Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-06-05
HEALTH CONSERVATION
AN ECONOMIC PROBLEM
Physical Education in the Local
Schools Being Strongly
Urged.

A movement to make the present
srhool commencement season make a
forward step IN education il under way
here and in many other representative
cite. of the country. A request made
", the Chamber of Commerce OF the
United States for information as To what
Is lcing done for health and for physical
education in the local schools has Just
cumc To the Wilmington Chamber OF
Commerce. The National Chamber
il obtaining this information from eoo
cities to determine what physical prep
rra,ion is hcing gwen To those who later
will bear the business and industrial
burdens of the nation.
la tho pamphlet which accompanies
these questions, these statements are
made
The conservation Of health is great
economic problem challenging the bcs'
thought in America today. The business
world has much at stake IN the develop
mcnt of clilrcnry which - phys'e"is
ht o,>, o.,,
There are approximately 22,Vn,v"
school children IN the tntcd o'ses'
A large majority of these have remeui-
able defects such as' deafness, mstnu-
triton. dccaycd teeth, poor eye@gn'
incricnt tuberculosis. -,
In order to promote the phNNom
wcll-bcing Of all the people prope,
system of physical examinations ana
health instruction must he universai,y
carried on IN the various grades Oh 'he
schools About one-hslf OF the children
leave school before they are sixteen
wears Of age and yet most OF the health
instructions has tren reserved tor high
school and college students.
The purpose of health education
must hc 10 establish habits. not to accti-
mulete facts II does the child with the
tnistcd back no good 10 commit 10
memory the names Of the bones OF the
hody; not the malnourished child to
rccitc the stages of digestion.
Physical education presents IN,
greatest opportunity tho nation has o'
developing national power. heh,n
instruction is the most vital part OF th'
child. education. Are the schools o.
Nour city giving health cducsuon TO al
the children or nrc they graduating
educated invalds2
In cities where the medical lnsPec
tinn is properly organized. the phy.ician'
have done incs,imahlc good by polntnl
out removable physical defects wh'c'
were interfering with the progress OF th'
children in tho school; by preventing
epidcmics; by bringing about improve
ments in school equipment which max
the environment more healthiul' ~
starting right habits of thought and ac
tinn concerning health.
The work of the school phys'cian
o( little avail lg thcrc are no schoo
nurses 60 follow UP his work. ~
nhV,ician finds the defects IN the child
thc school nurse follows the case through
mud secs ihc defects are remcdied. IN
j. the Unison officer between the medica
inspector, the school teacher and IN
parents. -,
"A physical education system vhiei
develops eleven PLAYERS and THOUSAND
spectators will never 90 far 10 fAnln'
the physical efficiency of our cit'es: In
unc thousand must pArtic,Pste, lhos
who are weak and phyrically dcicenv
most of all -,
An,ong the questions on which the
National Chamber wishes 10 set IN
formation are the following =.
Are all children given a medic'
examination upon their admission 10 IN
schools :,
"Are.,hcy inspected regularly for d'
fccts and incipicnt illness
Are thcrr rules for tho carr and u
of the ewes posted in the school build'
ings and taught in the school roomsf
Are school buildings properly Vel
tilaied. cleaned and repaired?
Are there school nurses
lis time allowed IN each school Ga
for training the children IN the esta'
lshmont OF proper health hsbi's! =.
is there a program Of general heal'
rducn,,on which reaches every child
the elementary school,
The answers 90 these questions VI
give light on the problem of wheth'
or not We are sending our graduates m
tho business and industrial world physi
ally ss we'll as mentally cquipred 70 g.
good account of thcmsclve..
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