The Dominion "SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 1916. THE NATION OF THE FUTURE

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2884, 23 September 1916, Page 8

The Dominion "SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 1916. THE NATION OF THE FUTURE

Children .are, the. wealth of. the nation,., and it 15 for.'us to-,safe.-guard.thai wealth,.that,in her hour ■of trial the nation shall- not be.- : found .-bankrupt." With these words, Dn. L. Haden Guest concludes a timely little book, entitled The Nation of the Future, which has just been published by Messes. G. .Bell -and Sons. Dr. Guest i gives a useful and interesting account of the efforts which are being made by the education authorities of Great Britain ' to improve the condition of the boys and girls attending the national sohools. Ho has complete- mastery of his subject. His position as School Medical Officer of the London County Council and Medical Superintendent of. .St.. George's Dispensary and School. Clinic enables. him "to. speak with the-. authority of one who has a first-hand knowledge' of .'the relevant facts,' and his ideas and suggestions should be of great value to educationists and social rejiormers'in all. parts', 6f .the worlds .Dr. Guest has tackled a big problem, so big indeed that some people are inclined-to think that any attempt to grapple '.with it- in' a thorough and radical manner is doomed to. failure. • But tho war has convinced, us of the possibility of a good many things which we formerly regarded as impossible. Writing in a camp from which our soldiers are sent to tho front, Dr. Guest remarks: "Here they are' equipped with everything that can bo given, ■ but they, cannot . be equipped with a physical health and efficiency greater than their childhood has left them. Only care of childhood can give us adult men of that force and vigour which is latent in our race, but which often bad conditions deform or sup-, press." The scientific knowledge required for the removal of these bad conditions- is available, but we are slow : to make practical use of it for- the' improvement: of tho physical standard : of ' the' nation. Wo pay abundance of lip-service to science, but it makes its way with difficulty into our daily lives. Wo are only beginning to apply it in the service of the child. We must seriously ask ourselves and firmly resolve to find an answer to the question stated by Dr. Guest: "How can we best help this youngbrother to grow, up.into full citizenship, to become truly .a man?" The establishment of a system of medical inspection of school children is undoubtedly a step in the •right direction. But what is the , use of discovering physical and mental defects,if nothing is going to bo done to remedy them?' Sib George Newman, Medical Officer to the British Board of Education, tells us that "the careful medical inspection of each individual child is the only sure foundation upon 'which preventive or remedial work of a lasting character can be established." Dr. ,-Guest rightly conI tends that medical inspection is I more than the preliminary to tho bringing of health to the child; "it is the harbinger of tho new method of aipplying to tho. individual, and in detail, for any purpose, tho knowledge already existing _ in tho world." When examination by the school doctor reveals defocts in a child's constitution tho necessity of medical treatment becomes obvious. But in some cases the parents aro too poor or too careless to get the defects remedied. The ignorance, poverty, or indifference of many parents creates a very difficult position. The success of the system of medical inspection depends on the intelligent co-opera-tion of tho doctors, teachers, nurses, and parents. In London not less than cloven per cent, out of a total of 600,000 children suffer from malnutrition. The badly-nourished children have not got the physical energy necessary to enable them to concentrate their attention on their school work. However hard they may toil they arc left behind by their better-fed' fellows. This gives rise to a far-reaching problem which extends from the school to tho home, and from tho home to the social and industrial conditions of the mass of the people. 1111 the great realm beyond the schuol lie most of the causes that produce illhealth. 'Something can be done lo improve matters by the establishment of' closer' relations' between teachers and parents, by. the acti-

vities of school nurses and lady nealfch visitors, and children's care committees. But, as Dn. Guest pointp out,, .much of. evil cannot be touched by any means yet specified; and of these untouched things poverty is the chief, the evil, which is most widespread and most disastrous. The abolition of poverty is one of the impossibilities that still remain, impossible, but a good deal has been done in cities l:ko London to. .mitigate its effects on child life, and much more will have to be, done. ' •. , ';. Experience, in London and other great cities has made- evident the insufficiency of existing means for the treatment; of the defects discovered at medical inspection. It .has been found that the' hospitals are not able to treat them in the best way from the standpoint of the school doctor, who aims at prevention as well as' cure. The need has produced a special type of medical institution known as the school clinic. At the London school clinics over 2000 'children are treated every week for defective eye•sight, diseases of the ear, nose, and throat, ringworm, decaying teeth, various skin : complaints, and other troubles!" The education authorities .are-'Ming forced by facts and experience to the" conclusion tha;! the school clinic, the school doctors, and school nurses must be as much part- of- -the. school organisation as the school teachers. This means, to quote the words of De. Guest, that "instead of endeavouring to treat an. ailing child by trie agency of half a dozen badly co-ordinated or entirely.. .separate . institutions, with, no .effective"grip..anywhere, wo shall be treating tho same ailment as part of the school life, with tho necessary means entirely at- our disposal, and with all the other agencies adequately - co-ordinated and properly effective." The medical examination will-discover tho defect; and the-'clinic will provide the treatment- The clinic will insure that ailing children belonging to the poverty :group will receivo proper attention.. These new extensions of the school • system will, .of course,' increase the' cost of education, but if they result in a material . increase in the. physical, fitness 'of tlie nation "the- additional cost .will.be; repaid.'a hundredfold. Tho fall in the birth-rate emphasises the importance of looking after tho health of the children- and giving them every chance to make most of life. The war is giving us a- more adequate idea of-the-value of child life, and is showing us the necessity of making the fullest use of science and organisation for the purpose of preserving and fostering it in every possible way. i