The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1920-05-12
FREE MEDICAL
INSPECTION IN
THE SCHOOLS
DIR. Gcngc Explains Provis-
ion Of the Law for Free
Medical Inspection

N'1S1 ASi"IiNS W lIiS lOWIS III Wei
mont taking advantage of the states
oifer OF free medical inspection of the
schools:
Editor Calcdonian-Record:
Evidently through some misunFlcr-
standing several owns failed at their
March meeting to vote on the Qucs-
ton OF medical inspection of school
children. This IS measure of utmost
Importance to the head o. ever FAM
lily and should be given due consider
alton.
Under the new public health law, if
town votes to have medical inSpec-
ton in the schools the work is done
by the State under the direction of
the District Health Officer free of all
expense to. the town except for the
printing of cards on which to keep
records of the inspection. Every
child in cvelv school is examined once
a year for principal defects such as
defective eyesi"ht or hearing. ade-
nolds, spinal curvature defective
teeth, disease of the heart or lungs
etc. Nothinp in this inspection will
be IN any way obiectional to the par
ents. No treatments are piven, but
accurate records are kept in each case
and the parents are urged to have
the defects remedied. Whenever a
physical defect is found, card is sent
to the parents STATING the nature of
the defect and recommending that
they consult their famil-- physician.
However, the parents are under no
OBLIGATION to have the defects rn,n'
died if they do not see fit, the object
OF the inspection beino simply to call
to their attention any existing physi-
cal defects which may otherwise go
unrecognized. Somethir may be
done later to assist parents who are
financially unable to have the defects
remedied
The importance of this work can
not be overeStimated, rs practically
all defects found among children may
be easily rcmedicd while in later life
they may cause serious trouble. Ev-
erv voter should realize the import
ancc of his matter rs 1t is only fair
that the children of every community
should receive the benefit of any
measure which has such Il rcat ct-
feet on their later life.
Section 1919 of General Laws pro-
vidcs that a special meetinp may be
called IL town on apnlication of six
voters of the town, and as the ex-.
pensc OF such q meetinp is very small
and since the question is such an i'm
portant one, it is earnestly ur"ed that
all towns who have no voted on this
measure do so ." once. This must
be done if the schools are to receive
tie benefit Of Medical Inspection dur
ing the comm" school wear
The advantages may be summarized
as follows:
The health of the growing child dc
termincS largel- the health and bodily
vigor Of the grown man. The COM
therefore, can take no moro
important step to insure the future
of its citizens than the
growing of healthy children. In the
present stage of society and intell-
gent supervision of the health of the
children during the period of school
life is probably one Of the most po
cnt measures for this pur"o sc and is
recognized by law in an increasing
of states of the Union,
Intensive studies of the physical
conditions of children in many places
have shown large numbers of them to
have physical defects which were pre-
viously unrecognized and unsuspect-
ed. Many Of the defects thus shown
arc prevCntable and remediablc. Their
results not only in rcduc
ed Individual efficiency but also, in
the aggregate, in reduced national eff
iciency, as is so clearly shown by the
high percentage of those found unfit
for military service. in the physical cX-
9minations conducted under the sclcc-
tive service law.
The conditions under which chill
Ircn assemble in school and not the
school itself, are largely responsible
for much of the sickness contracted
during the period of school life, and
for the persistence of physical de-
fccts.
The control Of adverse causes dur
ing this ncriod not onlv exercises an
beneficial effect on the
health Of the children, but serves
most effectively to teach the prin-
cipes OF personal hyeicno the non
observance of which is now believed
~ w Ii'tlN ltSDVIlSlDit lol lllt la Ky
annual increase in the number of
lcaths from degenerativc diseases
hat occur in later life.
Experience shows that the failure
% prevent and correct impairment Of
ncarin" md vision and to detect alb |
normalitjes Of color perccntion, TO
secure dental attention, to alleviate |
)o~tural defects. to place the normal
'hild in an environment best suited |
'or physical DEVELOPMENT, greatly re-
'tricts the range of industrial. bust !
lcSs and professional onnortunitv in |
adult life Moreover, a number of de- |
'octive children are unable to take |
'ull advantage of their educational /
Thev fall behind in /
school work, become OBSCURE rod he |
'ausc unable to keep pace with nor
nal children in their classes and nj |
"ouit school" poorl'' equip |
,d for useful citizenship. ~ is of |
'rime importance to the community, |
therefore,. to take cognzance Of these |
possibilities in order that steps may
DC taken to prevent them Fu'th""
more, the control of communicable /
diseases in the communit can be ac-
'omplishcd more effectively when UNI
lcrtakcn in connection with medical
of school children.
Altogether, the loss of life. the
of hearing and vision, the
endencv to dcgenelativc diseases Of
PERSONAL hygiene. and the loss of time
II