, 1922-12-10
HEALTHFACTS
ARE REVEALED
BY U. SURVEY
Schools of Many Cities Negligent
in Physical Education. Cham
bers IF Commerce Show.

Some unusual facts regarding
health and physical education IN sle-
menfary schools have been brought
out In e survey mad in $50 cities by
the civic development department Of
a. chamber of OF the Unit
cd states. The survey was made
through local commercial ~organizi-
tiDus. including that OF Casper.
IRE purpose was to determine what
opp urity Is given children to de-
ve.op hysio1l stamina capable OF
standing the strain OF future CONNER
ciai AM Industrial life
-In tie I6a cities. says a report
OF the survey made public todAy-
there ere n total OF 5.oIs.sss ele
mentary school pupils. Although It is
obviously important that all children
be given n medical examination when
they apply for admission 70 the
schools. 9s out of tho 160 cities do
not give such e~xaminat.eus.
There can be no doubt thst much
disease is spread because OF this neg
lect. One hundred and three cities
reported that they had school physi-
clans and "a hal they had zone. In
spite Of the fact hat the conserva-
ton OF eyesight Is a most important
factor IN the future succe== O. the
individual. instruction in .he care and
use of the eyeS is not given in 80 az
the cities. Forty-one OF tho cities
now provide open air schools or
classes for those who are physically
sub-normai. Outfor play Is recognized
as n real need IN physical develop
ment 81 cities reported inadequate
play grounds and 81 do not have sup
ervisors for play.
"The showing as to dental clinics
IS good. The numbe OF cities pro
viding them Is greater this year than
last. Yet Sc OF the cities participating
IN the survey do not IA school len
tai clinics.
School nurses who form a most
important element in the health and
physical education work in any school
system are found in all but IS OF
the ci.ics. Some cities are amply pro
vided. on Tho basis Of beng aSic 4
supervise $500 pupils. There is on
city in the west thet provides but one
nurse for 1900 pupils, and mi N
the aputh which has but n for II.
ooo. sThe average number In AL the
cities is over s.o2i.
''Thirty-four cities keep the parents
informed, monthly by means Of the
repor.. cards as to he ch'ld's weight
record. 1t is safe to assume h a in
tSese cites the average of malnutri
ton Is being brought below averng0
In Al cities this nnttpr OF nutritian 60
telnr provided with milk in the MD
de OF the morning and afternoon.
SKY n communities furnish milk
10 those pupils who are underncur-
ished.'
A number OF conclusions are drawn
from the results OF the survey. the
most important of which are given
as follows:
'rThe conservation OF health is a
great economic problem challenging
the country's hest thought. National
health IS .he basis OF national effic-
icncv. Tn TO a short time 1t was
CUSTOMARY 20 neglect health eddca-
tton and as n result our schools turn
ed out many educated invalids.' Now
cur educational system must answer
the question propoundeo by Dr.. @.
Stanley Hall. What shal it profit a
child il he eain tie whole word Of
knowledge and lose his own health?'
There are hundreds Of thousands
of premature an Unnecessary deaths
in America every year. The nation
needs to conserve life for the devel-
opment of its enterprises.
LET us not confuse physical edu-
cation with the highly specialibzed
system Of team athletics Sc much
stressed in some schools. A system
which develops eleven players while
a thousand idle youths look on will
never go far in raising the physical
efficiency of America.
Every step forward aiken by a
city in solving the school health prob
lem marks an advance in its business
and Industrial well-bang. Many cham
bers Of commerce as a result of the
survey arc giving the city school in
terests an important place among the
years activities.