Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-10-29
HEALTH DOPE FOR CHILDREN
BY rrederIc .. Haskn

Washington. Oct. 2s.--"A good com-
plexion powder Is graham flower.
When you're hungry between meals
eat a glass of water.
Arc you superstitious? A light
| thrown over the left shoulder while
writing brings good luck"
These humorous remarks were writ
ten for children, but there is some
thing in them for any one who win
read them carefully. They are a few
Of the daily health notes on q new
calendar published by the Child
Health Organization.
The Bureau OF Education Is trying
to interest every school in the country
In health. Attempts 20 teach health
rules to adults, and to make them
health enthusiasts. have been prac-
tically admitted failures.
| Grown persons are set IN their ways.
They will take some kind Of exercise
IL it happens TO appeal to them, and
does not interfere with their accus-
toned routine. But tea, coffee and
late hours / come go much a part Of
the life Of the average adult that he
rarely has the viii power to break
away from them. 50 long as he can
go" nc regards himself as reasonably
healthy.
SO the educators are turning to the
children. and new methods are being
adopted At one time a school that
| taught the number Of bones IN the
body and how the blood circulates
thought It was teaching the principles
of health. Now, the teacher is more
Iapt 10 run around the school yard with
"A troop Of children following her to
make the blood circulate.
The important fact that the Bureau
Of Education is striving to emphasize
IS that health habits are not in
stinctiye No child instinctively goes
to bed at nine o'clock in order to get
ten hours Of sleep.
Nor Is washing before meals in
stinctive. The health calendars ad.
vice that the first course Of every
meal should be served in a wash bowl
would not have been understood By
medieval folk who thought nothing Of
dirt and died like rats when disease
germs spread Instinct did not lead
them 70 keep themselves and their
houses, food and water clean.
Today we know astounding facts
about the power Of germs and how to
Keep well, but there Is nothing to
show that instinct has been urging
Everybody to cat plenty Of vitamines
| ell along
Keeping Well Science.
Most Of our health rules are based
on facts that scientists and doctors
have spent years in determining. In
order to make these rules habits, it Is
necessary to make them popular.
In the schools. the spirit Of compz-
tition achieves what rules could not.
The Bureau Of Education has found
that children become intensely inter-
ested in records for neatness, keeping
health rules and bringing themselves
up to a high standard Of health. This
ic regarded as encouraging.
The difficulty Is that not all the
children are being reached. Even with
interest in health keener than It has
ever been, there are several rural dis
triets where the children do not have
any physical training at all. And not
all city schools are working to raise
the health standards Of individual
pupils. There is no one to tell chill
dren that they are underweight from
eating too little fruit and milk, or
that they are slow in learning because
they do not get enough sleep.
Commissioner Of Education Tigert
believes that all OF these schools
should be giving time to health teach
ing. Something is wrong with a
school system that turns out stoop-
shouldered and underfed graduates.
1t is admitted bg every one tha.
nothing in life is worth while without
health" says Mr.. Tigert.
We have long taught the theory
OF health in the schools through
courses in physiology. We are com
batting disease and defects through
school doctors and school nurses. But
We have only lately come to see that
II is the daily practice of health
habits which is important and that
it IS the duty Of the public schools to
give TO every child this foundation for
personal success and value as a citi-
zen.
Our Low Standard OF Health.
That the health standard Of the
nation does need raising, and must
De raised in some way was shown bv
the often quoted draft figures: one
OUT OF -FOUR men unfit for service.
In the schools four out Of five chill
aren need dental treatment. And ac-
cording to DR.. L. Emmett Holt. sur
Veys made among school children.
both in city and country, showed an
average of fully 20 per cent who were
SO much undernourished as to be con-
sidered in serioug condition.