Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1920-02-21
SATURDAY. FEBRUARY 21, 1872,
MANY SCHOOL CHILDREN
REMAIN UNVACCINATED.
Ono Heaiti, Ofncor Says Not Ono In
Ton In His District Has Taken
Procautfon.

Richmond. Va, Fob. 1l.-What
seems to be woil-grounded complaint
comes from some Rectlons OF the
State that, Notwithstanding the wolf
Known aRd generally admitted etYict
ency OF vaccination rs q preventive Of
smallpox @ Very large percentage Of
; population renaafns anvaccinatets oven
With the tl0athsome disease. with oil
dts attendant horrors and exbcnsc.
continuing to appear each year In
from 40 to s9 per cent of the couf.
ties or tho State.
II Even, the plain word OF the law ia
to the vaccination of school children
, IS sunheeded. Ono county health on
Ger declares that, with smallpox In
MS county and a not infrequent vie
itor thereto according to Health Dc
partment records, not one school child
in ten has been vaccinated and that
the proportion is about the same IN
the adalt population. .. a.
Tho State law as to vaccination In
the schools provides that, within thir
W days after entering a public FREQ
School every teacher and pupil shal'
furnish accrtificate from reputable
physician certifying that such teach
en- or pupil has been successfully or
properly vaccinated, or Is entitled to
exemption by reason of peculiar ply
Slcal condition, provided nothing in
the section quoted shall preclude n
school board from requiring immedi-
alto vaccination in case Of an epidem
1c or smallpox, or the annual revacci
nation OF those who have not furn
lshed certificates Of proper vaccinat-
ION; provided further that the opera
ton OF this requirement may be sus
pended in whole or IN part by the
school board OF any city or county.
Provision Is made for the vaccination
1T the public expense OF those who are
unable to meet the expense out Of
their own means.
III the absence OF any action Of the
part Of local school authorities to
suspend tho operation Of the law re
quiring general vaccination Of school
children and teachers all such per-
SONS attending the schools without
having been vaccinated or without
legal exemption therefrom, are do
ing so in violation OF the State law.
The same physician who makes tho
complaint noted declares that tho
l.. S. Government has vaccinat-
Cd 5000 people in the Philippine Is
lands without a fatal result and that
rs q sequel to such an achievement,
smallpox has almost been driven from
the Islands.
We're such n general vaccination
secured in Virginia the disease would
practically be eNtcrminated in Virgin
la. State Health Department officials
declare.
Have you been noticing the worth
while work being done by our Coun
ty Nurses and the teachers since medi
cal inspections were provided for in
Virginia by law?
These nurses arc telling interest.
ing tales of the serious conditions
they find and the way they arc being
rcmediod. over in a corner OF 4 rur
NJ schoolroom,' says one nurse, ] find
little boy whom tho teacher says is
stupid-hc never gets out Of one
grade. His mouth hangs open; he
doesn't breathe through his nose
yes. he does look stupid. But bring
him to the window and look down
his throat. Just as I thought. Tonsils
enlarged, adenoids-his throat is
almost closed. No wonder he seems
stupid"
On the back seat of the room is
GA very bad little girr' she will not
he attentive, and fidgets restlcssly
whenever problems are on the black
hoard. But take my Snellings eye
card and have this little girl stand
twenty feet away. She can read the
first line, and the second line; but
the third one?-no! OF course she is
restless, for she can't see what is writ
ten on the blackboard.
81 go back to that school six
months later. The mother of the "stu
pid little boy" has been induced to
take him to a doctor and have his
tonsils and adenoids removed. Now
his mouth is closed he breathes
through his nose. He no longer looks
stupid; he isn't stupid and will make
his grade this year. He has regained
his self-respect.
And where is the little girl who
couldn't see? There she is and she is
no longer restless! Her mother was
poor so the nurse had her taken to
the Dispensary; her eyes were ex
amined without charge; her glasses
were supplied at cost; and she is
now able to SEQ and to study happily
and we'll"
These and many similar experienc
have shown how valuable it is to
ave all Virginia's school children
arefully examined. But the numer-
us physically defective children have
also shown the need for enabling the
teachers to give instruction in whole
some physical training to all their
pupils. and a Bill is now before the
General Assembly with Senator West
and Delegate Deans as patrons, max
ing more adeGunte provisions for
finding out what is wrong with our
children's health and overcoming the
difficulty. Prominent educators and
health authorities throughout the
State are suggesting that all parents
and others interested in this move
ment for physical welfare write their
legislators. urging their support Of