Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-03-18
ACTIVITIES OF WOMEN IN AFFAIRS OF THE WORLD
Child Welfare Work
And What 1t Means
by Miss Marie Lockwood

our city an State. This activity has been
stimulated by the interest manifested by
private groups such rs women $ ciupsi
settlement houses, charity ORGANIZATIONS
and oranges.
These "health-protection groups nave
gotten the public health nurse on her lop
and she is rounding up the physicahy
defective and is instIucting and Getihe
physicians and surgeons advice IN keeping
| The we'll child well. In no other way can
this work 90 on. 1t makes no progress
without the nurse of high type TO interpret
the physicians instructions and TO follow
the cases to their homes, until something
is actually done.
In the schools we find children of three
groups: The sick, the we'll and the mai
nouished The sick can tie cared for at
homes or hospitals; the well are inspected
and are instructed In preventive care; the
mal-nourished. about a third of all, re-
ceives no treatment by the average
nhvsician. because they are considered
we'll by private and school physicians.
From 20 to 40 per cent graduating from
elementary schools are physically unit.
They pass through hospital clinics I'M
noticed because mal-nutrition among
older children is not considered a patholog-
ical condition.
According to DR.. William r. p. Emer-
son Of Boston, all children falling below
seven per cent OF more, for their height, are
not only under-nourished, but mai
nourished. retarded in both weight and
height from one to four years.
Physical examination reveals an average
of more than five defects IN each child.
Dental examinations show that ap--
proximately 20 per cent of all the teeth OF
our school children, are in initial decay
DR.. Osler said few Years ago that IN his
opinion, the evils that came from neglect
Of dental hygiene were more serious IN the
long run than the evils produced by aico-
hol
Dental carries is the most wide spread OF
human diseases. Intensive Investigations
show that 80 per cent of school children
have one.or more dccaying teeth. II Is
humiliating admission that considering
the medical and surgical progress of our
city and State. that no dental clinical
facilities arc available. Nurses are teach
ing that clean tooth does not decay. but
where are we getting the already decayed
tooth filed or pulled? School dental work
must be part of our public health activl-
tick, or we arc accomplishing only part
of our task
There are 22,0O0,000 school children
in the United States of America. Three-
fo,irths of whom have health defects. The
best knowledge and skill of physicians,
teachers, nurses and parents land OF the
children themselves arc requisite for
satisfactory minimizing OF the diseases Of
child life. No child should knowingly be
exposed 10 contagious diseases. The older
a child is. before exposure. the less severe
it is (the disease apt to be. The govern
ment statistics reveal a startling condition
of physical defects in the examination OF
soldiers for active service, which was
traceable to the so-called child diseases
and the result of them.
Twenty-Five million school children IN
the United States Of America.
One per cent, 300. 900 school children IN
the United States mentally defective
One per cent, 250000, are handicapped
by organic heart disease
Five per cent, 1000, 900, have tubercu-
losis.
Five per cent, 100000, have defective
hearing
Twenty-Five per cent, 100000, have
defective vision.
Twenty per cent, 4.500,O00, are suffer
ing from mal-nutrItlon.
Fifteen to 20 per cent, or three 10 four
million, have adenoidS, diseased tonslls OF
other glandular defects.
Ten per cent TO 20 per cent or two 10
four million, have weak foot arches, weak
spines or other Joint defects
Fifty per cent 10 90 per cent. or eleven
to sixteen million. have defective teeth
Ii health and physical efficiency are so
important for the country as whole, all
of the necessary forces. both government
al and voluntary. must be marshailed TO
the task Of practicing and developing the
physical fitness of the young, namely,
universal health and physical care and
training Of all children Of the nation
Physicians, surgeons, public health nurses.
hospitals, dental and general clinics and
health ccnters must be avaalable to meet
the needs Of defective children in the
schools. There should be a school nurse
for every 900 to 5000 children. accord
ing 10 geographical distribution and
presence of cooperating agents for health
work. No factor relating to essentials IN
education or promotion of national vel
fare seems more important or promising
for these, the future citizens of our nation.
The health OF the nation IS our strength.
Does it seem worth while to you? You
may ask What YOU can do.
~ Offer your services 10 the local !
committee for clerical and other assistants !
to the county nurses.
(2l Investigate, with intelligent inter
est, the good work that is being done by
the county nurses, and their committees.
81 If it Is a good thing, then organize
your club forces for the continuance Of the
work by some form of legislative action in
1921.
The first notab le convention OF woman