The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1920-08-07
Notes OF City Public schools

i ~
Through the courtesy of the editor
| L purpose to discuss under the head
fi"Notes Of City Public Schools some
measures that affect the welfare of
our children. I hope that these arti-
Ecles may evoke sufficient interest to
cause them to be read
| ] am writing this preliminary no.
| tice. In order that st may be unnec-
essary for inc to sign my name to the
succeeding articles
Respectfully and cordially,
s. III. Edmunds,
Supt.. City Public Schools.
X Since the revelation made by the
examinations Incident to the draft for
1.-The United States Army, even more
| thought than, formerly has. been given
to the general health 1t is the uni
veraal belief that it is during the per-
fod OF childhood that subsequent
health can he assured: hence the great
attention that is given today to the
care of children.
In q recent issue of School Life
q pertodics: published by the National
Department OF Education, this ques-
tion 10 asked and answered: what
is health? Health IS not merely free
dom from illness. Health Is not
merely sufficient ugor. Health is that
abundance Of life and overflowing vi.
cor which are foundsti tions Of success
and happiness in life Health means
the possession OF reserve force of
strength AMI energy. Reserve force is
necessary 70 meet the emergencies
that arise In every life. Resrve force
Is the physical capital which Is so
large factor In personal success.
Childhood is the time to build up
this reserve" 9E&
rlt Is not the purpose Of this ar
ticle to discuss the prevention of dis
ease, however Interesting II might be
TO seek through discussion the foun-
dation of lPasteur's statement: "It Is
within, the power Of man to abolish
all infectious diseases" For this
phase of the subject 1t is sufficient to
say now that the best preventive Of all
disease is health. The really healthy
body should have reservoir of en-
ergy. furnishing through it's vigorous
vitality resisting and creative force.
The devitalized individual is nervous.
excita Bile, unbalanced; the highly vita
IiEed person calm. deliberate, self
poised. Physical vitality determines
ones output in everything. Good
health is therefore, unquestionably
the greatest of earths blessings. I'm
der modern conditions to insure good
health the, individual must protect
the group; the group must protect the
Between the individual and
the grour, there must be the most ac-
tive and the most intelligent coopera-
ton. The group and the individual are
mutually dependent--"useless without
the other"
| There are many elements that con-
tribute to good health. In this article
and the next we shall consider only
diet and that in very limited way;
| for my desire is to make these arti-
cles Immediately applicable to our
schools.
| 1t is only since the proper diagnosis
OF pellagra and it's practical elimina-
ton that the attention Of the general
public has been attracted to the nee
essity of a we'll, balanced diet Since
then even we who are mere laymen
have learned a great deal Of the part
that propr food plays in our physical
Iwell being. Would 1t not be well for
us to procure from our physicians the
essentials of balanced ration and the
foods that will furnish the necessary
elements?
Two things are accepted as true:
| 1. For children, almost without
exception the best food is rich milk.
| In the few cases where milk is not
a wholesome article of diet, physi-
clan can easily determine the condi-
tion and make the needed changes.
2. Our children Of today eat too
many sweets, Physicians will tell us
that the body needs sweets. In the
days OF primitive man the supply of
sweets were very difficult to obtain;
I'm order. therefore, that the body
should be properly nourished, the in
stinctive desire for sweets was made
very great. Today the instructive de-
sire remains as II was originally and,
since the supply Of sweets is very
abundant and easily procured. there
has been an excessive use of sweets,
especially on the part OF children who
yield more readily than adults to
their instructive desires. In diet, al
I'm many other of lifc's activities, ma
tive instinct is not a true guide.