St. Johnsbury Caledonian. (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1920-1920, 1920-08-05
Urges Women to Vote
for School Inspection
CONTINUED from pare one)

(COntlnucd from pare One)
spent in school and his physical
powers should be supervised and de.
veloped alone with his mental powers
"Why is there such determined OPP
position to health work in the
schools? Because OF so much sus-
plcion. Some parents are opposed be-
cause they do not want any defects
found IN their children; others feal
the methods of examination which
they suspect arc adonted. We heard
u few days ago that an influential
man In town said that he would vote
against medical inspection because he
would not have his children put into
a room with lot of others and strip
ped and examined as were the sold
lcrs. This is only an absurd susplc-
ion. Nothing of this kind is ever
done in the school examination so lar
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!
"Somc teachers object because it is
a nuisance for them to have to make
these health tests. l 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, l 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-ffths of
these children failed because of i'll
ness. Its costs good deal more per
year for Il child's education now than
ten years ago.
"Under the new law, if a 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.
~ want to describe to you school
h'.~icnc rs it is conducted by ply
stefan friend of mine in South
Oran~". N. J. There are 1000 chill
drcn in the SCHOOL. The school doc
tor and trained nurse spend one
half of every dav in the school build
ing. The doctor has an Office Tor it
seems more like II pleasant RECEPTION
room, in the main building. Every
child i; 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 to the parents. The children
learn to trust and love the doctor as
we'll as they do their teacher In fact,
the doctor with her special knowledge
of each child is of greatest assistance
, to the narents in getting and keeping
the children well.
, "The doctors salary is $1,000 ner
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
charge of the schools, there has not
been single epidemic among. the
: children in the town. This constant
supervision strengthens their resist
! ance to disease.
"Women's clubs do the best pioneer
work. This club has already doIe