Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-01-29
WOMEN INTERESTED
IN HEAL Til SURVEY
Movement in Missouri Attracting
Notice; National, State ana
Local Officials Cooperate


@,-. th~o,,vhout the country arc watch
inr with peculiar interest tho health sur
vrv and demonstration undertaken BY
tho limited States Public Health Service
in scyornl localities in Missouri. by
which IL is hoped to establish standards
for child hygiene work IN tho school
and homo.
The real reason for the selection
Of Missouri for this experiment is that
the legislature of Missouri, ut its last
session, created a department of child
hygione and the State Board of Hoalth
adopted resolutions asking tho Public
Health Service, the only federal agency
authorized to cooperate with State
Health authorities, To come to Missouri
and make demonstration Of how this
,iepartmcnt could best function. This
wa, supplemented with an invitation
fro,a the Governor and several volunteer
agencies The Public Health Service
has planned 20 such a survey and demon
stration. to be made in almost any
community in the United States and
eagerly accepted the invitation, because
in Missouri the machinery was IN readi-
ness and numerous agoncics offered
their co-operation both financially and
with trained personnel.
Her., then was every opportunity
to make really comprehensive study
in child hygiene, one that would DO
mcst thorough, reach the largest pos
siblc number OF schools and homes
and establish tho most accurate findings.
Primarily it will benefit Missouri
first. The health condition of thou
sands of children will be studied by
highly trained experts. Recommends
tions will be made to the parent and the
teacher In cases where it is found that
conditions need correction. Whore
necessary. glasses wild be fitted for tho
eyes, the teeth viii be looked after
and mentally backward children classified
so that proper corrective measures may
DO taken.
The prospects for achieving results
OF lasting value are excellent, Tor the
work is in the hands of experts. DIR.
G. p. Knight of the Public Health
lydia A. DeNilbiss. Moreover, the
cooperation of al official and unofii-
cial health agencies Is assured. The
State Board Of Health, American Red
Cross, Missouri tuberculosis Associa- |
ton, boards of education, woinen's |
organisations and city ofhcials are all |
participating enthusiastically. The work |
ing staff is made up Of specialists in the |
different branches of medicine, nurses, |
field workers and clerks.
The set purpose Is to conduct COM
prehensive field Investigation and demon
stlation In child hygiene along modern,
scientific lines. In addition to this
il Is planned to organize \ division of
child hygiene within Missour1's State
Board of Health and TO assist and en-
courage local child hygiene activities.
Much of this work will be IN the nature
of a demonstration, not only for the
people of Missouri so that they may
see the benefit of such work ard. make
1t Statewide, but for the country st
large 1t will tend to estsblish Missouri
as the model State for such work and
set standards to be followed by other
States. Il
As first step, field agents Of the
Public Health Service will make q
canvass in the locaii-
ties selected. 4 physician and public
health nurse viii visit each home where
there are children of the pre-schooi
age. In all child hygiene work the
first essential is that all births be regis
tered In msny communities IN the
United States less than 20 per cent
Of the children are registered.
At the same time the health condl-
lions of children in this community |
4
be enrolled. Infant health stations ,
vii be established and for children
needing medical attention, treatment
xill be made accessible. Prenatal
supervision VIII be provided wherever
il is possible or desired. for this has
,een proven 20 be of inestimabIe value
IN reducing maternsl and infant NOR
.Ality.
With the active cooperation of the
State Tuberculosis Association, teach
srs, nurses and physicians viii conduct
modern health crusade IN the schools.
School children viii be inspected and
! card will be filled out for each child, |
1ving brief. health history and record
ng his physical and mental condition |
\ here necessary, suitable treatment viii
be recommended each month. Correct food /
md exercise viii De suggested for the
children aad health classes
vill be conducted. Each month it will