Evening star., 1921-10-07

Superintendent Of Schools Frank w.
Ballou last night declared there are
many children today in the District
public schools whose physical condi-
tion is as bad as those segregated in
the Hamilton School for tubercular
children. His assertion was made at
special conference in the Thomson
School Of members of the board of
education. health authorities, the mu-
nicipal architect and representatives
of child welfare organizations, called
together to discuss plans for the erec-
ton of a new tubercular school.
III there were comprehensive
medical survey of the schools / am
convinced there would be many. many
more pupils for the Hamilton School,"
DR.. Ballou stated. There are un-
doubtedly many children in poor
health in the various schools, only
their condition has not been detected.
Teachers have not been informed
by parents of these children of their
i'll health and consequently inspectors
from the school medical department
have not been called for. There are
not enough medical inspectors in the
school system to conduct a wide sur
vey. 1t is up to the teachers to OBJ
serve the children under their super
vision and report cases of ailing chill
dren to the medical inspector.
There are certain health activities
now being carried on in the schools
tending to reduce the number of sick
crusade, in which Washington won
first honors, has helped materially.
In addition to this crusade. school
authorities encourage health habits
on the part of the pupils and further
minimize the danger of i'll health"
Other Precautions Necessary.
DR.. Ballou emphasized the necessity
for other precautionary measures in
combating the condition now exist
ing. He said that Washington should
have a more comprehensive system of
open-air classes in some 'of the ele-
meEtary schools. He pointed out that
several schools already have insti-
tuted these classes.
Another badly needed step. he said.
is the establishment of medical clinics
in some of the schools. where chill
dren may be put on nutrition diet.
where appropriate lunches. could be
served and where regular health ex-
aminations could be conducted.
To the extent that such preventive
steps are taken, the superintendent
stated. the number. of. ailing and
ished. So long as they are not taken.
the number of pupils assigned to the
tubercular school will be increased,
he said.
DIR. Abram Simon. president of the
board of education, in opening dis
cussion on the new school explained
that there would be no consideration
at the conference of a location for
the institution, since this function
belonged to the District Commission
ers. He stated that only the educa-
tion, medical and architectural fea-
lures of the proposed school would be
taken up. and called on DR.. Ballou to
present the educational side of the
problem, on DR.. J. A. Murphy. chief
medical inspector of the schools. for
the medical side. and on Municipal
architect A. L. Harris for the archi-
tectural side.
Excluded by Law.
DIR. Ballou told those assembled that
the children at the Hamilton School
are excluded by law from the regular
schools of the District At the pres
ent time. he said, there are thirty
pupils at the school. OF total of
121 pupils which have attended the
institution since its inception in 1917
twenty-five have been examined and
found to have recovered sufficiently to
enable their return to elementary