Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1922-10-26
CHILD HEALTH
WORK VITAL
TOFUTURE

Mrs. Louis Fetherstone, who is at
the head of Child Health Work in Chi
cago under the Elizabeth Mccormick
Fund, is making her fourth visit to
Wood County this week. She is ad-
dressing meetings in various parts of
the county, the work this fall being a
continuation and completion of the
work which she began last spring un-
der the auspices of the Women's Fed
eraticn and which looks to the organ
ization of systematic child health
work in every school in the county.
The country was awakened with
jolt, says Mrs. Fetherstone, when it
was found that one third of all the
men examined during the war were
physically unfit for military duty. If
these people are unfit for military
duty they are equally inefficient and
ineffective in industrial and social
peace-tme duty. It is easily prova-
bic that the health average among wo-
men is no higher than among men. to
say the least.
1t is equally provable that the
ground work of physical unftness a.
mong both men and women was laid
down during early childhood and in
school days, by neglect of adenoids
tonsils and bad teeth, by formation of
wrong habits of diet, rest, posture.
and dress.
The wrong conditions show up in
the result that the child is below the
proper weight for his height. This
IS discovered in the schools by the
systematic weighing and measuring
by means of the health scales, which
the child welfare workers, under the
leadership of the local Women's Feder-
alton, are seeking to place in every
school.
When a child is found to be under
weight he is examined for physical
defects, and they are corrected if
found. He 81 then Systematically and
gently but firmly encouraged to form
and follow up proper habits of diet,
rest and play.
This requires the y. tive and intelli
gent cooperation of the school board.
the teacher, the parents and the ply
sician, along with that of the child
about whom the efforts center.
1t is with the purpose of securing
this four-foId cooperation that Mrs.
Fetherstone is addressing these meet
ings. Following is the schedule of
Mrs. Fetherstone for the week, as
laid out by the Womens' Federation,
Mrs. Anna Clancy, County Nurse, and
the, County Superintendent's force
Monday, the teachers of public and
parochial schools of this city, at Lin
coin High School in the afternoon,
and at Rudolph School in the evening.
Tuesday, at the School Board Con-
vention at the County Normal in the
afternoon and at Altdorf Community
center in the evening.
Wednesday, at the School Board
Convention at Pittsville in the af-
ternoon and at Nasonville in the ev-
ening.
Thursday, at City Point in the af-
ternoon and at Rocky Run School in
the town of Cary in the evening.
Friday, at Lindsey in the evening
Saturday, at the County Conference
of Social Workers in the afternoon
and at Bethel in the evening.
Next Monday she will be at Sherry
in the afternoon and at Hewitt in
the evening.
Tuesday afternoon, when Mrs
Fetherstone spoke to the School Board
Convention, she announced that the
Women's Federation had offered a
prize of $40 to the first school which
ordered a Health Scale and prizes OF
SIS each to the next five. The first
prize was taken before she had fin
ished speaking, and the other five
within few minutes thereafter.