CHILDREN'S HEALTH.

Timaru Herald, Volume C, Issue 15302, 23 March 1914, Page 5

CHILDREN'S HEALTH.

LECTURE BY DR ELEANOR BAKER TO S.C. SCHOOL TEACHERS.. At the .Timaru Technical School on Saturday morning there was very large gathering of South Canterbury school U'acners wlio foregathered to hear a, ■ lecture by Dr Eleanor Baker, medical inspector cf tlio Education impertinent. I\ir J. A. Valentine, secretary of. the Education Board, presided, and briefly ; introduced the doctor, who delivered a siiicst interesting and instructive Knure, ] 'showing that siie had "a thorough grip of her siiiijee. Dr Baker said the medical inspection ! of schools scheme was practically in. its | infancy, but it was hoped that it vculd | .grow in "usefulness and icope as time-j •nent on. At the present time the'l'our ! inspectors in New Zealand were engaged'; in simply inspecting the children and where they found any disease or defect they informed its parents. That was: as' far as their usefulness went now, >as they .could not force the parents to ..attend to them. The four inspector Were examining between 8000 and 10,000 children yearly. It was possible llVat lift, certain districts they might.find ihat a particular disease predominated. In such districts it-might be possible to introduce a wholesale remedy, and thereby che;k the spread of the disease. Referring to the cards which had been supplied to the head teachers' <o f.ll in, and about which there had been a rv.mber of complaints, Dr Baker said that it was never intended that ilVe bead teachers should fill all these in. That work should be done by pie -lass teachers. However, modifications Mad been made in the new cards'which, had lien issued, and she considered / that, there would bo fewer complaints in future. _ . The doctrr proceeded to >. eal v ith ■such, complaints as deafnes-i, oe'ects in the eyes, enlarged tonsils. adenoid growth, and defective teeth. She .impressed upon her audience the 'necessity of plenty of light and fresh air; saying that few can 'thrive when there is plenty of. i iiese two cas'lv -obtained necessities. - With regard to what 'he :'e.a<.l r-rs could do the lreturpr said a- rrreat deal depended rpon the. teachers. They could take;.hn interest in the -person'd -sipp-sari -•"ance'of the children Mid e/.nld r-.-jgnost to theui many little tbi its- v,-h>n—hy their health would be iropf nvd. . The drct.n cohciuded bv referring to the absal'-to. n'Vcesvtv of having pe: fe •'- imitation in with '.'"e "s^'ml?. After n number cf oueethm had r°en asked and answered Mr V'a! >r.-ne r t. Ed a- lieortv vote r-r thanks tr> IDr Baler fo' - +h"> a'de and interest in.s lecture she had delivered.