Arizona republican., 1921-04-20
EDUCATION BOARD
 MEASUREMENTS
 ON GERM SUBJECT

Taking exception to the books used in the public schools. representatives of the School Children's Protective league appeared before the state
 board of education yesterday and of i fered objection to John w. Ritchie's primer on Sanitation. | c, s. Cunningham, a local attor-
 ney, said that he not only took ex-
 ception to the subject of germ dis ease but the language in whic hit is 1 couched.
 Tt can only result in installing fear
 in the hearts and minds of children,
 and fear can do more to weaken the
 body and mind than all the germs they write about" declared Mir. Gun ningham.
 This is the first time I have ever heard ignorance recommended" was the reply of Dr. Win Wylie, who rep resented the State Medical assoeia-
 tion.
 The Protective league asked for
 permission to appear before the
 board Mrs. E. J. Hughes and Mrs.
 Maud Makemson, officers of the
 league, were present, but their main
 objections were voiced by MT. Cum
 ningham.
 The lawyer recounted his own Tear of diphtheria as a child.
 Tt is a fallacy to attempt to teach
 children what germs are, just as it is , an absolute fallacy to say that sick ness comes to most of us. Sickness
 does not eventually come to all of us, said MT. Cunningham, as he found . fault with the books in the schools including Ritchie on hygiene and , human physiology, which gaves space . to germ disease and serum treat , ments.
 They are way beyond the mean ing to a child, who would need a tech nical dictionary for meaning only understood by doctors. The books are only good for the publishers and salesmen."
 MT. Cunningham recommended that Frances Gulick Jewett's Good Health" be used as a substitute. pr. Wylie contended that germs cause most of the diseases. We believe in the theory just as absolutely as we believe calves pro duce. beef.'' said Dr. Wylie. He advocated that children bt taught that germs produce disease for prevention of disease. and tha their knowledge include the fact tha serums are used to destroy the germs counteracting the disease. He re called the time when diphtheria killeC 90 per cent, declaring that since thu 4 use Ol dIlliO&ll tfl6IS Ntie SOiAIpeit q lively no deaths from the disease. "The gentleman says children vii not get sick, but let me tell you they will" said the physician. Let then have instruction by all means" h, declared.
 Dr. W. ". Watkins spoke of th' psychology of children. claiming tha the child is not afraid of what h, knows about.
 "A little fear is a good thing. Feal 6 of a switch may be bad, but it ma! keep the child out of trouble" ! The physician inquired as |, | whether the schools were to follow E the prevention of disease policy O f the public health department of tn N state and the United States. Dr. Harbridge also spoke in beha' of instruction along these lines in tn ' public schools.
 The arguments before the boar took up the greater part of the after E noon which did not leave sufficien time for the adoption of text books. \ The Gitteau history now in use wa adopted for another year and it wa E decided to re-advertise for geog \ raphies, as new ones will shortly b E released.
 Four readers were adopted, tn E Beacon, Winston, The Story Hou ! and Free and Treadwells. These wi be used in the primary, first secon S and third grades. The Beacon an N Free and Treadwell are re- adoption. \ although the board passed a resolu - tion resembling the Beacon method a