Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-08-03
EVELYN M. CARPENTER
On Teaching Health Principles to
Children

FNliE instil..ng of the vital principles of
L health into the minds Of children is the
chief thing taught at Camp Happy. the
summer camp conducted by the Philadelphia
Health Council and the City of Philadelphia,
according 10 Miss Evelyn NJ. Carpenter.
supervisor of tho camp.
"Thc cnmp.' said Miss Carpenter. was
the outgr"wth of n plan to build up the
undcrnoursh"d children TO normal resist
ancc. in order to eliminate tuberculosis as
far as possible. This disease is developed
among children NOR" rapidly than among
adults and to eliminate it among tn"
younger ones III" resistance of the child
must be so built up ns TO render the con-
Traction OF the diSeaS" impossible.
'TO develop this resistance the Heal h
Council established nutrition classes among
the chi!dr"n in the public schools, selecting
working groups thos" who showed from
! 10 per cent to 80 per cent undcrweight. II
will be Immediately realized that If there is
| such shortage in weight. the powers of
| resistance must necessarily be very low and
| therefore these children are more than
| usually susceptible to til" disease.
Five Great Health Principles
wv" took such groups Of children and
| frs, gave all of them Il thorough phy steal
examination to determine their bodily de-
| f-cts and to correct them Through the
| ell. they we're furnished with milk twice
| a day and nurses went into the homes of
the children, advising The parents as to
| health value of Il balanced diet and the i'm
portance of ten hours Of sleep each night
| with additional rest periods during the day
| In other WORDS we did our best to teach
| the five great principles of health: Correc-
| tion Of physical defects, rest periods. we'll
| balanced diet, ten hours Of sleep at night
| and the value of fresh air
| "Much of The trouble lay with the parents
| II is hard to get them 10 treat medically
| children who are apparently perfectly well :
| and. Of course. we cannot compel any
| acrlon whatever on til" part Of the parents
| These children are not actually sick: they
| Ar" perfectly able 80 go around. to play and
| to participate generally in all the activities
| Of rhildhnod. But their resistance is low
| and therefore they are NOR" readily srls-
| c"plb" to disease. especially tuberculosis
! thar the child whose resistance has been
| broughr TO tn" normal point
"rlor" were many instances in which
we failed, because We never get 100
per cent cooperation from all the parents
| 10 complete the work. Camp Happy was
| established. and there we can apply the
heal h rules which We're taught during the
winter months. When II child is at home
| he Is. after all, under the direct supervision
| as to whether the rules are followed bur
ut ;he camp these rules are lived up to as
| a matter Of course.
Ca. operation OF the City
| '"The City Of Philadelphia has co-opcratcd
| to Il tremendous degree in this work and as
! a result the resistance Of great many chill
| dren has been brought mp TO the normal
| point The city furnished the grounds the
| buildings the food maintenance and n large
| part Of the equipment, while the Health
Council has supplied the personnel. the
| direction OF the camp, the part of the
equipment and--the children.
| 'The plan originated with the Health
| Council. but was made possible on the
scale upon which it is being conducted this
| year through the co operation Of the city
| through the Department Of Public Welfare
| We are dealing only with the so called we'll
| child, and our work is, as I have said TO
| build up the powers OF resistance to the point
where the child is made prac ically immune
from disease
"A child is in danger from tuberculosis
| only when 1t comes into actual contact with
/ tuberculouS person. But there are many,
especially adults, who are actually in such
| a condition, and as these cannot be isolatcd
we must do the next best thing and make
the children as nearly immune to the dlseaSe
ns we can. Th" plan which we follow Is
that Of DIR. William r. T. Emerson. of
| Boston, the originator and the founder. nc
nutrition classes.
The First Nutrition Camp
Camp Happy is now in it's third v,>,
and 1t was the first nutrition camn in jsss
] n aS4f4kx