Evening star., 1934-10-18
PHYSICAL DEFECT
RATE HELD HIGH IN
PUPILS IN CAPITAL
Findings in Investigation
of Southwest Children
Barred by Medic.
MEDICAL SUPERVISION
INCREASE DEMANDED
Dr.. Leon Gordon Urges Drive tt
Educate Parents in Health
Matters Be Launched.

Matters Be Launched.
An examination of groups of South
west Washington public school chill
dren by 10 volunteer physicians dis
closed a high rate of physical defects,
Dr. Leon Gordon, one of the examin-
ing group, declared at the meeting
last night of the Southwest Citizens
Association.
The findings of the volunteer ex-
eminers were substantiated and, in at
least one, field were surpassed by the
oficial records of the D. c. Health
Department.
In l1is. address DR.. Gordon made 1t
plain that the examination results
were not applicable only to the South
west section Of the city. where the par
ticuIar survey was made last Spring.
but represented cross-section of the
entire school population Of the Dis
trict. He recommended that more
medical supervision be iraugurated at
once in the schools and that CAM
paign of education of parents In health
matters be launched.
Opposes Full Examinations.
DR.. William C. Fowler, District OF
Columbia health officer, on the other
hand, today opposed any program call
ing for complete examination Of every
pupil in the system each year.
with more than 10000 children
In the schools" Dr.. Fowler said. lit
ha nnfira1U nr1raTtiro1 tn
anime each and every one thoroughly
every year. The cost would be pro-
hibitive and would not be justified as
q municipal expense and the time con-
suned would occupy entirely too much
Of the year"
Dr.. Fowler said that at present his
school medical staff of IA part-time
men now examine all kindergarten
and first grade children who enter
school. He said he would like to see
it possible to make second examina-
tion of all children by the time they
reach the fifth or sixth grade.
But with our present staff, that
too, is impossible" he said.
Is2 Pupils Examined
, DR.. Gordon told the citizens asso-
; citation last night that among 49,
pupils examined, all of whom were
boys, two were blind In one eye anc
did not know 1t. A third student alsc
was blind in one eye and had been re.
tarded in his work by the infirmity
: In these eye examinations, he saic
/ that % were distinctly astigmatic. 81
: were farsighted, IA nearsighted, Il
cross-eyed and that one boy had cat
aracts on both eyes. He said tina
, many of these children sadly needed
eyeglasses and others needed specific
: treatment.
Probably that most astounding re-
suit of the examination, which wa
conducted at the close of school las
!, Spring by 10 of the city's diagnos
ticians with DR.. Gordon over a periot
a. of q week, is that of 148 children
i examined, So were suffering from
7 parasitic diseases needing immediate
! treatment, nine Of them major para
I sites, including one aggravated case o
( 'hook worm" and three cases of amoe-
bic dysentery.
In the field of the ear, nose anc
. throat, 49 had aggravated cases oi
Z diseased tonsils, % had inf1amed ears
and eight had bad hearing. He said
t that these cases were Of lit children
examined. OF ITO examined for den
/. tai trouble, DR.. Gordon said that n
! needed dental care at once.
20 Have Faulty Feet.
Many of these children needed med
ical care and had no idea they were
not perfectly normal, he explained, ir
reporting that of SO, 10 had faulty feet
and that out of the same number ex.
amined- 81 were suffering from sptna
disorders.
The children ranged in ages from
7 to Is, and all were boys, as the timt
and facilities we're too limited to per.
nit examination of girls at the same
time.
In; general health conditions hi
said that out OF 181 there were SO boy.
. who were 10 per cent or more under.
: weight, averaging 10 pounds under
weight to the child. He said this wa
a. high average and due probably t.
mainutrition or unbalanced diet.
Aiding DR.. Gordon in the examina
tipns we're Drs. Leslie French, Johr
Reisinger, Paul Lichtman. Phillil
Litvin, Nelson Strawbridge, Leonard
Goodman. David Davies, Edward Ca
fritz, Phil Robin and w. Alicata.
1888 Examination Report.
The official Health Department rec
otds for last year showed that $780,
kindergarten and first-grade children
were examined by the medical staff
OF these, 1887, or IS per cent, wer,
found to have some physical defect
The largest group Of defects were ir
the children's teeth, the report show
ing that 500 per cent of the young
sters have teeth in need Of attention
Other defects noted in the Off
cial report showed that of the 1891
children examined, 468 per cent hat
enlarged tonsils; 34.5 per cent hae
enlarged cervical glands; 22.1 PEE
cent were victims Of defective nutri
ton; 10 per cent had defective nasa
breathing; ST. per cent had defective
vision; 4.8 per cent had defective pos.
ture; 81 per cent had skin and para
site detection, and Z per cent hac