El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1920-10-09


the highest marx 7 was amazed at
the thorouEhness with which the daily
life Of the school child ls guarded In
New York, and bewildered by the
amount OF paper Work In the form
Of reports circulars, card systems and
permits necessary to carry on the
work Not only IS every phase OF
hygiene for the growing child covered
( daily, but provision IS made for the
comfort and welfare OF the crippled
and those predlsposed TO disease. the
WeaklingE. in order that their educa-
ton. shall 80 on and that they may
become useful citizens despite their
Affections. and the results OF their
special attention and training Is
nothing less than marvellous
Bureau OF Child Hygiene.
The work on public health among
the babies and school children IN
New York and Brooklyn IS conduct
ed by the bureau Of child hygiene.
This Organization is a department Of
the city health Unit, and its employees
are responsible 20 the health com
missioner. Taking the city OF Brook
Ign as an example OF the system, the
personnel OF the bureau consists Of
a bureau chief, a chief inspector,
school inspectors school nurses and
milk station nurses The bureau CO
operates with the municipal hospi-
tails. general and contagious. the city
laboratories and Indirectly with the
state department OF health
Physical Examinations,
Every child entering the public
schools o. New York Is required TO
have physical examination. which
includes the eyes, skin, nose and
throat. and the heart and lungs
without complete removal OF the
Clothing. This examination, while
usually done by the school inspectors,
may be made by the family physician
II the proper permit IS granted All
physical defects are checked and rec
ords for each child are kept in the
school Fredisposition 70 disease IS
made special note OF and these chill
dren are given careful attention
These eases I VIII speak Of again lat
er IN this article
Cases OF existing disease are CLASH
fled and disposed OF az che clinics,
returned home, or treated at the
school An elaborate card system IS
used by which the school inspectors.
the nurses and the teachers cooper
ate IN this work.
The physical examinations are be-
gun when the schools open and are
continued until every pupil In the city
has been examined
school Nurses
Followiug. I'D The physical exanlna-
nurses. all Of whom are graduates and
have passed civil service eLaruina-
tions, made daily visits az the schools
and keep constant vigilance over the
health Of the children. They have
rooms set apart and equipped for their
work in the school buildings and IN
these rooms they carry OUT tbs treat
ments prescribed by the Inspectors for
warrant their removal from school.
In their daily rounds they make in
specuous Of the scalp, skim nose and
throat and the eyes, checking up
pediculosls, scdbies and throat affec-
rious. as wen as measles, scarlet
fever. trachora- etc cases which
warrant removal are sent home with
a card and a circular OF Information
for the parents, giving detailed in
structlons for treatment other cases
are treated by the Inspector in the
home upon notification OF the case by
the nurse giving her diagnosis The
cases for home treatment are followed
up by the nurse and further instruc-
ton given the mother regarding the
general care OF the case and the pro-
lection Of other members Of the fam
Defects and DeformIties.
Not one Of the least important
branches Of the work is the special
care and training Of the physically
defective. When the physical eIami-
nation OF new pupils is made all cases
OF heart affections are made special
note OF and these cases are put into
classes by themselves on the ground
floor OF the school buildings. in or
der 70 avoid the exertion OF climbing
stairs 70 Rotations. Teachers are
given records Of such cases and ev-
erything IS done By them to prevent
undue eXertion and excitement during
school hours.
Parents Of these cases are notified
and given similar instructions Pu-
pills who are found 70 have a predis-
position TO tuberculosis are placed in
open air classes They are under
special teachers ln well ventilated
rooms Furnished with reclining chairs,
couches and blankets Instruction IS
given in the value OK fresh air and
rest, and the parents are also in
structed along this line. IN certain
cases hot cocoa IS served during
school hours.
Many Nurses Needed.
Forty nurses are employed for this
work by the city Of BROOKLYN and
besides their school Inspections they
are required 70 visit the homes and
assist the mothers IN the problems
OF child hygiene, reporting conta-
sious, operative and general treat
ment cases TO the inspectors II a
child is to have his tonsils removed
school nurse visits the home before
ana after the operation, giving at
tention 70 details OF preparation and
after treatment and diet OF the child
until able 20 return TO school. Dur
ing these visits the nurses inspec.
the sanitary conditions in and about
the house, and report defects or cor
rect them themselves.
Each nurse wears a badge similar
20 those worn by firemen and police
men and this badge admits them 10
homes, institutions and public gather
ings, and gives them authority 10 act
IN sanitary matters
Contagious Disease.
As IN other cities where school in-
spection is practiced. cases OF con-
taglous disease are Immediately re-
moved from school but New York
goes further than this; children hav-
ing a predisposition 20 diphtheria are
given the Shick test which is a vac
cination test with a Characteristic
skin reaction, showing susceptibility
% OF immunity from the disease.
Predlsposed children are given special
care and strict observation. Cultures
are taken from the threats OF chill
dren in rooms where cases or diph-
iberia are found, and if more than
two are removed from a given room
with the disease the room is closed
and renovated.
MIX Feeding Stations.
Baby feeding stations are estab-
lished in several precincts. These
zoe SO. aH4aH