The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1925-10-01
MANY CHILDREN
UNFIT FOR WORK
Meeting Brings Out Need
of Individual Physical
Education.
URGE CORRECTIONS

A large number of Kenoshans, in
terested in the physical welfare of the
city's school children, attended meet
ing of the Lincoln school last even
ing, at which problems of physical
education in the schools were dis
cussed.
School activities, p. T. A. members,
social service workers and others who
have at heart the children of school
age were present. Guy F. Loomis, SUI
perintendent Of schools, presided at
the meeting, opening it with the re-
mark that the health and physical edu-
cation departments Of the schools were
responsible for the program presented
last evening.
G. T. Byrnes, physical education di-
rector of the schools, introduced the
subject of the evenings discussion. He
said that recent Investigations made
In Kenosha schools had discovered
serious heart and posture conditions
among the children. ''The need Of
corrective gymnastics is everywhere
apparent" he said, "and the problem
is great. Only Is per cent Of the chill
dren in the Lincoln, Washington and
Mckinley junior high schools have
normal hearts and are able to carry on
the general gymnasium work. The re-
lmainder are physically unfit and need
individual instruction. There are 80
per cent Of the children whose pos
ture is faulty in the first degree, 10
percent in the second degree and 9
per cent in the third or worst de-
gree"
Orthopedic Deformities.
DR.. John O. Dieterle, orthopedic sur
geon of Milwaukee gave an illustrated
talk on Common Deformities of
SchooI Age" He said that there is an
enormous number of postural defects
among school children, emphasizing
the need for prevention and correc-
tion Of curvatures Of the spine. He
remarked that it was an exception to
find college student with normal
ton of every child from head to foot
stripped once or twice year.
His stereopticon slides showing ex-
amples Of physical deformities were
intensely interesting, especially as DR..
Dieterle explained the cause and
means Of correction in each case. Meth
DDS of correcting postural defects with
exercises were also shown in detail.
DR.. A. A Pleyte of the Wisconsin
Anti tuberculosis association, Mil
waukee, spoke briefly on Balancing
Physical Education" In which he
urged the necessity of combining gym
nastics and sunshine with regular
health habits for the child. Illness, he
said, was much more dangerous in an
incipient, neglected form than when it
was something apprehended and being
cured. Care in nutrition, use Of eyes,
care Of teeth and regular schedule of
sleep, he said, are all-important to the
growing child.
Demonstrate Exercises.
DR.. Elizabeth Seller, through whose
efforts the meeting last evening was
called, gave q demonstration of exer-
cises used in Kenosha to correct pos
tural defects in school children. DR..
Seller has been school physician here
for only few months, but she has al
ready made enlightening discoveries
about the prevailing condition Of
health, and has established an efficient
routine Of correction.
man." said DR.. Seller, "has a
quadruped spine set on end, taxing it
to great effort in keeping straight and
strong. The best way to exercise the
spine which is SO badly abused by be-
ing so tipped on end, is to put 1t back
in quadruped position. Most of the
exercises used in the posture class Of
the schools are based on this fact"
A group of children from DR.. Sellers
posture class demonstrated many Of
the corrective exercises, under her d.
recsion last evening.