The Manawatu Herald. Saturday, July 1, 1911. NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 1012, 1 July 1911, Page 2

The Manawatu Herald. Saturday, July 1, 1911. NOTES AND COMMENTS.

A scheme for the medical inspection of school children was proposed at the Health Conference at Wellington this week, by the In-spector-General of Hospitals (Dr Valintine). After premising that any scheme would have to be considered in regard to (a) the actual requirements of the country, (b) the legislative and other machinery immediately available to put such a scheme into operation, and (c) the local and physical conditions of the district, he said that from reports to hand it would appear that the system of school inspection was undoubtedly necessary, but the system need not be so extensive as that required in other lands. The machinery of the Public Health, Education, and Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Act was available to put a scheme into operation. The scheme he suggested could be regarded as tentative, and it was not suggested that it had not some obvious drawbacks. The details of Dr. Valintine’s proposals were based on:—(x) The instruction of teachers attending the training colleges in our chief centres by means of lectures on anthropometry and diseases and defects incidental to school life. These lectures could be given by medical practitioners and specialists. (2) Cooperation on the part of the private medical practitioner. (3) The initiation or extension of outpatients’ departments at our general hospitals. (4) The fact that, speaking broadly, the Government paid half the hospital expenditure of the Dominion by means of subsidies from the Consolidated Fund. In outlining the

details of the scheme, be explained : (i) That at regular intervals teachers would be required to take details of the height, weight, and chest measurements of scholars, and forward them to the Department of Public Health. (2) Teachers to carefully watch for signs of illness and delects ot vision or hearing. (3) To report to the Education Boards children suspected to be suffering from illness or defects, such reports to be confidential. (4) The Board to report to the parent concerned, and (if the parent is unable to pay for medical advice) make arrangements to send such child to the out-patients’ department of the hospital. (5) Medical attendant to fill in a report on the case, and send same to the Board, with instructions for further treatment. The scheme would be supplemented by the appointment ol special medical inspectors to supervise the work of the teachers, to compile reports, and enquire into the sanitary surroundings of schools. The reports of district health officers and inspectors under the Public Health Acts would be also available, so that the medical attendant would be better able to decide as to whether there was any factor in the surrounding of a child contributing to its illness. Then there could be periodical visits by the health officers to schools, and, lastly, there could be the appointment of school nurses. Naturally, these could be appointed later, but in the meantime two nurses now in the department and the district nurses could undertake the work. As to the cost, there were 180,000 children of the school age, and of this number 30 per cent., or 54,000, would require some form ot medical examination and treatment, but at least 10 per cent, would be treated by private medical practitioners. He calculated that the cost of treatment would not exceed and that, roughly speaking, half of this sum would be borne by the Hospital Boards, and the other half by the Government in the way of subsidy. Against this were to be placed the sums recovered from parents for the treatment of children. Preliminary to establishing out-patients’ departments the Education Board could set apart suitable rooms for the inspection of scholars. Then, as the success of the scheme would depend on the co-operation of the medical profession, it would be a great advantage it a uniform fee for inspection of school children were agreed upon. Dr. Valentine, in setting out the advantages ot the scheme at great length, said that it would, for the nonce, meet the requirements of the country, and that by the adoption of a card system there would be a record of the development of every child during school age. This would greatly facilitate the examination of recruits for compulsory service. The scheme could only be applied to schools of and above grade 4. Nevertheless, 80 per cent, of the children of the Dominion would come within the full scope of the proposals.

The cables inform us that the British and American Governments have come to an agreement to submit a definite arbitration policy to their respective Parliaments. In his lamous speech in the House of Commons, accepting President Taft’s advances, Sir Edward Grey observed: —“The suggestion put forward by the President of the United States is one that should not go without response. We should be delighted to have such a proposal. A proposition so far-reaching in its possible consequences would require not only the signature of both Governments, but the deliberate consent of Parliament. That, I believe, would be obtained.” At London this week Mr A. J. Balfour presided at the Pilgrims’ dinner to the Hon. Hayes Hammond, United States special ambassador. There was a great demonstration when Mr Balfour read a telegram from Washington announcing agreement between Great Britain and America on the Arbitration Treaty. A Washington message says that it is expected that President Taft, having already received Britain’s answer in regard to the proposed Arbitration Treaty, will be ready to submit proposals at the present Congressional session. A treaty between these two English-speaking Powers will go a long way towards securing the world’s peace.

Dr, Izard, a Liberal candidate for the Wellington North electorate, delivered an address to women on Thursday evening last. During the course of his speech he got in some home truths. He declared that true politics was to be found in domestic affairs, inasmuch as the vital necessity of a nation was that its people should be healthily reared, and that the useful and healthy sections of the community should sustain the population. As showing the enormous importance of environment, Dr. Izard quoted authorities who found that the proportion of healthy persons to those obviously unhealthy was as 90 to 10. The science of eugenics was concerned with the improvement of the race, not by the adoption of the method of the stud farm, or the overthrow of social institutions, or a vast campaign of surgery, but by an improvement in the conditions under which children were reared, and. a discouragement of parentage by the unfit. He suggested that elementary hygiene should be taught to girls in school, and that they should be instructed in the feeding of infants. Care should also be taken to secure a pure

milk supply, and to abolish the use of iajiuions drugs and injurious artificial foods. More hospital accommodation for sick children was necessary, and more women should be trained as maternity nurses. He expressed admiration for the heroic working women who in New Zealand undertake the burdens of materuity, while their richer sisters shrank from it because of unwillingness to submit to the strain and worry of children, and the dislike of interference with their life of personal pleasure. Perhaps Dr. Izard forgot to inform his fair hearers that nature demanded an awful retribution for hanky-panky tricks. Nevertheless, it is true.