Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-20
"SCHOOL SICKNESS"
LAID TO NERVOUS
STRAIN ON PUPILS
Continued From First Page.)


existed for many years without being
recognized, a spokesman for the sec
ton explained afterward, it is possible
that the more recent developments in
educational procedure are accentuating
it. While school hours generally are
shorter than in old days, the tasks more
varied and better devised to hold the
child'S interest, still the pressure is
is demanded. School sickness" 1t was
explained, may start with the first grade
and continue until adolescence.
DR.. Martin urged more scientific re-
search into the causes and extent of
fatigue in children, concerning which,
he said, practically nothing Is known.
The human being apparently does
not possess until the time of normal
birth the fully developed body mech
characteristic Of birds and mammals,
1t was reported by DR., Fritz B. Talbot
OF Boston. The prematurely born in
fsnt, he said, may be compared to the
cold-blooded animals whose body tenn
perature varies with that of their en-
vtronment. Until this body mechanism
develops, he said, such children are
chilled and overheated quickly and,
since they have no defense, extreme
perature Of the nursery.
DR.. Roy G. Hoskins Of Boston, prom
lnent endocrine gland specialist urged
that this confused field be cleared up
by co-ordinated research program
with some one animal-preferably one
OF the primateS whose body mechanisms
are nearest human. This one type of
animal. he said, should be given ex-
tracts from all the endocrine glands in
CIlRRnCCinn ~
Then all the glands should be removed
In succession to determine the results.
Large "Lunatic Fringe"
At present, he said, the field has
large "lunatic fringe" whose members
make all sorts of claims for the ex-
tremely powerful chemical substances
secreted by the glands into the blood.
But all sorts OF animals have been used
in the experiments, he pointed out. so
That the results are very confusing.
The thymus gland, known as the
gland OF youth" whose enlarged con-
dition has been blamed for many alarm
ing symptoms and sudden deaths among
children, was absolved, in part at least,
IN the report on experiments by DR..
Edith Boyd Of the University of Chicago.
This gland Is large in childhood, but
atrophleS at adolescence and usually
aAooPPCulo' ouI WIlcu a PERSON QleS
suddenly on the operating table and no
logical reason can be found, it is Gus
tomary to lay the blame on an enlarged
or persistent thymus. DR.. Boyd found
by X-ray studies that the thymus nor
mally Is larger than has been supposed,
that it is probably the most variable in
size OF any organ IN the body, and that
it is large in we'll nourished children
and small in the poorly nourished.
Much OF the blame placed on the
thymus, 1t was pointed out has re-
suited from autopsies on dead children
without any reference to the actual size
Of this gland among the child popula-
ton at large. 1t has been blamed for
such things as bronchial asthma, hay
fever, spasms, and even colds which
cannot be explained otherwise by
parents.
Capital Nineteenth on List.
Results Of a survey of preventive
medical service for l77000 children
under years of age in $4,000 families
and l46 cities were reported last night
by DR.. Charles H. Palmer of the Amer
lean Child Health Association. The
data were obtained by local health
agencies. In Washington, the survey
showed, 48 per cent of the children
had been given a health examination
smallpox vaccination and 8 per cent
Illumination against diphtheria This
placed Washington nineteenth in the
list of cities of the same size for health
examination, twenty-fourth for dental
care twenty eighth for vaccination and
thirtieth for immuniZation.
DR. Palmer said his investigation
showed that approximately half of city
children had been given health exami-
nations, compared to a third of those
in rural communities.
More than $4,000 women die annually
in the United States from causes asso-
ciated with pregnancy and childbirth;
there are 10000 still births, and 10000
infants die during the first month of
life, it was reported by the Committee
on Prenatal and Maternal Care.
There are approximately $4,000 mid
wives still practising in this country, it
was found, and in some Of the Southern
States these attend as many as so per
cent of all the births. While they are
mostly prevalent among the colored
population they also flourish in sparsely
settled sections of the country where
physicians are scarce, and among newly
arrived immigrants.
Obstetric nurses, 1t was reported by
Y