DISCUSSION 279 



Such a course of study may sound Utopian; but Utopia is not so far 

 off as it used to be. We have gone in the campaigns for public health 

 about as far as we can without the help of the teachers in the public 

 schools, and I can assure you the campaign for public health is not 

 going to be stopped by over conservatism on the part of superin- 

 tendents or other educational authorities. We are going to have 

 training for the teachers to enable them to do their work properly; 

 the way will be found, and the normal schools have got to be ready 

 for it. 



Perhaps the most encouraging feature of the whole convention has 

 been the evidence presented this afternoon that some of the normal 

 schools and teachers' colleges have made such splendid progress in 

 solving their part of this problem. 



The Chairman. Dirt and dust are two other important factors in 

 school sanitation that also need standardizing. In connection with 

 every normal school there is a practice school where normal theories 

 are tested on children themselves. It is usually difficult to interest 

 children profitably in the subject of cleanliness. We are so fortunate 

 as to have here this afternoon Miss Moore, who is instructor in 

 biology at the State Normal School at Trenton, New Jersey. She 

 will tell us how she makes her pupils quite fascinated with the sub- 

 ject in a very practical way. 



Miss Emmeline Moore, State Normal School, Trenton, N. J.: Every 

 year I find in my class in biology students who are addicted to certain 

 habits. Some of them suck the end of their pencil or pen when it is 

 not in use. Others chew their finger nails at odd times or pick at an 

 eruption of the skin. Still some others have habitually very dirty 

 hands or carry about books with very dirty book covers. I think I 

 may safely say that our teachers are vigilant above the average in 

 attempting to check these difficulties, but they prevail in spite of the 

 teachers in many cases. A good deal of discussion is given before 

 the classes in biology of the possibilities of danger in the continuance 

 of such practices, but during the year we find very frequent lapses 

 into the old habits. The question that has always been raised is, 

 What can we do to reduce the number of lapses? 



I had the hearty co-operation of my class, the worst offenders as 

 well as those who did not offend, in trying some experiments. The 

 moisture-soaked, chewed end of a pencil was taken and drawn across 

 the surface of agar and this was placed aside with a control. Thumb 

 prints were made on the surface of agarinapetri dish. The girls I must 

 confess, objected to presenting their thumbs for this experiment, 

 but the boys vied with each other in presenting thumbs for the experi- 

 ment. Pieces of soiled book covers were taken and with sterile for- 

 ceps drawn across the surface of agar; bits of finger nails were taken 

 from the students and cultures made from them; petri dishes were 

 exposed in the corridors during the time the classes passed and be- 

 fore the classes assembled. Our floor was becoming somewhat splint- 

 ery, so a splinter from the floor was taken and a culture made from 

 it. The relation of germs to disease was illustrated in a highly 

 imaginative way by a local Sunday newspaper, and it was suggested 

 that some further experiments be undertaken. Other experiments 

 followed, for example, a dirty dollar bill was drawn across the surface 

 of agar. These cultures were put in a little dark closet off the labora- 

 tory, adjoining which there was a hot air flue giving a favorable 

 temperature for growth. 



