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

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Nvrrnfiity fur larnprr Erating Zliarilitirz HE proper heating of the school room is one of the most important problems to be solved by the rural school. Time and progress have brought about a great change in the way the build- ings are heated. In the days of our fore fathers, the school house was heated by a big fire-place that extended across the whole end of the building. This old fashioned fire-place served its purpose for that day. This fire-place gave plenty of ventilation, a thing as important and necessary as heat, but it did not give a uniform degree of heat to the entire room. In order that a school room be in condition for a student to do his best work, the heat must be evenly distributed. One child must not be freezing while the other is baking. T. J. GUY Noxubee County There are several modern up-to-date Ways of heating that give satisfactory re- sults. In many of our city and consolidated schools, the buildings are heated by fur- naces, hot water, or steam. All these save the first are good where people are able to have such an equipment. Our rural schools, however, have not developed to that degree of efficiency as yet. Unless one of these systems of heating is installed, at least a properly jacketed stove is required. N o unjacketed stove should be tolerated in any school. These jackets keep the room evenly heated. The jacketed stove should have a direct fresh air inlet about twelve inches square, opening through the wall of the school house into the jacket against the middle or hottest part of the stove. The exit for foul air should be an opening at least sixteen inches square on the wall near the floor, on the side of the room where the stove is located. In using a stove one should keep a pan of water on it in order to preserve the humidity of the atmosphere. In order to know how to regulate the temperature of the room, it is necessary to have a good thermometer in a convenient place so that the teacher or child helper may see when the room is too warm or too cool. The temperature should not be allowed to go to either extreme, the correct temperature being about sixty-eight degrees. If a teacher will pay attention to the thermometer, this uniform degree may be easily kept. The school room should always have plenty of fresy air, a thing as necessary as plenty of heat. T. J. GUY. 18

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Glnuntg Mnapitala fur Fluhrrrular lgativnta H E prevalence of tuberculosis in Mississippi is alarming. Statistics show that in the year 1913 there were twelve thousand cases in Mis- sissippi, three thousand of which resulted in death. The financial loss from tuberculosis is prob- ably greater than that from any other disease. Un- happily, the greater part of this expenditure is wast- ed. The practice of traveling or changing locality for climatic advantages results, in the majority of cases, in little or no really permanent improvement of the patient. From a social standpoint tuberculosis is a great menace. Disease of any kind is detrimental to the social state. Especially is this true of tubercu- losis, because it is a lingering and wasting disease, which, aside from its fatal nature, is always accompanied by much distress, unhappiness, and suffering. Therefore, if by any means this disease could be eradicated or held in check, nothing should be spared to at- tain this result. The first thing that concerns us as Mississippians is the possibility of permanent cure under climatic and other prevailing conditions in our state. That patients can be cured without leaving the state has been fully demonstrated. As an instance, the work of Dr. Boswell, of the Department of Public Health of Prentiss County, might be men- tioned. He successfully treated a number of cases and is deeply interested in the exten- sion of the work. In fact, very few patients are advised to travel in search of a more advantageous climate, because but few are financially able to remain long enough for permanent benefit. LULA GRICE Lincoln County As it has been shovfn that the disease can be successfully treated at home, it now remains for some plan to be devised by which home treatment can be carried on in organized and systematic way. By this means the patient would be given the advantage of the best treatment, and while removed from his immediate home, would not be re- moved from friends and acquaintances. There the patient could remain long enough for a permanent cure without being taxed by enormous expenses. The hospital would also prevent the spread of the disease through contagion. The greatest benefit that is derived from hospital treatment is the education that the patient receives by hygenic living. The county hospital would further serve to educate the people in hygenic prudence and would be a factor in the intelligent and co- operative effort by which tuberculosis may be eradicated. We are to be congratulated that the legislature has passed a bill for Mississippi to have a state hospital for tubercular patients. This is a small beginning, the appropri- ation being only 95251000, but we hope it will lead to the establishment of county hospitals. LULA GRICE. 17

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Gluptain nf the Beath iirigahr H E RE are probably few diseases whose symp- toms are more generally recognized than pneumonia. The stabbing pain in the chest, the cough, the blood-colored expectorations, the rapid breathing, all stamp it as a disease of the lungs. Our most universally accepted term for it, pneumonia, is merely the Greek equivalent for lung fever. Our deadliest enemies are lung diseasesg to- gether they count for one-third of all the deaths that occur in a community. Ever since accurate statistics have been kept, pneumonia has been the second heav- est cause of death, the first being tuberculosis. About ten years ago it was noticed that the second competitor in the race of death was overtaking its leader, and this ghastly rivalry continued until aboutthree years ago when pneumonia forged ahead. LUCILLE HATTEN Harrison County For a long time this disease was believed to be caused from exposure to cold or a wetting. There were two reasons for this: one, that the disease is most common in winter time, and the other that it most frequently begins with a chill. The cause of this dreadful disease is a tiny inoffensive looking little organism of an oval shape which has come to be called pneumococcus or lung germ. It nearly fills the prophesy of the Scripture that A man's foes shall be they of his own house- hold, for it has as its favorite home the human mouth. We can hardly believe that some of them may be found in the saliva of every human beingg there they stay watch- ing for the least opportunity to seize their victim. These germs may be scattered by expectoration for, if kept moist in saliva and not exposed to sunlight, they will live as long as two weeks. If exposed to sunlight, they die within an hour. We find, then, that this germ grows only in dark damp places. This explains the fact that pneumonia is largely an occupational disease. Since these things are true, is it any wonder that the man who works in the mines all day without the needed fresh air and sunshine, or the woman who lives in the slums with perhaps twenty others in the room and ceaselessly bends over the sewing machine or Wash tub for hours at the time should contract a severe case of pneumonia? When once this disease has a foot-hold, its course is short, sharp and decisive. For this reason exceeding care must be taken to prevent it. The principal factors in this disease are those which tend to build up the vigor of the body and its power of resistance. It is further evident that just as No chain is stronger than its weakest link, so, in the broad sense, no community is stronger than its weakest group of individuals. We know, too, that the germs, however numerous, are powerless for harm except to people who are below par. No other disease is so eager to seize the weaklings. In the bright sunny home the pneumococcus will find no abiding place. They cannot live Where there are sunlight and fresh airg hygienic conditions reduce the risk of infection. Pneumonia is one of our most serious and most fatal diseases, yet it is one about whose cause, spread, and cure the general public is showing increased inteiligence and interest every day. lt is only a question of time until it can be completely under our control. Let us all do our part in smiting this great Captain of the Death Brigade. LU CILLE HATTEN. 19