SCHOOL HYGIENE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1252, 7 October 1911, Page 11

SCHOOL HYGIENE.

MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS,

At tho Medical Conference hold in Sydney recently an afternoon was devoted by tho public health section of the conference to tho discussion of school hygiene (says the "Daily Telegraph"). Dr. Mary Booth read a paper on "The Soppo and Organisation of a School Medical service, in which she observed tiiat in Australia the first systematic medical £">;"» nation of children took place in IJU1 > as n, part of an anthropometric survey. _ I here wero then two main objects Vα view—one, to put on record the physical data of the Australian school child, and tho number of generations his family had been in Australia, and, secondly, to ascertain the extent to which physical defects existed. In Australia they were, for the most part, passing through the experimental stage, but they hud already some idea of the problems and the diffi-

culties peculiar to themselves, though they were not yet giving any critical study to the' central problem—the medical inspection of the child. In the material they had collected there was' much that should be an indication for future action.

On account of tho smallness of tho staff engaged in medical work, they were only able to touch upon the fringe of the subject, yet, though it was not possible to examine all children every year, they might agTee with the English opinion that three examinations during tho eight years of school life were desirable, or, at kast, worthy of a trial. Sho pointed out one or two disturbing features in the work of medical inspection, and in regard to. the city children, rofeirod to the fact that they were losing both their tirao for play and their space for play. The city nurso need- not bo seriously troubled, with the examinations, though tho value of tho nurse as a,n intermediary between the school and tho home, and in the teaohing of practical hygiene to the elder, girls, was unquestioned. The bush nurse.was a part-time school nurse. Their problem was to make school environment such that the child was bettor, physically, for spending his life, there, for one had to be a very short time engaged in medical work to realise how rarely

that ideal was reached. Were they in Australia giving any special thought, to climatic influences as they affected children in school? Wero they devoting attention to i the special study of ventilation, lighting, fatigue,' summer heat, and dnst in those localities where storms were frequent?. That was the scope of tho school medical service at the present stage; The work must be diligently purEXPEKIENCE V. DIPLOMAS. After fourteen years of solid work and study as o Hair. Face, and Skin Specialist, Afiss Milsom can show numbers of living results, to prove tho efficacy of her methods imd kiiowltdge. She holds hundreds of testimonials from all over the'world. I.)iplnma3 nuiit for littloexpqrifnce counts for muvh. Her preparations find favour because they pro . ducc results. Miss .Milsom diagnoses all casc9, treats aud leaches ladies and gentlemeu their own home.treatment, which is necessary to complete success. Hair restored to natural colour without injurious dyes. Delightful Face Massage, Shampooing, Manicuring, Hair-dressing taught Hairwork of every description. Featherweight Natural Hair Pads, from ss. Electrolysis (permanent and painless, qualified under Madam Barclay, New York) Telephone 814. Miss Milsom (opp. Stewart, Dftwson's), Willis Street W.«lfijurtoji,».

sued, and tho results applied to both State and non-State schools. In tho course of an interesting discussion, Dr. Elkington pleaded for a. change in tho whole system of primary education, 10-dny they brought little children of live or six to school, gave them pen or pencil, strained their eyes, and thought they wero doing a good work in extending tho noble character of tho nation. As a matter of fact, they were simply wasting time and money, and if that section did nothing better than effect a more, uniform outlook upon the practical aid nnd physiological side of tho young life— a. side that ■ was forgotten by the Education Department and brought authorities to recog.nise that they were working upon flesh and blood, and not' upon wax figures-, and that the best laws were the laws of Nature, and not the laws of man, it would have done good. Mr. P. Board (Director of Education, N.SAV.) said the picture Dr. Elkington had (i rawn O f tll6 Ne w South Wales schools system was not a true one, and I

they were not doing all tho fearful things suggested. Australia certainly had some leeway to make iip with regard to the material surroundings of its educational work, but Australia was not alone in that respect, and, like other countries, they.might provide perfectly model surroundings. But it was just as important that/ they should havo an intelligent teacher to make proper uso of surroundings. It was decided, "that this section Tβcommends to congress that tho State Government should introduce compulsory training for girls from U years of ago upwards."