OUR BABIES

Wairarapa Age, 27 March 1920, Page 2

OUR BABIES

The following is a continuation of Dr. L. Einmett Holt's addresß: TEACHING HEALTH IN THE | • SCHUOLb. . It is particularly in tho schools that the opportunities lor teaching health are txie greatest, and th.s opportunity has been as yet scarcely recogn.Bed. In the school tho cliild is under continuous observa&.on for eight or nine ! years; h.s attendance is" compulsory; ! no cannot, it he will, altogether escape the influences of education; he goes to school to learn; he is at a teachable age, in a teachable mood, and tho school has the machinery for teaching. The opportunity which the school offers to give instruct.on to groups of children is very important, for it is usually found that instruction to groups is more impressive and commands more attention than that given to individuals. The long period of school life perm.ts a great variety of health teaching, from the simplest things taught the youngest, with graded instruction for those who are older, to the wider knowledge which can be given the oldest. Much more, can be done- in school than even in the most enlightened homes. In fact, the home itself is often best reached through the child. It is easy, if right methods are employed, to interest the child in health, and it is not very difficult to influence him in the formation of good habits. The twig is so easily bent. In most matters habits are not yet formed, and it is just" as easy to form good habits as to form bad ones. All ol these things .combine to make childhood the golden period, of life in which to teach health.' - PUBLIC OR SOCIAL HEALTH TEACHING. Exactly what do we include under health teaching and how much health can be taught to children? There are clearly two distinct kinds of health instruction. One relates to matters of public and social health, and is largely concerned with the prevention of diseases which may spread through the community. The relation of these scourges of faulty hygiene and sanitation, the fact that they may be spread by unhealthy persons who handle food, or through milk or water supply, or by moquitoes, flies, rats, l.'ce, or other vermin, and that many of these diseases can be communicated from one person to another—all these things may easily be understood by older children. They then come to recognise the importance of sanitary laws for a city, and will generally be found to be the most conscientious observes of these laws. They can easily appreciate what it means to have their milk and water supply closely watched by experts, the value of clean streets, the necessity for proper disposal of sewerage, garbage, etc. They can understand also why quarantine is necessary in communicable diseases, and easily accept this curtailment of individual liberty for the Bake of the rest of the community. The results of the campaigns against tuberculosis, malaria, typhoid, yellow fever, or smallpox should be familiar to all, and there is no reason why heroic stories drawn from such sources should not be given in the schools. When properly presented by one who knows how to write for children, they can be made intensely interesting and profitable. , THE ECONOMIC VALUE OF HEALTH. The economic ' value of health is something even a child can appreciate^ —what it has meant to the prosperity of some parts of the world to get rid of malaria; how this made possible the building of the Panama Canal j what it meant during the war to keep soldiers fit for duty who wet& serving in a malarial country. Castellani, an Italian physician, who' was stationed at Salonika, tella us that in the Greek Army, which took no precautions, 100 per cent of oificers and men were attacked with malaria;, while in another army in the samel place which took the trouble to drain their camp, to cover stagnant pools with oil, and to protect its men against the mosquito and to give them quinine, only 3 per cent of the officers, and 6 per cent of the. men were attacked. HEALTH LITERATURE FOR CHILDREN. Much good health literature for children has appeared in tho last few years, but it has not yet found its proper place in the schools. If only we can get the children in our schools interested in these great public health problems it is not going to be difficult to secure adequate health legislation or public support for the enforcement of any advanced health measures which may in the future become necessary. The older children in our schools will very soon form our voting population, and their education along the lines suggested cannot be .taken too seriously if we are to have a public intelligent in these health matters. PERSONAL HEALTH. The other phase of health instruction is that which might jn contrast with the foregoing be termed private or personal health. It is to bo carried on along quite different lines from those employed in instruction in public health. It should be begun with little children of eight or nine. Here the chief purpose should bo to stimulate the formation of good health habits; the aim to rouse to action, not simply to impart information. For this end only such knowledge of the functions and needs of the body is required as to make tho child understand what iB necessary for its protection and care, or enough to form the basis .of good health,! habits. The child may be taught to-1 look upon his body as an engine. Ha knows that an engine, if it is to run well, must have care, must be kept clean, oiled, must have proper fuel, must have the waste removed, etc. But tho important thing for the child to realise is that he is the engineer who is largely responsible for keeping it in order. One of the first'things to be taught is respect for the body, bo that it will not be abused. (To be continued next week.)