710 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXXIX. No. 1011 



firmary are practically completed, as the pres- 

 ent building is sometimes taxed to its utmost. 

 The university physician is employed by the 

 sanitary committee and attends the infirmary 

 three hours daily, during the early morning 

 and the late afternoon. Students are admitted 

 upon his certificate and attended by him. A 

 student may be attended by a physician from 

 the town who is approved by the sanitary 

 committee; and physicians and surgeons may 

 be called in consultation if necessary. 



Students are charged $7 a year infirmary 

 fees, which cover all necessary expenses dur- 

 ing their stay in the infirmary. In contagious 

 cases, or cases requiring special nursing the 

 expense of the additional nurse is charged to 

 the student. As board bills are charged to all 

 students on their regular term bills the infirm- 

 ary is credited with the amount of board the 

 student would ordinarily pay during such 

 time he may be confined to the infirmary. 

 During the past year there were 400 bed 

 cases, and about 4,500 dispensary calls. These 

 figures may seem large for a student body of 

 only 1,500, but much of the service in the dis- 

 pensary, and even among the bed cases is in a 

 measure preventive. For example, a boy with 

 an incipient cold may be put to bed over 

 Saturday and Sunday, and so a more serious 

 illness and a further loss of time prevented. 



In ease a student is confined to his room by 

 sickness that fact is reported to the college 

 ofiice before 10 :30 by the janitor or the lodg- 

 ing house mistress, together with a statement 

 whether or not a physician has been called. 

 This early report gives an opportunity for 

 word to be sent to the university physician, so 

 that he can visit the student before noon if 

 he has not secured medical attendance. No 

 sick student is allowed to remain in his room 

 in a dormitory more than a day. He is 

 promptly taken to the infirmary, where he is 

 given medical attention and nurses' care. 



The inspection of the lodging and boarding 

 houses is done regularly and a report is made 

 on a form provided for the purpose. The 

 points investigated include among others a 

 statement as to the kind of house, the kind 

 of room, the provisions for heating, lighting 



and ventilation, the bath-room provisions, 

 and the general character and tone of the 

 place and people. In the case of boarding 

 houses additional information is gained re- 

 garding the sanitary conditions of the dining- 

 room, the kitchen, the refrigerator, care in 

 garbage disposal, and notes on the general 

 surroundings, such as the proximity of stables, 

 chicken yards, exposed garbage, etc. Repeated 

 inspections are made at irregular intervals 

 during the year. Any defects are reported to 

 the secretary of the sanitary committee who 

 serves notice upon the owners of the premises. 

 If the recommendations are not complied with 

 promptly, the students are ordered out of the 

 premises. The knowledge that such action 

 wiU be taken by the university authorities and 

 the fact that all payments for board and rent 

 are made through the university treasurer's 

 office, have had the effect of forcing the owners 

 to keep the premises in proper condition. 



A comprehensive physical examination is 

 conducted by the department of hygiene and 

 physical education. Special emphasis is laid 

 upon the determination of the functional con- 

 dition of the eyes, ears, nose, throat and the 

 vital organs. The information so obtained 

 serves as a basis for advice as to special exer- 

 cises if needed. Advantage is taken of the 

 opportunity to discuss with each individual 

 the various practises and habits that affect his 

 mental and physical efficiency. A follow-up 

 scheme has been devised which makes it pos- 

 sible to keep in touch with special eases at 

 regular intervals during the year and to cases 

 referred to the home physician. 



The course in personal hygiene deals with 

 the fundamentals of health and physical effi- 

 ciency; the infiuence of diet, exercise, bath- 

 ing, etc. ; the effects of personal habits, as the 

 use of tobacco and alcohol; sex hygiene; and 

 a study of the more common infectious dis- 

 eases, their nature, cause, methods of trans- 

 mission and prevention. Emphasis is laid 

 upon the practical points of daily life, upon 

 inducing the students to adopt a hygienic 

 method of living, and upon the fact that 

 health is in a very large measure subject 

 to control. 



