SCHOOL HYGIENE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19250, 14 August 1924, Page 12

SCHOOL HYGIENE.

AMERICAN METHOD OF HEALTH RECORD. Hygiene in the schools has reached a point, in some of the smaller communities of New York State, where the medical inspector in charge can furnish to the family physician, or any other medical practitioner, a complete physical history of the boy or girl student patient from the moment the child entered the kindergarten until the pupil was graduated from the high school A record is kept on a card of each child’s bodily condition (states the Now York Times). This card follows the pupil through all grades in the schools and is available at, all times. The value of such a system can scarcely be over-estimated, according to doctors to whom “a history of the case,” when a new patient comes for treatment, is of the highest importance. Also, obviously, it enables parrtnts to keep close watch on tho child’s health and helps ston disease in its incipiency. Dr Julion IVin has penected a system for the four-grade schools and the high school at Freeport, L.T., many features of which have been adopted by medical inspectors in other parts of the State. lie also has organised health clubs in each of tho schools. Funds above the fifth grade take turns in acting as health inspectors. Every week a boy and a girl is designated as health officer for each class in the school. The inspectors stand at the doors everymorning and examine their fellow-pupils for personal hygiene. They see that hands and faces are clean, hair combed, teeth brushed, shoes shined, and that clothing is suitable for tho season of the yar. In addition to the health clubs, teachers arc required to give 15 minutes every day to instruction in personal hygiene. For children under weight, or undernourished, one-half a pint of milk is provided twice a day. The village of Freeport appropriated 1500 dollars for this purpose last year. Every school also has a mother’s club composed of women in the school district. These clubs hold monthly meetings, which arc attended by Dr Dean. Suggestions for the preservation of the health of the children are offered and discussed, and, of course, the doctor’s fund of professional information is always at the disposal of tho parents. The medical inspection card for each pupil, covering a period of eight years, contains: Name and age, and school grade, and health records year by year. Under tho head of contagious diseases provision is made for entries on date of illness, diagnosis by physician, date excluded from school, date readmitted to school on signature of medical inspector and health officer. The general health includes the following subjects:—Teeth, tonsils, adenoids, hearing, vision, speech, heart, lungs, orthopedic defects, stoop shoulders, hollow chests, anaemic, malnutrition, height, age. and weight. Parents are promptly notified of any defects in the child, or of the first symptoms of disease.