I. BY THE STUDY OF SCHOOL SANITATION AND 

 HYGIENE 



Subject introduced by HERBERT BURNHAJI DAVIS, Ph. D., Presi- 

 dent of the Southwestern Normal School of Pennsylvania 



A gentleman whom I once knew used to say, "If you want 

 to be a good man, begin by getting a good father and mother.'' 

 Unfortunately this is not always possible. "While the youth 

 of this country are taught the beauty of freedom ; that indi- 

 vidual rights are supposed to be the essence of civilization, the 

 rights of the unborn are neglected., unrecognized. Thousands 

 are existing today in a supposed land of freedom under the 

 fearful and desperate tyranny of a bad inheritance which knows 

 no laws, no mercy." 



It is just here that a very significant educational problem 

 arises. Since the fundamentals of personal hygiene bodily 

 cleanliness, tasteful and attractive dress, simple diet and the 

 power of nervous relaxation are essentials of right living 1 , 

 what may the normal school do for the development of an alert, 

 intelligent and sensible exemplar of sanitary principles? 



First, a thorough physical examination might be established 

 for those entering upon a normal course of study, such ex- 

 amination to be repeated at least annually. Such a certificate 

 of physical soundness offers a proper criterion of judgment as 

 to the physical resistiveness of the individual. Such a quali- 

 fied teacher is quite likely to look for the cause of falling 

 physical tone, mal-nutrition, and lack of nervous control among 

 pupils. To such a teacher problems of retardation become of 

 special interest. It is astonishing that where the body combines 

 so much of beauty, delicacy, and strength of architecture, it is 

 often treated with so great a lack of appreciation. We are 

 quite prone to forget that the brain and nervous system have 

 other functions to perform than that of mental activity that 

 these have an extremely important hygienic significance. It 

 is not always easy to convince the would-be teacher that the 

 study of mental and physical hygienic conditions should have 

 a place in technical preparation. An attempt to talk to young 

 men and women of average intelligence on matters of hygiene 



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