Evening star., 1937-05-02

NSblltAlIuCO IlOll I'll Sb Idke.J
Be notified and when defects are
corrected each child will be given a
certificate Of membership in the Good
Teeth Club" of the District schools.
To give the program a bit Of ritual
there will be a secret password and
grip.
Special programs have been planned
for the schools for this week and, in
some cases, for next week also There
are to be special programs tomorrow
at the Takoma. Bancroft, Health,
Truesdell and John Eaton Schools
among others.
The Metropolitan Police Boys Clubs
are included in the program. Free oral
treatment will be given 120 boys from
these clubs tomorrow at the George
town Dental School, through cooper
alton Of the District Dental Society.
The society provides services to free
oral clinic maintained In the No 4
Police Boys Club in Southwest WASH
ington. Society members will treat
INDECENT children from other sections
of the city tomorrow, through the
special child health programs. At the
university, the assistant dean, DR.. j. L.
B. Murray, will be in immediate charge
Of the senior class which will treat the
children with the aid of the faculty, it
was announced by DR.. Charles Bas-
seches, supervisor of the Boys Club
Clinic.
Many Have Defective Teeth.
To show the need for more careful
attention to the teeth Of children, DR..
Ostrow said:
Dental examinations of school chill
dren by the District Health Depart
ment show 77.2 per cent with defective
teeth and an average of 2.76 per cent
cavities per child. Only small per-
centage Of these children seem to be
receiving continuous dental care. The
balance receive attention only occa-
sionally and then only for relief OF
pain In their mouths can be seen
the usual results Of neglect, with open
cavities, exposed pulps. alveolar ab-
scesses and loose teeth, frequently re-
sulting in absence from school. which
causes failure and retardation and
thus economic loss to the family and
to the community"
Supporting the purposes Of the child
health campaign, DR.. William Mercer
Sprigg, president OF the District Medi-
cal Society, declared:
TT is great step forward in the
1f ~, I,oo
country becomes child conscious and
realizes that the child today is man
or woman tomorrow, and into their
hands will be placed, in the near
future, the responsibility Of home,
government and society as whole
It necessarily follows, In promoting
child health we are building for the
future"
Had Start Years Ago.
Dr.. Oppenheirner recalled that the
child health centers operated by the
District Health Department had their
start years ago in the services Of the
Child Welfare Society, which still
operates a clinic at Children's Hos
pital. The II stations operated by
the District are not as adequate as
officials believe necessary, but DR..
Oppenheimer sees hope for the fu-
ture.
Just about month ago, one Of the
stations was transferred to a new
home. This is the one formerly
housed at 304 Indiana avenue, in a
building which had been condemned
by the District. It now has been
transferred to 230 Third street,
building which formerly was used as
. warehouse. It was reconditioned
and fitted for its health services to
children, mothers and expectant
mothers.
The need for a good clinic in this
area IS seen by the fact that during
the past year the infant mortality
rate for the area was 161 per 1000 live
births. That rate is more than twice
that for the District as whole, and
the Districts general rate is much
too high. and higher than other large
cities of the country" DR.. Open
heimer said.
The other child welfare clinics are
located at Georgetown University Hos
pital, 480 E street southwest, 900
Maryland avenue northeast, 1905
Pennsylvania avenue southeast, Freed
mems Hospital, 1927 Georgia avenue,
2237 Nichols avenue southeast, 2012
Rhode Island avenue northeast, 5l8
M street and 2304 Pennsylvania
avenue.
An additional clinic will be opened
soon 1T Fiftieth and Grant streets
northeast, In Deanwood.