The Caledonian-record. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1920-current, 1920-08-04

schools of our town? Dr.. Hillegas
Commissioner of Education for Yer
mont, says: 81 think that none of us
who has not been d teacher can have
any conception of the amount of time
lost by children in the public schools
owing 10 illness that under proper
-V.luIelol.o couII nave prevented.
| ucnelany speaking, ii cnId IS
pom wen aid heps We'll, there Is H.
tle aouUt lndt IL wlll az wen.
Nv ny should The ScnOoi undertake
the Gaze OF the neaItn OF cmldren.
because most OF the cnllds lie IS
spent III scnool ana his physical
powers should be supervised ana ue-
,eloped alono with ms mental powers
why Is there such determined OPP
poSitloI TO health work IN the
SCHOOLS. Because OF so much SuS-
plcion. Some parents are opposed be-
cause they GO not want any delccts
round IN their children; others lear
the methods of examination which
they suspect are adOpted. We heard
a few Gays ago that an influential
man in town said that he would vote
against medical inspection because he
would not have his children put into
room with a lot of others and strip
ped and examined as were the sold
lers. This is only an absurd suspic
ion. Nothing OF this kind is ever
done in the school examination so far
as my knowledge extends.
Some people suspect that medical
inspection is a scheme of the doctors
to get more practice Don't you think
present conditions let alone are a
pretty good promise OF work for
doctors?
"Some teachers object because it is
nuisance for them to have to make
these health tests. | don't blame !
them. 1t is most absurd to require
teachers to attempt to do that of
which they know nothing.
Taxpayers object because they
susnect added expense. A few years
ago, | made examination OF our
school report, and, found that the |
town was paying about $4,000 per
year for children to repeat their
years work 1t was estimated by the |
superintendent that three-fifths of
these children failed because of i'll
ness. Its costs good deal more per
year for child's education now than
ten years ago.
"Under the new law, if town votes
for medical inspection of schools, the
state provides the inspector free Of
expense to the town.
"All the objections to school hygi- |
enc as it could and should be con
Quoted are purely imaginary, while
the benefits would be, untold.
81 want to describe to you school
hv~iene as it is conducted by ply
stefan friend of mine in South
Oranoe. N. J. There are 1000 chill
dren in the school. The school doc
tor and trained nurse spend one
half of every day in the school build
ing. The doctor has an Office (or it
seems more like pleasant RECEPTION
room, in the main building. Every |
child is taken into the doctors Office
and examined privately twice year
and a record is kept for comparison
with former examinations. The
school doctor gives no treatment, but
reports with recommendations are
sent 60 the parents. The children
learn to trust and love the doctor as
well as they do their teacher. In fact,
the doctor with her special knowledge
of each child is of greatest assistance
to the parents in getting and keeping
the children well.
"The doctors salary is $1,000 per
year and the nurses is the same. The
nurse works all day, making home
calls in the afternoons.
$50 closely is the health of the
children guarded that in the eleven
years that Doctor Newton has had