The Kevin review. [volume] (Kevin, Mont.) 1922-1929, 1923-04-19

jazz q tAAS hNANRAOAiN th~ SNAS
have been perfected for the serv
SO is the value of an individual to
The farmer or the sportsman VIII
, purchases a draft horse or a rae
horse, as the case may be, pays
: price in accordance with his opinion
of the horses ability to serve the pur
pose for which he is wanted. TIL
dairyman or the stockman in pur
chasing cattle for the production o
milk or food is interested likewise II
the blood of the herd he is buying
and in the health of the individual
cattle bought. Wherever anything II
the animal kingdom is bought OF
sold, physical strength, the p%rerequis'
tie for beauty or service, has its mon
etary value and is always considered
And so it is that on health and
strength during childhood depends
health and service during later life.
While there are exceptions to the
general rule that earning power is in
direct proportion to mental power, it
is true that the rule holds good in
a great majority Of cases and a
strong or bright mind can never
function as we'll with a weak body
as a the same mind with a physi-
cally strong body.
Our Low Physical Standard
Not until the entrance of the Uni
ted States in the recent war did we
realize the low physical standard of
the young men of the nation. 1t was
then found that 20 per cent of all
men examined for war service in
the draft, or one out of every five
men examined, were refused admis-
sion to the army and navy on account
of physical defects, many of which
had existed or we're the result of
other defects existing since child
hood. These men were between the
ages of 18 and 80, or at the very
stage of life when they should have
been at their prime in physical
strength. 1t is safe to say that had
the same number of young ome
been given the same rigid examina-
ton there would have been an equal
ly large percentage of detectives.
With these staggering figures relat-
ing to physical disability as shown
by the draft, the country was aroused
as never before to the need of health
education.
Although the physical inspection
of school children and the correction
of defects in them had been recog-
nized for a number of years as an I'M
dertaking Of paramount Importance
in the rearing Of mentally and ply
sically strong men and women for the
future, the movement of health pro-
lection gained more force as a result
Of tho ~ draft f;rH;rro tho- ~ |
would otherwise have gained in a
generation.
Movement Justified
No matter how few the percentage
of corrections of physical defects may
be obtained in proportion to those de-
fects found through the examination
of school children; no matter if nine
parents out of 10 will pay absolutely
no attention to recommendations for
correction of minor physical de-
fects in their children, the willing-
ness of the parents of one child out
Of the 10 to realize their responsible
ity in the protection of their child's
health makes the movement entirely
ustifiable and it is incumbent upon
to supply such examinations
AOAO khOy o1S dhtCd dAu hC =
or many individuals will benefit
by them. !
Among the Great Falls schools it
vas found by recent physical inspec-
ion of school children that of 5,082 i
examined, there were 4,057
,r 1913 per cent of the total, who had
me or more minor physical defects. 1
There were only 1,025 children ex-
mined in which there were not any
lefects of any kind found.
The classification of specific de-
ects showed 1859 children or 26.9
'er cent of the total to be more than
per cent under the normal weight
or their height and age. Eleven
hundred and sixty-five or 22.9 per :
ent of the total had diseased or :
markedly enlarged tonsils. Two thou :
and and eighty-five or ALP per cent
f the total had defective teeth show-
ng cavities in from one to many
eeth in each individual. Nine hun
red and ei~ghty-one or 1913 per cent
the total had defective vision; 268
r So per cen of the total had de-
sctive breathing, and $40 of 1850
xamined for simple goiter or 26.6
er cent of those examined for this
)ndition, were found to have goiter.
Two per cent of all children exam
led had defective hearing and slight-
less than 1 per cent of all children
ad one of each of the following de-
cts: Pediculosis, skin diseases, or-
defects or diseases of the
ones, and congenital physical de-
'rmities. In all there were 1901
defects noted.
Physical Standards
The physical standard of Great
alls school children is in no way
orse than is to be found in the same
1mber of school children in any
her part of the country. With so
eat a percentage Of defective school
ildren, however, between the ages
five and 16, is it not remarkable
at there we're not more than 20 :
r cent of the nations manpower be-
cen the ages of 18 and 80 refused !,
to the army and navy dur !
g the world war? In discussing l