The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, April 30, 1910, Image 6
WHY MKIHCAI, NSPFCTION OF
s( ||< x H.s IS M I HKI?.
Paper of l>r. Hints* Member of State
Board of Health. Read Before the
State Medical \xH4M-latlon ?t I.uur
nw Meeting?The Smmh? Schools.
The paper below was prepared by
br B, A Hlnes of Seneca In hia ca?
pacity as a member of the State board
of health and was read at the meet?
ing of the South Carolina Medical
Association during Its meeting In
Laurens on the afternoon of April 20
The paper aroused great interest, was
Indorsed by the association and re?
ferred |g Its committee on legislation.
The paper follows:
" \ Plea for Medical ln^|>cctlon of
School Children in South Carolina,
Report of the Work at Seneca."
The title of my paper should really
be the "Medical Inspection of
School*" for s c h will he the theme
for my remarks. The attlti de of the
profession In this country i: the past
has been one of neglect of the Inter?
ests o. the school child. The Idea
has probably prevailed that in such
a fre? gauntry parental rights should
be left untrammeled. The mental
side of school life has always assum?
ed the role of first importance, the
moral occupying s* cond place, the
physical last. There several relation?
ships have been sadly dlsproportlon
ed to the detriment of the fullest de?
velopment of the race. We in Amer?
ica have never been slow to follow
where others have led In p/ogresslvs
learning, and oftlmes have been lead?
ers ourselves. This has been notably
true In certain departments of medi?
cine, and surgery. in preventive
medicine, however, we have not
sought until recent times to measure
up to the standard set by many other
nations. This has been especially the
case In regard to the medical Inspec?
tion of schools. That the medical
profession should be the first to blase
the way In the vast wilderness of Ig?
norance which surrounds the child
from birth is clear. Pedagogues as
a rule are willing to acknowledge and
follow the light, but the community
at large In many Instances presents
an almost Insuperable barrier. The
latter can only be overcome by or?
ganised effort and an aggressive pol?
icy. It Is with this conviction that I
present this subject for your consid?
eration. So far as I am aware medi?
cal lnspe< th>n of schools with Its hy?
gienic problems had neve- been men?
tioned In the deliberations of this
body prior to my paper setting forth
a modified plan In 1908. Subsequent
Investigation reveals the apparent
fact that medical Inspection had hith?
erto not been carried out anywhere
In the entire Southern States. Medi?
cal Inspection of schools Is not old In
any country as we reckon time In
medical language?scarce a quarter
of a century. Germany c laiming the
honor for leadership.
Our own country has wt been en?
tirely negligent of all effort, for Hos?
ton in lH?i4 established a system of
medical Inspection which has gone
forward until today she has possibly
the most far-reaching system In the
world. Many other cities In the
North and Northwest have entered
enthusiastically upon the work since
11*4. but we of the South have lag?
ged behind.
South Carolina has always been In
the forefront of progress in many av?
enues of human endeavor, but to
keep her reputation untarnished in
medical progress .she must look to the
conservation of her school Interests
In all that makes f..r the complete
development mi her citizenship. We
hear much today about the conserva?
tion of our national resources.
The school c hild is the greatest as?
set the nation has and as sie h we can
turn our atte ntion to no more potent
force for the nation's good. That
the func Hon of the physician should
Bot cease N\lth the birth of the child
Is con ? de I. that it has done so in
many kSSSSJiees In SStJCtSStYS, and
that MM oversight of the child's en?
vironment and the child Itself
through s. booJ life has been neglect?
ed by the profession at large is un?
doubted. Childhood is where the
foundation should be laid broad and
firm or else the superstructure will
fall short of the deve lopment which
Should follow. This Is the most op?
portune moment l believe in which to
launch a St ite-wlde mov ? meat for th?*
hygiene of the se hend child.
The great Americas Medical Asso?
ciation alte r years of patient Investi?
gation mi the Anoid-an getlOOl child
completed its masterly report at At
Isntlc *'ltv less than u y? ?r ago. if
one e.f the gre ntc ? t meelieal bodlsi In
the world < eastders the nibjex t of
so- h Import iace it behooves as to .
sume a rceeptl e attitude and bt
guide I \<: a similar In plratlon, I ?
peat, this is the opportune moment
for e.ur attention in South Carolina
has be n focused on educational mat?
ters In the last f'? . ? r e.n ef be
for ?. Ind. ed the- last general . ? n\
bly ha : I ? ? n t> rail ?! "all ? dUC iti e 1
legislator. " That body suggested
the commlssle.n of ii\?- of OJI" ablest
citizens ie? look Into the laws regulat
ing sea ? i c itl -I i"'* n *ts and re*
port back to the nol session of the
assembly such measure s as would In
?Tease the efficiency of our education?
al machinery. It is safe to asesrt that
if the medical ,->rofessi ?n embraces
this opportunity as !? should, this
commission will go on record as fav?
oring legislation for the hygienic care
of the school child.
Why not urge a law similar to Mas?
sachusetts, which, in brief, is as fol?
lows: The school community of every
city and town schools to be separate
is as>4 ran fully tested and examined
at b ast on e eeory school year to as?
certain whether he Is suffering from
defOOttVS sight or hearing or from
any other disability or defect tending
to prevent his receiving the full ben
efltS Of school work or requiring a
modification of the school work in
? r,P r to prevent Injury to the child
or to secure the best educational re?
sults. This law appears comprehen?
sive and yet is lacking in a very im?
portant particu lar for our model. It
makes no provision for the country
schools, the fountain head of tue
stream of humanity into the towns
and cities. Again this commission
should advise that a medical man be
placed upon the State board of edu?
cation. His advice should be just as
tar-reaching as that of the attorney
general. Why should we after all
provide for medical oversight of the
school child?
Here are some of the reasons: Har?
rington says that the extent of phy?
sical defects in children may be con?
cluded from the results of the exam?
ination of 200,000 children in New
York between the ages of 5 and 15
\ears. Sixty per cent, were under
nourished; M per cent, needed medi
enl end surgical care; 40 per cent,
had bad teeth; 38 per cent, had en?
larged cervical glands; 31 per cent,
had defective vision; 18 per cent, en
KnfSjOd t >nsils, while 10 per cent, had
nnV redds. It has been estimated
from the result of a recent investiga?
tion among school children In. New
York city that there are in this coun?
try 12,000,000 children having defects
more or less serious that should re
tve attention from parents and
family physicians. These startling
facts cause us to view with alarm
the results of the work of the Russell
Sage foundation in New York for the
study of the backward children.
Leonard Avers reports the loss in
progress of the different defects as
follows:
Enlarged glands.14.9
Defective vision.None
Defective breathing.7.2
Defective teeth.5.9
11) pertrophled tonsils.s.9
Adenoids.14.1
OthOf defects.8.5
Average.8.8
Aside from the physical discom?
forts, the damaging intluenee of these
defects on the mind and morals
places upon us an added responsi?
bility. Should we fall to secure leg?
islative enactment, as In most coun?
tries and some States, to aid us in
solving these problems, what course
is open to us? We must mould pub
lie opinion in our favor by private ef?
forts. Such a plan as that In Switzer?
land would soon bring tangible re?
sults. Every school board has a phy?
sician as an active member, even in
the remotest country districts. I
know that many of our most Influen?
tial physicians occupy similar posi?
tions and can now exercise great
power toward the good outlined.
I trust that l have Impressed you
with the front necessity for this ef?
fort on the part of all concerned in
the ereifere of our schools and hence
will review the work at Seneca, be?
ginning September 23, 1909. The staff
Of examiners consisted of two com
petenl dentists, an eye and ear, nos
end throat spec lallst , two genera
practitioners and a secretary, tie
tea- hen rendering efficient aid at
times. There were 200 pupils an?
from I to II years?consisting of a I
pupils from first to the 10th grade;
?with the following results:
Teeth nofOOtl?Number of pupil.
I""; number of defective teeth, 800.
Tonsil defects?Number of pupils
3*
Enlarged glands?Number of pu
plat 24.
Adenoids?Number of pupils, three
with a number of suspects.
Bye defects?Number of pupils. 19
Nasal defects ? Number of pupils
three.
Skin lesions?Number of pupil:
two.
Orthopedic defec ts?Numbe r of pu
pils, four.
Teeth brushed daily?Number o
pupils, 170,
Oards of record wer?, used to r?
tain and send t.. parent-. Cards f*?
sei.i government, sanitation, light
Inn, heating, etc,
I ran le t find any ?? port on lb
neuro im . I child in the South.
examined n representative numh<
and 'i?und In general I iltj milrltlm
practically ?< H with t? ? t h defects
i ? ? ? r serious tonsil <i 1'cots, com pai
? d to the whltesj no>r< skin lesion
i did not ? camtnc for nd? rmlds.
fair proportion had it ? the tool
(?rush.
I also examined o rcprcscntatlv
numln r of cotton mill children amon
the whites. Ninety percent had be
teeth, not one used a tooth brush. The
other defects differed little from the
average school child. I hope to pur?
sue investigations of these two classes
of pupils more exhaustively for a
subsequent report. I merely allude
to the BUbpect in the hope that others
may he stimulated to look into the
matter also.
The Seneca schools are the first in
South Carolina to put in operation
the modern idea of medical inspec?
tion. Few anywhere have enjoyed
such a thorough examination, as the
work is generally carried on by one
or more general practictioners and
trained nur.us. T^o specialist*, while
not absolutely necesasry, add infinite?
ly to the effectiveness of the work in
every wa> The dental feature is very
interest in/;. The plan of rewards for
personal hygiene we have, after grad?
ing dab\ on such matters as bushing
the teeth, give us 170 out of 200
brushing their teeth daily. Last year
the handsome gold medal was award?
ed in the presence of the greatest
concourse of people ever assembled
in our county?and by one of our
most distinguished orators and edu?
cators, the present president of the
3 aith Carolina Teachers' Association,
Dr. D. W. Daniel of (Memsen. Such
occasions make for progress.
Me*' Orleans and Atlanta both took
up th Is work with the sessions of
1908 and 1909. In the last few
months other towns and cities have
become interested one way or an?
other in our own State, Anderson,
Easley, Greenville, Connie Maxwell
orphanage and possibly others. To
secure treatment when needed for
the defects disclosed is a large prob?
lem. All of our most serious cases
were treated by or on the advice of
their family physicians. In some
places the sc hool clinic has been
opened. The English speaking na?
tions have been tardy in this phase
Of medical science?the Southern
States of America show ing up to a de?
cided disadvantage. To the general
practitioners, specialists, including
dentists, this field of work offers
much of interest. It places him at
once in contact with the great world
of progressive t education. It takes
one out of the narrow confines of
the sick room or hospital and opens
greener fields and pastures new for
research. The emoluements as the
commercially inc lined doctor views
them may not sifflce to secure his en?
listment in the light preventive med?
icine; entails?yet such men as Jen?
ner, Knoch, Reed, Lazear Carroll,
Plexner, Welch and Gorgas have
deemed the saving of human lives
sufficient inducement for them.
COLD WAVE IN THIS STATE.
Commissioner Watson Relieves Cot?
ton Crop Practically Safe.
Columbia, April 26.?South Caro?
lina is not much affected by the cold
wave that has swept the entire South.
That is to say, the damage to t'ie
cotton c rop will probably be slight.
Commissioner Watson stated today
that not many farmers have planted,
BO that the young crop will not be
hurt as much as is said to be the case
In other States.
However, it is understood that one
large cotton cdl plant has sent out or?
ders to cease crushing until the exact
situation ean be determined.
Other cotton oil companies are ad?
vertising seed for sale to replenish
that portion of the crop that has been
damaged and one local firm has
about too bushels, which it will sell
at $1 per bushel, the price named In
the Atlanta dispatches today.
A number of Inquiries have been
received here for seed, one Alabama
firm has wired for one carload, but
it Is stated ai the ofhee of the depart?
ment ?d* agriculture that only 1,000
bushels ean be furnished. The cot?
ton seed vvant? d is rather seed cotton
the better grades of the product of
the plant, so that some seed used in
the mills may not be aide to be used
In planting.
Commissioner Watson has some
long staple seed that he will not let
go out of the State. The mills here
and the department are encouraging
farmers to plant the be tter varieties
BO that long staple may he grown and
the cotton mills be supplied.
This afternoon it is announced that
at least one local cotton seed oil mill
will close down and offer seed for re?
planting, Requests have been sent
out to determine exactly what the sit?
uation is. However, many of the
cotton oil mills will, a little later, be
dosed for the season anyway. Re
ports from other sections of the state
received here today indicate that not
very much damage has been done
the crop in this state. Some sec?
tions though, have suffered.
\ i iTi.000 fire occurred In Ander?
son Mond iy Tin- Drsl was started by
the i xplosion of a lamp.
Tie- ? Inking fand commission win
lend the State h<w pltal for the Insane
the sum of |100,000 for Improve
had an < Ittng i hn ie with a whiskey
manufacturer Monday. Their prey
gi t away, hut n quantity ol beer was
seized,
r i i reell' llle
RULES OF THE ROAD.
Common Sense Comments on Simple
Kules to Be Observed by Automo?
bilist* and Others.
To the Editor of The Item:
Since the advent of so many auto?
mobiles in to the city and county of
Sumter, it seems to me to be wise
that each automobilist and each driv?
er of a vehicle should be posted on
more matters as to the rules of the
road, than they are at the present
time.
"Automobileists realize that the mo?
tor vehhie laws have been enacted
for their protection, as well as the
safety of other users of the public
thoroughfare. A speed maniac is as
much a danger to motor vehicle users
as he is to pedestrians and to those
who drive horses. Therefore, it is to
the best interest of motoring that au
tomoblists are in favor of legislation,
which has a tendency to eliminate
reckless and dangerous conduct."
The above paragraph, I have quot?
ed from a popular magazine on "Sim?
ple Law that Every Motorist Ought to
Know."
There is still in the minds of many
people, a prejudice against automo?
biles. I really think I meet it more
today than I did ten years ago, when
I first drove an automobile.
It is a law accepted by drivers in
most countries, that a man with the
fastest horse has the right to pass
the one who is driving more slowly,
Lnd very rarely does a driver object,
even after a trial of speed to let the
faster horse get by. Yet today, some
men are absolutely indignant, if by
blowing your horn, you attempt to
pass their vehicle, propelled by a
horse that has been ploughed four
days of the week.
It is a fact, that when a vehicle,
in town or country, stops a sliding
gear car, four changes of the lever
must be made before the car Is again
at its gait before it was stopped.
Multiply this five to ten times in a
city block and it is hard both on the
driver and on the machine.
Again it seems as if motor vehicles
paying taxes on a much higher valu?
ation than the horse and wagon, or
the ox and cart, should have at least
the same privileges of the road that
the horse and vehicle do.
A negro with a decrt.lt horse and
a decrepit wagon, within t he last
week, on a country road in a narrow
place, deliberately drove twice in
front of my automobile, apparently
with the hope that I would destroy
his decrepit wagon and then be com?
pelled to go into my pocket and fur?
nish him a new one on the theory
that all accidents that happen be?
tween a wagon and a motor vehicle
are due to the motor driver's fault.
I don't in any way excuse a reck?
less driver, but when you see motor
vehicles at the intersection of Broad?
way and Forty-second street, New
York, going twenty miles an hour
with no danger whatever, with the
thousands of people In the streets,
the importance of the knowledge of
road rules is at once shown. These
rules are very simple.
It is needless to say that automo?
biles meeting and passing should pass
to the right of each other, and then
When overtaking and passing an au?
tomobile or another vehicle, they
should pass to the left of the preced?
ing vehicle.
"A preceding vehicle should, how?
ever, give way and allow an automo?
bile approaching from the rear to
pass. This rule has been sanctioned
by the Court ol Appeals of the State
of New York. Ml automobile drivers
should keei> to '.ho right of the cen?
tre of the highway and never depart
from this rule unless emergency re?
quires it. If this ru.e is violated and
1 collision occurs, the automobilist
who was on the- wrong side of the
road will be deemed responsible for
resulting injuries unless he can show
that he was compelled to take the
other side of the highway for some
good cause."
In regard to frightened horses:
with a big ear, reducing it to low
gear will make live times the noise
that it would make it* allowed to go
swiftly by the the high genr. Very
many horse drivers make ; mistake
in asking .n automobilist to stop al?
though all automobilists should stop
and shut off the engine If necessary,
as is the law, but it really is a mis?
take on the driver's part, as his horse
will never get accustomed to an auto?
mobile, and the next time, upon pass?
ing, will be even more frightened.
Again, some horses will inner get
accustomed to automobiles, and their
owners should dispose of them, as it
|!s a foregone conclusion thai tin au?
tomobiles in this country will in
i reuse and not decrease. Every man
who drives a horse, as well as a man
who drives an automobile, should
study the prope r rules of the load.
S'egroes who do no1 know how to
drh e should be taught to drive to the
right. S2r. dr big Is dangerous,
driving both with n horse and with
an automlb'e. A man sin nUl be ar?
rested tor zig ;ug driving far more
readily than for speed in
It is w ell for us, Mr. Edil ?r, to hike
this matter up for public instruction
to the people, and if we wilt study
those rule>s and laws of the road.
there will not he the catastrophe
which I am looking for any Saturday
on the Main street of Sumter.
i'ours respectfully,
ONE WHO OWNS A MOTOR CAR.
Sumter, S. C, April 27, 1910.
OTHER LINES INVOLVED.
'"Subsidiary" Roads Must Operate on
Continuous Mileage.
Columbia, April 26.?The so-called
independent lines of railroad in this
State that are fostered by the trunk
lines must put into operation continu?
ous mileage on Intra-State business.
This has been the tendency of the or
den recently issued by the railroad
commission, and there is now pend?
ing another complaint of like nature
before the commission.
The latest addition to territories j
desiring such accommodations for
freight and passenger business is I
Chesterfield county. The Chesterfield
and Lancaster Railway is said to be
controlled by the Seaboard. Officials
of the lines are called to appear before
the railroad commission on May 31,
and show cause why continuous mile?
age shall not be applied.
The petition is brought by the firm j
of William Godfrey & Co., lumber
dealers. The allegations are: That
the Seaboard Air Line owns $300,000
of the $500,000 stock of the railway;
that the C. and L. has withdrawn all
through rates in effect by A. C. L.
destined to points on the C. and L.;
the Seaboard demands also all reve?
nue from competitive points. That
the officials are the same for the Sea?
board and for the C. and L.
The C. and L. is now charging
twice local less 20 per cent. The
commission calls upon the road to
show cause why the two roads should
not be treated as one and the same
and continuous mileage applied.
Recently the commission issued an
order requiring the A. C. L. and the
Chadburne branch of to have con?
tinuous mileage base.
The order requiring the Coast Line
and the C. and W. C. to have con?
tinuous mileage will go into effect
May 14.
A negro woman, who had tubercu?
losis, was pardoned by Governor An?
sel and immediately on getting out
committed the same offense that she
was first sent up for and must serve
out her time.
Capt. B. P. Cunningham of Char?
leston, who has been clerk in the
county treasury department for 35
years, is dead.
COTTON SPECULATION A MEN?
ACE.
Abnormal Increase in Price May Cur?
tail Foreign Import-.
Washington, April 24.?Unless ab?
normal speculation in cotton in the
Cnited States is stopped and the bus?
iness taken out of the hands of stock
gamblers, Americans will lose foreign
t.ade in that staple amounting to
millions of dollars each year. Efforts
are now being made by the govern?
ment to curb this evil and upon their
success largely will depend the future
of American cotton abroad.
The normal increase in the price
of cotton, caused by speculator! in
the Cnited States last year, heavily
curtailed the imports of that product
in foreign countries. In Russia alone
the ..ing off of imports of American
cotton amounted to nearly one-half
of those of the previous years, when
almost $50,000,000 worth of Ameri?
can cotton was imported into that
country. Russia in 1908 required
$125,000,000 worth of cotton, of
which almost one-half was imported,
five-sixths of which came from the
United States.
i
Of the American cotton used in
Russia in 1908, about one-third was
bought through German and English
commission houses. The American
product in that way is bought and
sold several times before it finally
reaches its destination, and therefore
? >en under ordinary conditions, the
price of the raw product has reached
abnormal proportions by the time it
is delivered at the textile oentles uf
Russia.
Russian manufacturers assert,
without qualification, that if they
were able to buy at reasonable fig?
ures they would consume $100,000,000
worth of American cotton each year.
Real Estate Transfers.
Sumter Real Eestate and Insurance
Company to I. J. Bradley, 1 lot near
city of Sumter for $100.00.
Janie C. Wrood to McCallum Realty
Company, lot in Sumter for $600.
W. J. Stoudemire to J. D. Shirer,
interest in lot on Liberty street, and
also interest in business of J. D.
Shirer & Company for $2,000.
McLaurin Field Agent.
Columbia, April 26.?Col. D. W.
McLaurin has been named by the
sinking fund commission t'S salaried
field agent, vice James H. Taylor,
who died 11th of March. Col. Mc
Laurin is now State land agent.
THE SOUTH'S
BEST FARM PAPER
Tfog Progressive
Farmer
and Gazette
RALEIGH, N. C, and
STARKVILLE, MISSISSIPPI
TRY IT
10 Weeks- 10 Cents
We've got the kind of articles in our paper that you
have been hankerm' for?not guess-work talk, but the
kind that steers you right.
We want you to read the following series
How to Double Your Corn Yields.
How to Grow Live Stock in the South.
$ 1,000 in Prizes for Our Corn Club Boys.
Short Talks About Fertilizers.
"CROPS DOUBLED WITH HALF THE LABOR."
I. T. CROWDFR, Mecklenburg Co., Va.: 1 You are publishing the best agricultural paper in the United
States of America and should be encouraged by every farmer in this Southern land. I am now past three-score and
ten, but I never learned how to make corn until I read The Progressive Farmer and Gazette, we farmers all our
days have been cultivating the land, but you have taught us to cultivate the corn with intelligence and our crops
have more than doubled with half the labor."
TEN WEEKS TRIAL ONLY 10 CENTS!
You will be pleased and continue your subscription. Give your boys a
chance to compete for the grand prizes we are offering our Corn Club Boys.
Don't let ten cents stand between us?don't?but fill out the Coupon
below and mail it at once.
This Coupon is Worth 10 Cents
PROGRESSIVE FARMER AND GAZETTE, DEPT. H
Raleigh, Niith Carolina.
Grnilenirn: I rrw!. <r, wi'i coupon, 1 <-n C?nl* anil t'ie name* of ? ,er<ons I know to be interested
in farm lit'-, lot whit h ? nd me I n< i Vogretaive FnfHM r and Ga*<-;te for 10-w? . s that I ma> get acquainted with
>>mr pop i.
N NAIF.
POST-OFFK I
STATE
\V*->-j < ? ? name and address ..!? ve and enclose tl !- coupon v*kh lea ej?| ? g\ftg\w* ic
?V I Ilk rrn, ,;, .,,? i strong envelope and send direri |o ihe ?(!?..?..I 1 DIM 1)1 U I la
i he Pi tres?iv< rarmci and Gazette, Raleigh, North Carolina, ? i >;.i!k\ill<-,
to New Su: -
Send tlx names o( two penoni iatctested in agriculture na separate sheet of
scribers onlv
Fill it in and Mail To-day