MEDICAL INSPECTION OF SCHOOLS 



mon to humanity. It is possible for them, as it is for teachers and others 

 higher in authority, to slight their duties or to perform them in an ineffi- 

 cient and unsatisfactory manner. School boards are not able to pass 

 judgment upon these inner workings of the system, and somebody should 

 have the responsibility for holding even medical inspectors, if necessary, 

 to the letter if not to the spirit of their obligations." 



It is to be noted that Superintendent Shepherd is speaking, 

 not from the point of view of the theorist, but from that of one 

 experienced in conducting a school system which has a successful 

 system of medical inspection conducted by physicians appointed 

 by the board of education. In describing the workings of this 

 system in actual practice, Dr. Shepherd goes on to say: 



"It has been suggested in some quarters that medical inspection 

 of school children should be one of the functions of the local board of 

 health, in order to prevent clashing of authority. As boards of health 

 are organized in our own state, however, I can see no likelihood of such 

 cross purposes. I presume it does devolve upon local boards of health 

 to inspect for sanitary purposes all public buildings, including the public 

 schools. This, I judge, is also, or should be, one of the duties of the 

 medical inspector. To have the public schools inspected intelligently 

 by two such departments seems to me a good thing. What one might 

 overlook, the other might see. Aside from this apparent overlapping 

 of jurisdiction, I see little opportunity for any clashing of interest. On the 

 contrary, it is possible for the very closest relations to be established 

 between boards of health and the school medical authorities. How it 

 might be in other cities of the state, I am not aware; but in the city of 

 Asbury Park every case of contagious or infectious disease is reported 

 immediately by the board of health to the school authorities, and vice 

 versa." 



That the fears expressed by Dr. Shepherd are not groundless 

 is shown by experience in cities where the dual system of control 

 is in practice. 



Such an example comes to light in the city of Lawrence, 

 Massachusetts. There medical inspection is, of course, con- 

 ducted under the provisions of the state statute, which provides 

 for the appointing of school physicians by either the school com- 

 mittee or the board of health. In Lawrence the threatened con- 

 flict occurred in August, 1907, when the board of health appointed 



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