The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1922-11-05
The SCHOOL CHILD'S HEALTH
Laurie Jean Reid, r. N, Director Bureau of
Child Welfare.

In considering the care of the schco
child from a health standpoint I desire
first, to give you brief history o.
medical and nursing work in schools Few
Americans realize how slow their coun.
try has been to recognize the necessity
for the systematic care CT the health
of the school child. AS a matter OF
fact, the United States has been one Of
the last of the civilized nations to seri-
ously consider this problem. 1t has al.
ways seemed poor business to me tc
/ have an elaborate expensive system OF
education and laws which compel a child
| to attend school for certain number
of months each year and to ignore the
very foundation of an education by pay
ing no attention whatever to that same
child's health.
| Early in the history of school nursing,
! the value of home visiting was recog
nized but most emphasis was placed on
the protection of the child in school.
| This was good as far as it went, but
! the sending home OF a child, even
though with a card which gave the rea-
son for the exclusion and the advice
, tina 1.-THE family physician be consulted,
, did not bring the desired result in the
majority of cases. In many instances
| it simply meant that because of the
card, the child could legitimately re-
main away from school and the cause,
| unless acute. was paid little attention to.
We have taken the health of children
for granted. not paying particular at
tention tC their physical well being so
long as they ate three meals each day
and did not complain. In many in
stances indeed, even minor complaints
are called notions and frowned upon.
We would not neglect the sewing machine
o rthe clock or the kitchen range. but
would have expert help when they fail
to work smoothly. We are very careful
OF our prize Duroc hogs and Holstein
cattle and at the first sign of trouble
call for the services of an expert for the
correction Of any trouble, since prize
animals cost money and the less of
them is felt in ones pocket but our
children who are the most precious
things in the whole wide world and the
most highly organized delicate machines.
we leave to chance, trusting that they
will be all right. Our first duty in the
physical care of the school child, should
be tc see to it that the school build
ings in which they are housed for so
many hours each day are properly built
The illumination, ventilation, sanitation,
heating seating and water supply. should
be carefully arranged. I have gone into
school rooms where children sat facing
A direct light and where, because of the
lack of proper heating, every window was
closed although from forty to fifty chill
dren were supposed to be studying and
getting the. most out of the days les
sons.
The reason for most of the inattention
and restlessness in class room can
usually be traced to the conditions inI
that room. Eye-strain, and we find so
much Of il in the school children, may
be the direct result of the faulty llum
ination of the school room. Headaches
and restlessness, the result of faulty
ventilation. Colds and like ailments,
the result of faulty sanitation and
hearing and postural defects. the result |
OF improper seating. 1t is the duty of
the parents to know the arrangement of |
the buildings in which their children |
are housed and insist upon proper ar |
and healthful surroundings
for their children during school hours. !
The playground should be kept free of
trash piles. and equipment provided for
healthful exercise.
In order that we may have the neces-
sary knowledge of our childrens condi-
ton there should be a physical examina-
lion made every year. This examination
f made by a school physician should COW
IT height, weight, chest expansion, test
or vision and hearing, examination of ri
mouth throat and nose, for decayed
eeth, enlarged or diseased tonsils and
possible growths in the nose or air pas
ages, examination for deformities and
)cstural defects; evidence of mental or
nervous disease, speech defects, exam
nation OF heart and lungs. examination
or blood and intestinal parasites. II
here should not be a physician available
nd a school nurse is employed, there
hould be an examination made by her.
This should cover height, weight. chest
expansion, test CT vision, hearing, eX
mination of mouth and throat, for teeth
nd tonsns, and for postural defects,