280 EDUCATIONAL PREVENTION OF INFANT MORTALITY 



I must confess that I was amazed at the enormous number and 

 variety of flora that were produced by these experiments. The cul- 

 tures produced from the soaked end of a pencil were taken to our 

 State Bacteriologist for identification. He returned the report that 

 most of the cultures were the common pus forming variety. A 

 demonstration was given from the bacteria developed from the finger 

 nails; microscopical examinations were made, with the result that the 

 worst offender in chewing her finger nails kept steadijy from it for 

 six weeks. With the help of her associates, this summer she developed 

 ringer nails of passable length, but I am sorry to say that upon in- 

 quiry before I came here the finger nails were gone again. Clean 

 book covers appeared in that class as if by magic. Altogether, the 

 demonstrations served their purpose in not only emphasizing and 

 giving force to the discussions on this subject, but in introducing into 

 the discussions an element of reality, and of tangibility an element 

 very desirable I found in our campaign against dirt. 



The Chairman: As was found in examining Miss Moore's cultures, 

 the commonest organisms in dirt are pus forming ones. Disease-pro- 

 ducing oganisms, such as the bacilli of diphtheria and of tuberculosis, are 

 rarely found in dust, being easily killed by drying and 1'ght. They are 

 more likely to be found on the common drinking cup of the school. 

 But dust invites tuberculosis and other germ diseases by the large 

 quantity of inorganic material it contains along with the pus forming 

 organisms. These minute particles irritate the respiratory passages, 

 causing catarrhal conditions. Disease germs lodging on these con- 

 gested surfaces find soil ready for their multiplication without normal 

 hindrances. In this way our schools, with their drj overheated air 

 and dust, invite germ diseases, especially tuberculosis 



The death rate from tuberculosis among teachers if above the aver- 

 age death rate from tuberculosis, and is higher than in any other pro- 

 fession. Between one-third and one-half of school children have 

 tuberculosis, either latent or active. This fact is based on many 

 thousands of autopsies where children have died of diphtheria or 

 other causes, tuberculosis not being suspected; also on X-ray, tuber- 

 culin and other tests of delicate children. As vitaJ statistics show, 

 tuberculosis rates in childhood increase steadily through school years 

 until in years of parenthood it is the commonest cause of death. This is 

 an essential factor in infant mortality the ill-health and the ignorance 

 that schools do not PREVENT to the extent that is possible. 



There was another good result following Miss Moore's study of 

 which she told me. The janitor began to take notice when he found 

 the cleanliness of the rooms was being studied by cultures and class 

 discussions. Some educators have said to me, and perhaps they do 

 not exaggerate, that janitors are ninety per cent, of the whole prob- 

 lem of school sanitation. Certainly there seems no right season for a 

 government collecting all conditions of children in public buildings 

 cared for by men wholly untrained in sanitary methods of house- 

 wifery and without even trained supervision. 



Dr. C. O. Probst, Secretary State Board of Health, Columbus, Ohio: 



We have heard a good many papers at this meeting referring to the 

 education of the public. You can scarcely attend any meeting that 

 the question of "educating the public" does not come up. I think 

 we fully realize the .old adage that it is "hard to teach an old dog new 

 tricks." It is very hard to educate the public along certain lines con- 

 nected with health matters, and we naturally go back to the schools. 



