
absent so much because of illness.
Every teacher in the country
school should have fever thermom-
eter, and if a child appears to. be Ill
in school, the temperature should be
taken, and if feverish should be sent
home with q note to parents and pos
sibly some simple suggestions as 70
care of child: and if parents are too
poor to command physician consult
the county physician and county
nurse. both of whom are free to all
poor people The country school
teacher should teach sanitation every
day.
"The county board of health has
plenty ~of literature in the forms OF
leaflets, written in both Spanish and
English. giving suggestions relative
to nursing and treating influenza and
other contagious and infectious dis
eases. Directors and teachers can
have a supply of this literature by
calling at the office of the county
health officer 1t is sincerely hoped
that the directors and teachers of the
county schools toutside of the city,
will cooperate energetcally, with the
County Health Board in preventing
and controlling all kinds of infectious
and contagious diseases in our coun-
try precincts.