University of Southern Mississippi - Southerner Yearbook (Hattiesburg, MS)

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iqealilt in 'iKural Anwrira R. Thomos Wood, Chairman of the committee on health problems in education and public instruction, reported that country children are less healthful than city children. The study of conditions surrounding the education of the children of this country results in exposing facts and con- clusions both startling and significant. More than half of the twenty million school children in the United States are attending rural schools. Country children attending rural schools are less healthy and have more physical defects than those of the city schools. And this is true, in gener- al, of all parts of the United States. If rural America is to continue to be a satis- factory nursery of human life for the nation, it must be made attractive and healthful. It must provide conditions favorable for the cultivation of the best. The improvement of human health and welfare in rural America is a problem affecting national safety and prosperity. It is a problem dealing with the most essential and most endangered of all our national resources Statistics show that in every health item the country child is more defective than the city child. This is contrary to popular opinion. The claim that the health of the people in the country is not so good as the health in the city finds further proof by an examination of the health of the State of New York. Since 1910 the death rate in rural New York has been greater than in New York City. The science and art of human living, have advanced much more rapidly in cities than in country districts. The country home and country school are, on an aver- age, less sanitary and healthful than the city home and school. The home is, as a rule, insanitary in many respects. It is often very badly ventilated and the dwellers for many hours of the day breathe bad air. Country water and food are less wholesome than water and food of the city. That country children deserve as much health and happiness as city children is an assertion that needs no argument. Yet we find that in those features of physical and moral outlook the activities of the public authorities are limited practically to the ESCAR L. BOOTH Itawamba County schools of the cities. This is indicated by the following table: HEALTH WORK IN CITY AND RURAL SCHOOLS OF THE UNITED STATES. Activity Medical inspection laws in 24 States Mandatory laws Permissive laws Medical inspection practiced Dental inspection by dentists Dental clinics Clinics for eye, nose, throat, and other defects Nurses Open air classes Athletics and recreationg organiz- ed, with appropriate facilities and equipment Warm lunches in schools For City Children Mandatory for cities only in 12 States. Apply to all cities Enforced in most cities In over 400 cities In 69 cities In 50 cities In cities 750 in 135 cities In cities only Practically all cities and large towns In over 90 cities in 21 States ESCAR L. 3 For Country Children Mandatory for rural schools in 7 States In 7 States In 6 of the 13 states having such laws In 13 States, in parts of 130 counties Permitted in 2 States, but not yet provided In one rural county, tSt. John's County, Florida.j None In 12-20 rural districts Little provision in rural schools In a few scattered schools in 9 States BOOTH.

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illiuawa, the Ctrrat Syanitarizin OSES, the great leader of the Hebrews, fifteen-hundred years B. C. taught that pre- vention rather than cure was the part of Wisdom in handling disease. In carrying out this idea he taught that cleanliness, isolation, and disinfectionfby burning are necessary. The priests and common people were re- quired to bathe at stated periods. If the priests had touched anything unclean they must Wash their flesh with Waterg on being purified they Were required to SUSIE GRAHAM BOND Wash themselves with much Water and put on clean linen, before going in the tabernacle theyif had to bathe and put on clean clothing. The common people were commanded to bathe their flesh and Wash their clothing. They were required to keep everything about their camps scrupulously clean. All excreta from the body was buried Without the camps. No particles of food were kept until they decayed. Every person that had any kind of disease was required to show himself to the priest, who made a careful examination and pronounced him clean or unclean . If the disease Was leprosy, scall, or any kind of contagious disease, the afflicted one Was isolated Without the camps for a specified time. He was ex- amined from time to time at regular intervals until he was well. This was done regard- less of person-even Miriam, the sister of Moses Was exiled from the camp for a time. Forrest County The clothing of a person infected with a contagious disease was laundered. If still found unclean it was burned. A leper's house was thoroughly cleaned, closed up for a certain length of time, and if any danger of contamination was thought to exist, the house Was destroyed. The old adage cleanliness is next to Godlinessn is true. God, in giving the laws to Moses, gave the laws of personal hygiene, along with the laws of love for God, and Worship. Although Moses did not realize that he was teaching hygiene and sani- tation his methods have proved to be Wise, and have been modernized so that they are still affective in various types of disease. Moses has received credit for being the great law-giver, and a great leader: but he has not received due appreciation as a great sanitarian. We, thirty-four hundred years later, are seeing more clearly every year, the good common sense demonstrated in his laws of personal hygiene and general sanitation. Moses was truly a forerunner of all our modern methods of sanitation and principles ofjeuthenics, which make it pos- sible for us to live and enjoy the blessings of health and the pleasure of clean environ- ment. SUSIE GRAHAM BOND. 2

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Tlhr ihnrrgenrg liit fm' thv llurzzl Svrhnnl HE emergency kit is an important factor in the rural school equipment. In fact, no school is fully complete without it. Since medical attention is not in reach of every rural school, every possible convenience should be provided in case of emergency or accident. When a serious accident occurs, thewemergency kit is not intended to take the place of calling a physician or surgeon, but may be provided with helpful means of relief until skilled assistance arrives. ALBERT BROWNING There are many ailments and accidents that are common among school children. Such ailments as toothache, earache, insect bites and stings, cuts, bruises, and sprains, that may not be immediately serious, but may become serious and place an effectual check on the school work if neg- lected. The antiseptics furnished by the emergency kit may prevent any serious de- velopment if used intelligently. Every teacher should possess such training as would enable him to apply simple and practical remedies for the minor defects and accidents. The emergency kit can be constructed and furnished at a very small cost. Any man or the school boys can easily make the cabinet. A chest, box, or a shelf, with lock and key, will serve as a cabinet. Then the contents can be supplied. The Hygiene Department of the Mississippi Normal College suggests the fol- lowing emergency kit: . Turpentine C3 or 4 oz.l 2. Bandages 292 in. wide and about 6 yds. longl 3. Several yards of clean white cheese cloth 4. Rubber adhesive plasters QZ. O. plasters on spoolsl 5. Absorbent cotton 6. Soap, towels, and basin or pan 7. Tinct. Iodine C4 oz.D 8. Oil of Cloves ffor toothachel 9. Spirits of Camphor 10. Aromatic Spirits of Ammonia is teaspoonful in water for headache or after faintingl 11. Alcohol Cfor burnsl 12. Boric acid solution 4 per cent. ffor burns and inHamed eyesl 13. Teaspoon and small medicine glass 14. Scissors 15. Pins Cstraight and safetyl 16. Needles and thread 17. Common Sense and Seli-control. ALBERT BROWNING. Holmes County l 4