Putnam patriot., 1925-01-09
HEALTH WORK
 SUBJECT OF REPORT
Supt. Jenkins Gives Interest;ng Resume of His Investigation
 to Board
Town School Committee Adopts Sux.
 gestions Made

Superintendent of Schools Ralph C. Jenkins has submitted a schedule for the school physician. dentist and nurse ana IL has been adopted by the board.
 Tn submitting his report Superin- tendent Jenkins says that for two months he spent time talking with school and health department nurses.
 A letter was also sent to sixty school nurses asking that they give in- formation as to their activities and the activities of the school physician CO., operating. The replies to these let ters the superintendent found that the work Is still in the formative stage. While in some places the work was we'll standardized, in other places the replies showed that while the doctors and nurses understood their duties the authorities have not undertaken to lay down definite standards.
 What Others Say
 Superintendent Jenkins report con tinues in part:
 :. The following quotations illustrate the point:
 We have no printed rules and reg. ulations.
 Our state laws define their duties fairly well.
 We have no printed or mimeo- graphed schedules"
 We have no regular rules except such as are made when occasions arise"
 There are no regulations or time schedules for the nurses. | came to B. fifteen years ago and was told to develop my job"
 On the other hand some school com mittees have laid down definite ideals and standards and in few cases de- tailed time schedules have been work ed out. Six nurses sent printed rules. As many more sent mimeographed regulations.
 The general ideals underlying health work in schools seem to be:
 l. The reduction of the increase of contagious disease.
 2. The lessening of time lest by pupils through exclusion and illness
 ,. The discovery and correction of physical defects.
 ,. The securing from both parents and teachers of a greater degree of cooperation toward these ends
 Quoted From Jane Addams 
 The following from Jane Addams is instructive:
 The school nurse. like the munich pal district nurse, IS first and last a social worker. Important as her du- ties in the school. her ministrations and educative influence in the home are still more valuable.
 That the visiting nurse Is good economic investment is evidenced by the fact that some of the large insur- ance companies find it Co their advan- tage to employ number of them ta visit the homes of policy holders and give instructions to mothers. pertain ing to hygiene. Department stores and factories also find t good busi- ness to employ nurses to look after the health of their employees and to teach them personal hygiene. The visiting nurse is health nurse" !"
 Work Up to Standard
 I have been impressed by the com pleteness with which the work that has already been done by our health department measures up to the high est standards set up in other places. can find no important work men toned in any of the reports received which has not already been achieved in Putnam. The set of regulations which offer for your approval, with a few minor exceptions, only crystal lises into law those things which we have already had in custom. The time schedule proposed should serve to reduce wasted effort and make the