Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1922-03-15
SCHOOL AEDtoAL INSPECTION.
DIR. Il. A. Hines, OF Seneca, Delivered
Address Before GreemvilIe Folks.
(The Piedmont, March A.


lie Health Meet, held at 4 o'clock
yesterday afternoon In council cham
bers at the City Hall, was an able
address by DR.. p. A. Hines, Of Sem
eca. In addition to being a member
Of the South Carolina State Board Of
Health, DIR. Hines Is editor Of the
State Medical Journal, and is recog-
nized rs the pioneer in the South Of
the medical inspection OF school
children plan, which agitation DR..
Hines set on foot more than twenty
years ago.
The attendance at yesterdays
meeting, considering the inclement
weather which prevailed, was re-
garded by DR.. c. e. Smith, director
Of public health, and his assistants
as splendid, more than twenty pub
lie health workers being present.
Encountered Difficulty.
DR.. Hines presented a complete re-
view Of the origin in this State Of
the medical inspection plan among
school children, telling how he first
stated that he began his efforts twen-
ty or more years ago, at which time
nothing along this line had been at
tempted in the South, If in the Uni
ted States. He was then a young
physician, just beginning to practice,
and he did not know how to go about
putting his more or less intangibel
plans into operation. He was afraid
that the other physicians would
think he had violated some Of the
ethics Of the profession if he advo-
Gated any such idea, and he was at
the same time afraid that he would
never succeed in making the general
public appreciate what he was try
ing to accomplish.
One morning as he was at the
breakfast table with his wife, he
saw little chap-stoop-shoul
and giving evidence Of being heir to
all the common diseases which af-
flict children-procceding on his
way to school, and then and there
DR.. Hines reached the conclusion
that some one had to make the first
plunge, and that he might as we'll
attempt It as some one else. He con-
ferred with school officials and Of
fered, strictly incognito, gold medal
for the school child making the most
improvement during the scholastic
year in personal hygiene. This was
continued for several sessions until
the general interest OF the public
was aroused. and finally resulted in
the first medical inspection Of school
children being inaugurated In the
public schools of Seneca-that be-
ing, to the best knowledge of local
authorities, the first attempt made
in that direction In the South.
Percentage Is Lowered.
DR.. Hines stated that when he
first put his plan into operation in
Seneca the percentage Of detectives
discovered in the public schools was
81, but that II the plan should be in
augurated in Greenville to-day, it Is
not probable that there would be
moro than 80 per cent Of detectives
discovered, because Of the health
propaganda distributed among par
ents and children and in the schools
during recent years.
DR.. Hines address yesterday af-
ternoon was pronounced one Of the
best that the health workers here
, had ever heard, and appreciation on
the part OF those present was ex-
pressed to DR.. Hines for the address
and to DR.. Smith for being able to
| secure the Seneca physician.