USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Plymouth > Town annual report of Plymouth, MA 1912 > Part 12
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Group 3-10 pupils.
Age and Grade 1 is first grade, 9 years old.
3 are third grade, two 10 years old and one 13.
1 is fourth grade, 12 years old.
5 are fifth grade, two 12, two 13, and one 14.
Health
5 excellent.
5 good.
Eyesight All normal when using both eyes.
Hearing
All normal.
Teeth
4 defective. 6 normal.
Nose and Throat 7 more or less enlarged and diseased tonsils.
1 has had enlarged tonsils recently removed.
Mentality
3 excellent.
5 good 2 fair.
Plymouth Sixteen
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It would not appear from a comparison of the ages and grades as given, that these pupils were seriously retarded if we accept the standard of Dr. Ayers that children in the first grade of seven years or under are of normal age although even upon this basis the sum of years of over age amounts to fifteen years which means that the retardation of these twenty-five pupils has cost the community the equivalent of keeping one child in the pub- lic schools for fifteen years. But as a matter of fact these chil- dren, though rated as first, fourth and fifth grades, are really either not doing the work of these grades or are doing it at the expense of the teacher and the rest of the school.
The remedy, after all has been done which can be done in the way of removing physical defects, is to give these pupils the advantage of instruction under a special teacher whose business it shall be to study the individual needs of each child and supply the particular kind of training which will be most helpful in bringing him or her up to the normal standard. To accomplish the best results such a teacher should have had experience in this special sort of work, besides being a person of intelligence and tact. With a room under the leadership of such an instruc- tor, the schools would be relieved of those who not only do not keep the pace themselves but actually hinder the progress of others, while they would receive a training which would soon bring many up to the normal standard and save others from a discouragement which would probably follow them through life.
A trial of such a room in charge of a teacher adapted to her work by temperament and training will show here, as it has else- where, that many times the cost of the experiment is saved in the added efficiency of our schools.
Contrary to an apparently common belief, children who are what is known as "cross-eyed" will not outgrow the condition but will simply become confirmed in it if neglected. It seems necessary from the number of uncorrected cases which the school physician finds to call attention to this matter in an effort to remove an unfortunate misconception, apparently entertained
1. LEFT EYE "CROSSED" FROM EYESTRAIN.
Illustration No. 1 shows a boy of five years found in the first grade with a very marked deviation inward of the left eye. Notice was sent to the parents that the child was suffering from eyestrain, and they promptly took measures to have it relieved.
2. EYESTRAIN
REMOVED AND EYE STRAIGHTENED
BY
PROPER GLASSES.
Illustration No. 2 shows the same boy wearing a convex lens of three dioptres focal strength over the right eye, and one of four dioptres over the left eye, thus removing the eyestrain and enabling the eyes to work together with precision, to the great relief of the child who had been doing his school work under an immense handicap.
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not alone by those whose opportunities are limited but by at least some who undoubtedly intend to give their children the benefit of every aid to normal physical and mental develop- ment which medical science can suggest and would be honestly indignant if accused of neglecting their welfare.
"Crossed" eyes are caused by a strain which can be relieved by wearing properly adjusted convex lenses before the eyes. Often at first the eye will turn in toward the nose only occa- sionally, but if neglected the deviation will become constant. If the strain is removed by glasses early, the "squint" as it is called, is frequently entirely removed, the two eyes working together naturally while the child exepriences great relief by having the accompanying eyestrain removed. When neglected the devia- tion of the eye becomes confirmed and can only be corrected by a surgical operation which frequently has to be repeated before a satisfactory result is obtained and even then glasses must be worn to relieve the strain, which it is impossible to remove by operative means.
It is not always possible to straighten an eye in this way but the chances are always better the earlier the remedy is applied and the proper glasses may afford great relief to the child by removing the eyestrain even if they do not wholly succeed in straightening the eye.
Twenty-four children suffering from this defect have been found by the school physician during the past year but in only ten instances has there apparently been any attempt made to remedy it. Five of the ten who have received treatment are known to have done so as a direct result of medical inspection and others very probably did so, but the majority are still un- corrected either because the parents do not understand the necessity for it, or because of large families and small incomes they feel unwilling to add anything further to their financial burdens ..
.
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Our system of medical inspection would be twice as effective if we could have a competent, tactful nurse who could go into the homes and meet the parents, explaining the nature of the defects from which the children are found to be suffering and the necessity for treatment, even taking them to the doctor for treatment when the busy mother is unable to leave.
There should be a nurse to inspect the children in the school rooms and in consultation with the teacher, select those who are to be referred to the school physician when he makes his visits. Many children who now have to be sent home with skin diseases, lice, filthiness, etc., could be kept in school with a little attention from the nurse, and others who must be sent home would be able to return to school much sooner if the school nurse could go into their homes and show the parents how to care for them. Frequently when children are sent home with the foul eruption of impetigo they apparently receive no treatment what- ever though given careful instructions, and consequently must be kept out of school for weeks, where a few days treatment ought to be sufficient to insure a cure.
It is impossible to estimate the good that a good nurse might do when going about in the homes of the children by her help- ful ministrations and tactful instruction as to proper food and clothing, cleanliness and general hygienic living.
In a recent paper on "The School Nurse," Dr. Frank Allport of Chicago, well describes her duties and commends her with the assurance of one who knows whereof he speaks, as follows: "One of the principal functions of the school nurse is to see that the doctor's orders are carried out. The doctor may diag- nose and prescribe, but unless his advice is followed his work is useless. This important duty is performed by the school nurse. It must be remembered that many public school children are poor children, whose parents are either busy, negligent, im- poverished, dissipated or ignorant. They probably have no money with which to purchase medicines, appliance, glasses, medical, surgical and hospital services, etc., and all these things
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the school nurse undertakes to supply by drawing upon the re- sources of charitable funds, charitable people, charitable hos- pitals and charitable doctors. These poor people are sometimes apparently devoid of energy, and have to be cared for with but little confidence in their intelligence. The school nurse then has to secure the medicine and see that it is properly administered. Cleanliness, bathing, properly prepared food, sanitation, ventila- tion, plumbing and warmth come under her supervision. She takes children to doctor's offices, dispensaries, hospitals, etc., and sees that they get home again. She carries out the doctor's orders at home, such as giving medicines, syringing ears, using eye-drops, making surgical dressings, etc., she co-operates and works with the truant officer in keeping children in school. In short, through her assistance the doctor is able to prescribe or operate with the confident feeling that he is not working in vain, and that his directions will be followed as far as is humanly possible by the already over-worked school nurse, in co-operation with her equally praiseworthy but over-burdened sister, the visit- ing nurse of the district. Before these commendable institu- tions came into existence thousands of able operations were vir- tually thrown to the winds by poor post-operative attendance, and enormous stores of good medical advice nullified by neglect and improper living. The school and visiting nurse have be- come, then, the element which has transformed doubtful re- sults into reasonably certain good results. This, of itself, is an amply sufficient excuse for her existence."
The following diseases have been found among the pupils dur- ing the past year :
Diseases of the Skin.
Pediculosis capitis, 60
Pediculosis capitis (ovae), 152
Scabies, 21
Impetigo, 108
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Tenia circinata,
15
Other skin diseases,
36
Acute Infectious Diseases.
Varicella,
3
Mumps,
1
Tonsilitis,
4
Measles,
1
Diseases of the Oral and Respitory Tract.
Enlarged and diseased tonsils,
344
Adenoids,
107
Decayed teeth,
636
Other diseases of the oral and respitory tract,
33
Diseases of the Eye.
Defective eye-sight,
69
Muscular asthenopia,
129
Conjunctivitis,
57
Strabismus (convergent and divergent),
32
Other diseases of the eye,
58
Diseases of the Ear.
Defects and diseases,
21
Diseases of the Digestive Tract
Acute indigestion,
10
Diseases of the Bones.
Spinal curvature,
1
Congenital dislocation of the hip,
1
Diseases of the Nervous System.
Chorea,
3
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Unclassified.
Enlarged cervical glands,
29
Wounds, burns, abrasions, etc.,
30
Valvular heart disease,
2
Tobacco habit,
1
Frost-bite,
1
Synovitis,
1
Pus infection,
6
Urinary incontinence,
3
Fatty tumor,
1
Respectfully submitted.
J. HOLBROOK SHAW, M. D. School Physician.
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