Evening star., 1937-10-05
Cleanliness
First Step
To Health
The Use of Paper
HandkerchiefS
Is Important.
BY ANGELO PATRI.

WE HAVE nicer ways among school
children than we used to have
A few years ago when the first cool
days Of Fall arrived we used to see
noses wiped on coat sleeves, or
not wiped at all. Handkerchiefs were
scarce, and those in evidence might
better not have been, for they had
clearly served more purposes than the
accepted one.
Now we have paper handkerchiefs
Most OF the children have a wad of
them tucked about them somewhere.
Those who come unprepared are sup
piled by the others. These handker-
chiefs come cheaply and one can use
number of them a day without
draining the family purse.
The use of handkerchief is impor-
fant in school where a sneeze or a
cough scatters possible infection over
a room filled with children. Inside
air Is none too good at its best and
careless sneezes find their victims
easily. Few children today cough
or sneeze or sniffie without a hastv
dive for the little paper handkerchief
carried in the handiest place possible.
Which is a great help and highly
encouraging. We have made a Begin
ming.
Next, and along with the handker-
chiefs, we need wash basins, hot and
cold water, soap and towels, we'll fitted
wash rooms presided over by trained
matrons, to insure cleanliness. Chill
dren play In the yards. fall and spread
their hands on the earth. They ham
Ole paper and chalk and paints and
pencils and hundred other things
in the course of a school session.
And, to our disgrace, they have no
way Of washing their hands Anybody
who takes an interest in the health
OF school children knows the implica-
tions Of dirty hands. We must have
equipment for cleanliness in the
schools.
The day is coming when the schools
Will permit children, who come to
school clean. to stay clean, and those
who come dirty, to make themselves
clean. Cleanliness is the first step
toward health, and We cannot make
the community or the school children
too conscious of that fact.
This field of social service is pecu-
liarly the women's own. To women
are entrusted the care of the children
and now that they can vote and hold
Office the way to sound health for
school children ought to open.
Schools need the services of skilled
physicians. One man to a couple of
thousand children can do very little.
We need enough doctors to examine
every school child twice each term,
and enough nurses to carry out the
instructions of the doctors. One nurse
to community of eight schools be-
comes merely a symbol of an idea.
She cannot put much practice into it.
Every school of any size needs its own
doctor to visit it daily, one nurse to
stay in the building all day, one con-
sulting psychologist, one visitor, and
the use of dental and medical and
mental clinics whenever they are
needed.
I believe that the public school
should serve its children to the end
that they go out to take their places
as citizens in sound mental and physi-
cal health. The good school Coop
crates with the parents in this work.
1t aids those parents who cannot help
their children. Children belong to
their families first but they belong to
their communities and to their country
ell the time. Let's provide the means
for the job before us. The paper
handkerchiefs are fine start. Let's
60 on little farther.
Copyright, 1877