Evening journal., 1920-10-01
find HEALTH OF
CITY PUPILS BAD
fconiinued ,rom First pogo ,

throat ana iUNuLN arc fAhlilutus Ahe
heart is examined and In an under
weight cases a careful examination OF
chest is given.
Minor defects are noted and child
comes in our column OF detectives
who has one decaycd tooth. All ex-
aminations are noted on physical rec
ord cards which are filed as a per-
manent record OF the pupil. NOtiilca-
tion cards are sent 10 the parents OF /
children who are found ailing or with I
some defect calling their attention TO /
IL and requesting them 10 consult |
their family physician. The family /
physician is requested TO note hts eX-
animation on back OF the card and his |
advise as 10 treatment, or his treat |
menl given.
Nurses assist In examinations and /
visit homes OF all emergency cases, |
homes Of contagious disease cases, |
and call on homes from which no card /
is returned. They also give tooth |
brush drills, address Mothers Meet |
ings and take children 10 clinics. They |
have organized two Mothers Clubs |
for promoting OF health ideas and ex-
planning our work. They visited al
total Of 9iO homes-made as visits TO
schools AZ 90 spensares addrcs. d
G Parents Meetings. examined 2il
special cases in schools; spent a total
or days in hospitals when school
cases were being operated on ana
made 20 calls on private physicians.
The greatest and crying need Is Tor
city dental clinic for The poor. or
lke i336 total examinations made,
3S65 children were found TO have de-
feciive teeth In many cases the tooih
brush had never been used and we
have the hardest fight In convincing
many or the parents that their chill
/ dren's first teeth should be given care
and attention We have examined
mouths where pyorrhea was marked
about the gums OF the first teeth. one
/ case of destruction Of lower maXll-
. larry bone due 10 an abcess or a nrsl
tooth was found.
The results Of our campaign. which
4 was greatly aided by large placards
obtained by the board ILLUSTRATING and
/ teaching the value Ofs oral hygiene,
| We're very gratifying; 362 dental cases
/ were reported cured as result OF ibls
{ work which for the greater Irrt
would have been neglecied.
10 Is the desire or the board 10 IN
/ ierfere with private physicians In no
way. However. we had 20 see tnat
/ the worthy poor were attended 10.
| For this reason an eye. e7r. nose and
throat clinic was established at ihe
High School where parents could
bring their children for consultation
/ with a specialist.
With careful study Of the figures
given above you Will be convinced
that a health department Of teaching
and eXamiring Is as essential 10 our
schools as the teaching OF the letters.
The growing congestion OF ceniers is
calling for more and more public
health work. 10 is the aim OF the
Wilmington Board Of Education 10
| teach the children what we as adults
were not taught Then too with the
large number OF children going TO
public schools and their crowded
conditions. extra measures are needed
20 safeguard our youngsters lives and
health. Our housing Is poor but we
cannot change over night, but we can
Nothing reveals the need Of medical
inspection in our cny schools so
much as 10 say fOriy-seVen cases OF
scahies. nineteen cases Of impetigo
contagiosa. two cases Of chickenpoX;
nine cases OF mumps. four hundred
cases Of pediculOsis and nine cases OF
disease OF lungs were found during
the routine examinations All OF these
are easily contagious or infectious.
Would YOU like 90 know that your
child was sitting along side another
with 1ctive mherculOs.s2 Would you
feel kindly disposed to learn that your
child was exchanging pencils or eras-
ers with another who had impeugo
coniagiosa?
No mOnlher we believe. would know
inglv send her child TO school sick
but what OF the mothers whose chill
dren had chickenpOX and were dis
covered so infected in school? They
did not know. That is our duty-to
teach. protect and help.
The Health News states that nurses
, detailed by the Reconstruction Com
mission examined 3O73 pupils early
In the year before the present plans
J OF inspection were put into euecl
) and 3997 pupils have been examined
( since that time. The present plan
, consists in the correlation Of The work
under the supervision OF the medi-
, cal cOnsultant OF the Reconstruction
Commission who has been palced IN
charge by the Sia.e Board OF Edu-
cation. Nurses employed by the
Anti-Tuberculosis Society. but super
vised by the Red Cross. and nurses
4 employed by the Reconstruction CON-
, mission have been assigned to various
: districts in the state 10 work eithel
In conjunction with local physicians
who have volunteered their service.
or with the medical supervisor. il
is realized that the physical eXamina
! ton. 10 be Of the greatest value
: | should be made by physician. as
( sisted by the nurse. but whenever
= the services OF physicians could no
a be obtained the nurse has proceeded
: as far as she was competent 90 max,
I | examinations. such as less for sight
hearing, etc The expense OF print
p ing the necessary record blanks hal
been met by the Health Bureau o.
the Service Citizens.
Cost Of Medical Inspection.
!, Last winter a special committee
7 ! consisting OF representatives or tn
u state Medical Society and the Stat
= ! Board Of Health considered the ques
{, tion OF the establishment Of a thor
Ough system OF medical inspection o
= schools for the state with special ref
erence 10 the stan required and tn
probable expense or the work.
, was decided that for efficient work
q including the largest possible percent
J. age OF corrected defects the follow
r ing annual budget would be neces
! sary for the State mot including WI
j. mingion where the conditions ar
/; vastly different and the eXpese woul
d not be more than one-fourtn as grea
per pupiD:
81 Medical supervisor ............. 5000
III Stenographer and clerk ..... I %
II Oflce expenses ................ 100
Nurses l6) ..................... 900
II Automobile expenses .......... 600
II Expenses OF nurses ........... 2V
II Salaries of medical examiners. 1900
Expenses Of corrective clinics. i.0C
Total ........................sii .sii q
.Ta.a a Na Of fa al