530 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXIX. No. 744 



medical consultation are provided. In 

 some colleges and higli schools, frequent 

 medical inspections are required. On the 

 basis of these examinations, inspections 

 and consultations, the school life and de- 

 partmental activities of the individual are 

 regulated. This influence goes so far in 

 some instances as to debar the individual 

 from attendance because of his physical 

 condition. In any event, his physical ex- 

 ercise is planned in conformity V7ith these 

 medical findings, so that the possibility of 

 injury to weak organs through excess 

 exercise influences is greatly minimized. 

 Second : A hygienic and sanitary super- 

 vision is exercised in some institutions. 

 This supervision is closely related to the 

 medical supervision. In fact, they can 

 not be separated entirely. This combined 

 supervision, medical and hygienic, regu- 

 lates the physical exercise applied in the 

 department. It selects and grades the 

 drills and exercises in the various courses 

 with reference to desirable physiological, 

 anatomical and mental effect. It plans 

 the special work for the special cases with 

 special reference to the conditions that are 

 found on medical examination. Further, 

 it enforces a practical application of 

 hygiene and sanitation throughout the de- 

 partment and often throughout the other 

 departments of the high school or college. 

 Such a supervision can and does enforce 

 bodily cleanliness in the exercising hall; 

 enforces clean gymnasium suits and 

 towels; and enforces regulations relative 

 to spitting and other nuisances in locker 

 rooms, hallways and corridors; and regu- 

 lates the sanitation of the toilet rooms, 

 shower baths, swimming pool and so on. 

 Pupils and students whose personal hy- 

 giene is obnoxious may be required either 

 to improve their hygiene or leave the in- 

 stitution. This influence may easily ex- 

 tend to secure an improvement of the stu- 

 dent's home surroundings, because his own 



hygiene can hardly surpass that of his en- 

 vironment. 



It can be easily seen that this medical 

 and hygienic supervision secures: first, 

 protection from contagion; second, dis- 

 covery of and expert advice concerning 

 remediable physical defects; third, regu- 

 lation of exercise in conformity with the 

 organic limitations of the individual; 

 fourth, the application of the laws of hy- 

 giene and sanitation to the individual 

 and his institutional surroundings; fifth, 

 a habituation to hygienic practises which 

 is likely to influence the individual and 

 through him his surroundings for the 

 remainder of his existence. 



A third phase of this modern depart- 

 mental organization provides for instruc- 

 tion concerning the simple fundamental 

 laws of human health. Personal hygiene, 

 general hygiene and sanitation are being 

 taught in these departments. Courses are 

 given on such subjects as "Ways and 

 Means of Securing and Conserving 

 Health," "The Influence of Common Ab- 

 normalities and Habits of Health," "The 

 Causes of Diseases," "Carriers of Dis- 

 ease," "Defenses against Diseases" and 

 "The Nature of Some Common Diseases." 

 These courses teach some of the main facts 

 of nutrition, exercise, rest, excretion, 

 bathing and disease, so that young men 

 may carry away an intelligent policy of 

 personal health control. 



The fourth division of departmental 

 organization is that which provides in- 

 struction in the vairious phases of physical 

 exercise, including mass drills, apparatus 

 exercises, swimming, and indoor and out- 

 of-door games, sports and play. This work 

 is being carefully graded. It is taught 

 with direct reference to its influence on the 

 health and character of the individual and 

 therefore with a close adherence to the laws 

 of physiology, hygiene, psychology and 

 medicine as we now understand them. 



