The Dominion. FRIDAY, JULY 11, 1913. A NATIONAL EPIDEMIC.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1799, 11 July 1913, Page 4

The Dominion. FRIDAY, JULY 11, 1913. A NATIONAL EPIDEMIC.

"It is essential that the children of New Zealand shall be physically fit," was a remark made by the Hon. James Allen yesterday in the oourse o£ his reply to a deputation from the New Zealand Dental Association, which urged that the Government should inaugurate a system of State dentistry in connection with the public schools. It is quite certain that if disease of the teeth has become a "national epidemic," to quote the words of Professor Pickerel!,, the children of the Dominion cannot enjoy that degree of physical fitness which is essential if the virility of the race is to be maintained. The facts disclose such a serious state of affairs that no Governmei.it can ignoi-6 them. Dr. Cox states that the Dental Association has conducted an examination of 10,000 children during the last few years, and it has been found that nearly 90 per cont. are suffering from decaying teeth. "When it is borne in mind that many forms of disease are directly or indirectly due to dental dcfccts, it becomes manifest that effective measures should lie taken to ensurethat the teeth of the children attending our schools shall rcceive proper attention. This is, a matter that vitally affects the well-being of the people. We are 6pensinjj th'ous-.

ands of pounds upon education every year, and it is money well spent; but good health is even more important than a good education, and sound teeth are essential to physical efficiency, and also have an important influence on the mental development of the child. The recognition of these facts has caused the function of the school to be continually extended. A distinguished educationist- (Dr. Findlay, of Manchester University) tells lis that "science has taught us the intimate relation between physiology and psychology; the physician has become indispensable as adviser and inspector of all types of school! and watches the condition both of teacher and scholar. . . . The simple fact is that the Collection of scholars day by day provides everywhere the opportunity for successful diagnosis and oversight such as can never be rivalled by the isolated efforts of family practice." There can be no doubt that tho provision by the State of medical and dental attention for the children of the poor will mean very considerable expenditure, but the national health is a matter of supreme importance, and from this point of view the proposals of the Dental Association are deserving of most cartful and sympathetic consideration. It is suggested that as a start the four centres should be taken first, and that there should be one State dentist in each for whose use it would be necessary to have a thoroughly equipped room in one of the schools. The cost at each centre, it is stated, would probably be about £1500. Of course, it may be expedient to confine the experiment at. the outset to tho large centres, but the equally urgent needs of the children of country settlers must not be,lost sight of, and similar privileges would have to be extended to them as soon as the system is placed on a permanent footing. It is satisfactory to note that Mr. Allen gave the deputation a sympathetic and encouraging reply. , Other countries are doing more to ensure that the school children shall develop into healthy men and women than is being done in New Zealand. Mr. Pease, the President of the Board of Education, in a recent statement in the British Parliament, pointed out that the Board is now employing TBO _ nurses in 21,000 schools, 9-13 medical officers are giving medical service in the schools, 56 authorities have established ichools of clinics, and expenditure 3n treatment is being made by 229 nithoritics out of 317. The cost in :onnection_ with treatment averaged id. per child throughout the whole :ountry, and the amount given in nipport of medical treatment ■hroughout the financial year ended tfarch 81 last amounted to £50,374. Commenting on the above statement, ilr. Balfour said his sympathies rero entirely in favour of medica.'i nspection, which he regarded as ;i Teat reform. It would lead, lie hought, to an amount of knowledge onnected with the health of . tho ising generation, and the way 'to ring up successive generations which 'as not possessed at present. Me. .llen appears no less anxious than In. Balfour or Mr. IJease to inrcase the physical fitness of the ace, and he apparently sees as'they o that the schools should be utilised 1, this direction. He has already ;ated thai -he has a number 'of re>rms under consideration, an;d that le system of medical inspection iust be placed upon a more satis-ict-ory basis. It is to be hoped that ; will see his way at an oar'ly date, iter consultation with the officials : the Public Health Department, to ivei effect also, in some form, to ic very important recommendations : the Dental Association.