- HEALTH EDUCATION. Health in struction in connection with the schools was inaugurated under the term medical inspection. The original purpose was not to give instruc tion in health to the children in the schools but to utilize the schools in checking the spread of contagious diseases. The movement was purely voluntary, physicians in leading cities offering their services without compensation. Probably the first country in the world to re quire action of any kind in the schools of a health character was France. In 1833 that country required the school authorities to keep all schoolhouses in a cleanly condition, and in 1842 provision was made in France by which physicians were required to visit the schools for the purpose of inspecting the children and also to inspect the sanitary conditions of the school buildings.
The next country to give attention to this subject was probably Germany. In 1874 the city of Brussels began the inspection of its school children, and two years later similar action was taken in the cities of Dresden and Leipzig. Later Weisbaden inaugurated a sys tem of inspection. This city gave the subject greater consideration than had yet been given It either in France or Germany. This city inaugurated a very comprehensive system of phystcal examination of the school children. The plan required examination of the eyes, ears, nose, throat, lungs, spine, heart and skin. In the case of boys an examination was also made for hernia. A definite record was made of each child and this record was revised from year to year throughout the child's school life. The plan required the school authorities to ascertain the height of each child and the weight of each child twice each year and in the case of children who were below normal stand ards, such additional examinations as might be necessary. When physical defects were dis covered in the children, notice was given to the parents and the parents were required to pro vide remedial treatment. The school authori ties provided no treatment whatever for the children.
Other countries instituted a plan of inspec tion of school children, although not as effec tively as France or Germany, as follows; Hun gary, 1877; Norway, 1889; Sweden, 1863; Cairo, Egypt, 1882; Chili, 1888; Japan, 1898. A very complete and scientific system has been in existence in the Argentina for several years. England took no definite or effective action in connection with the treatment of children in the schools until 1908. In that year
a medical inspection law was enacted which made it compulsory upon the school authori ties of England to provide for the medical in spection of all children in attendance upon school.
New York city has the distinction of being the first city in America to inaugurate health inspection of school children. In 1892 that city appointed a medical school Bos ton, however, two years later instituted a very effective system of medical inspection. Chicago began this line of work in its schools in 1895, and in 1898 Philadelphia followed. The work has gradually expanded until nearly every State in the Union does more or less work in health instruction among the children in its schools, and 36 of the States have mandatory statutes requiring the physical examination of all children. The work is thoroughly organ ized in about 800 of the cities of the country, in many of the smaller villages, and even in the rural districts of several States.
The legal right of school authorities to ap point school physicians, school nurses, etc., without direct authority under the statutes has frequently been raised. It is of such vital im portance to this subject that the following es sential features of an opinion of the Supreme Court of Wisconsin upon the point are given here: of a child means much more than merely communicating to it the contents of textbooks. But, even if the term were to be so limited. some discretion must be used by the teacher in determining the amount of study each child is capable of. The physical and mental powers of the individual are so interdependent that no system of ixtuicaticm, although designed solely to develop mentality, would be complete which ignored bodily health. And this is peculiarly true of children whose immaturity renders then mental efforts largely dependent upon physical con ditions. It seems that the school ituthonties and teachers. coming directly in contact with the children, should have an accurate knowledge of each child's physical condition, for the benefit of the individual child, for the protection of the other children with reference to communicable diseases and conditions, and to permit an intelligent grading of the pupils. All of these considerations, as well as many others unnecessary to mention, convince us that the conclusions of the learned trial judge were entirely right." State ea rel. Stoltenberg v. Brown, 112 Minn. 371.