The Washington herald., 1918-07-29

Director of Physical Edues-
tion at Columbia Universttyt
Chairman Of Committee on
Health Problems of the Nstionsl
! Council of Education Of the Ns-
tional Educational AssOcia ton.
Should not the children, drafted by
compulsory education into our schools,
be assured Of a skillful and satisfac-
tory care as the soldiers in camp
and trench?
If health and physical fitnes are so
important for the country as a whole.
then all Of the necessary forces both
governmental and voluntary, must be
marshaled for the task Of protecting
and developing the physical fitness
of the young.
Our country is suffering, not only in
relation to the war, but in the gen
eral program OF the nations advance
ment, annual economic loss amount
ing to hundreds Of millions of dollars,
| and human loss Of immeasurable
value, because the health, the biologi-
cal soundness and welfare of the chill
dren are SO sadly neglected; because
existing defects are not recognized
and cured whenever possible; be-
cause the available forces are not
mobilized to prevent disease which
! might be avoided with intelligent or
ganized effort; because wisdom is not
practically applied to the conserva-
ton and development of the most
vital Of all Of our nations resources,
the health OF the people, and-most
important Of alI-the health Of the
children.
Wasted school Money.
1t cannot be too often emonssized
that the foundation for enduring
| soundness Of the nation must be laid
in provisions secured for, the health
ana welfare Of the children.
Our schools are wasting enormous
sums in educating, or trying to edu-
cate, the children who are handicap
ped by ill-health, when the expendi-
I tude of much smaller amounts in a
1udicious health program would pro-
quce an extraordinary saving in econ
omy and efficiency.
The principle OF national thrift
nnds Its first and most vital applica-
ton in the conservation and improve
ment of the health OF the children.
There is food for serious thought in
the fact that at least one Der cent.
or over 10000 Of the .. 600 600 school
children in the United States are men,
tally defective. That at least 10000
OF the children are handica oped by
organic heart disease. That 600 600
children have now or have had tuber-
culosis, danger often to others as
well as to themselves. That fully
100000 of these children have defec-
tive hearing. which, unrecognized.
gives many the undeserved reputation
Of being mentally defective. That
twenty-five per cent, or over 100000
OF these children have defective ewes.
IL Is known that all but a small per
centage OF these can be corrected,
and yet majority OF them have re-
ceived no attention whatever.
Investigation discloses the fact that
fifteen to twenty-five per cent, or an
proximately 100000 to 5000. ZOO, of
these school children are suffering
from malnutrition, and poverty Is not
the most important cause of this SER
ious barrier to healthy deveIopment
Between 100000 and 100000 Of them
have adenoids. diseased tonsils or 9TH
er glandular defects. From 20oo.oOo
to 100000 have weak foot-s -ches.
weak spines or other joint defects'
From fifty to seventy-five per cent,
or between 100000 and ls.0Ooo ooo ~
our school children have defective
teeth; and all defective teeth are
more or less injurious to health.
Defects Can BE RemedIcd.
While it seems discouraeinx n
learn that at least seventy-fiye ner
cent of our school children have
physical defects which are poten-
TALLY or actually detrimental To
health. most of these defects are
remediable.
Why. then. should II be necessary
TO urge that in all Of the school
of the country these heaIth
should be recognized. and
al of the defects which dems Nd
| remediable attention should he
promptly corrected?
| 1t Is lamentably true that in on,v
small percentage of the entire
school population are the defects
studied and recognized. ana that a.
only a small fraction Of these are
the detrimental defects corrected in
an effective manner.
The business of keepine the
school children OF this country in
good physical repair. as now cos
Quoted, is disgrace TO the nation.
' The real danger 70 the children Of
the land lies sn the ignorance, ir-