The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1920-04-09
HEALTH TALKS.
By the County Health Officer.
SCHOOL INSPECTION

uC ssAstOl sosS~S Va sAAS CoP~s
vision of the health and hyeieni
conditions which surround tn
thousands of children in Mon
roe county can no longer bt
questioned. Eye school
whether situated in the country
or in town. requires adequate
medical supervision. Medica
inspection of schools means tht
saving of thousands of dollars Il
the public as well as to the pa
rents. About 10 per cent. "a
LEAST of the money spent eacf
year in the United States upor
the public schools is spent fol
children who could not attent
because they are suffering from
some physical defect or cOntagi
ous disease. The families O1
these children spent in addition
an equal amount for their care
while sick. In communities
where school inspection has
been properly carried out re-
markable reduction in the
amount of contagious disease
has been the result.
recently heard of a parent
saving, IF want my children
examined l will have it done
myself" When the children OF
this parent were examined one
was found to be in great need OF
glasses because of severe eye
strain. Another of the children
was found to have four cavities
in her permanent teeth and her
teeth needed cleaning and gum
treatment badly because of be-
ginning pyorrhea. Another pa
rent said the same tn ing and this
parent should probably be 'ex-
cused, for two of the children
had scabies. These were re-
moved from school and treated
and cured in a short time. Thank
God for the intelligent parent
who CO operates in this work.
We are grateful to the family
physicians, most of whom are in
terested in the work. and only
rarely do we have reports of any
doctor who knocks. | have
heard of a few doctors who did
no surgery and when. as family
physician. one of these was call
ed upon by the child with card
showing that the tonsils were
diseased and needed removal.
he would fail to refer the child
to one who did remove tonsils.
and Sometimes would criticlse
the work. and might as well
have said, go on home and
keep your tonsils and adenoids.
l don't do this kind of work and
will not refer you to the other
fellow, but will mop and cauter-
re and lance them myself" l
iwant to say that no doctor IN
Monroe county has behaved this
way or would ever be guilty OF
behavior like this. Most of the
best doctors in the world do not
do surgery. and should not. for
they are too busy as internists;
but some do surgery and do it
well, and we. as internists. are
indeed fortunate to haye their
services at any time. No petty
jealousies should stand in the
way.
BY means Of school inspection
defects which tend to lower indi-
vidual resistance and increase
the susceptibility of q child to
contagious diseases are recogniz
ed. Such defects also retard
mental development and prepare
the way for deeenerated diseases
in later life. When defects are
found. parents are informed and
urged to have them corrected.
When you get q card pointing
out defect. you may be sure il
exists. We fail to catch all de-
fects. but those reported are real
and nothing is guessed at. A
large number of men debarred
from military service Of the
United States recently because
Of physical disability shows that
many such defects which could
haye been corrected il childhood
had they been known, remain
unc0rsected. School inspectioo
alan aaosn1a r, f1nfofsainw cnGn6 ~