nelbach] TUBERCULOSIS AMONG SCHOOL CHILDREX 253 



tion at Washington, stated that almost without exception the 

 parents were not only willing, but anxious that the children 

 should be enrolled in the open air school. 



Most effective treatment for children in the pre-tubercular 

 stage is offered at the Tuberculosis Preventorium for Children 

 at Farmingdale, X. J. This institution has a capacity of 30 beds 

 for patients between the age of four and fourteen years who 

 are surrounded in their homes by individuals who have active 

 tuberculosis. There are no charges and admission is secured 

 through the clinics in the New York City and Brooklyn As- 

 sociations of Tuberculosis Clinics. The patients are given 

 the customary institutional treatment and as they are under 

 the sanatorium regime for several months at a time, greater 

 results are secured than are obtained at outdoor schools. 



9 



GENERAL PREVENTIVE MEASURES. 



Not only is the open air school effective through accom- 

 plishing its direct purpose with the handicapped children, but 

 it has a far reaching influence on the health of those who are 

 normal. It has led to instituting better ventilation in the 

 school buildings and its educational influence is carried into the 

 homes by the children. 



Another important general preventive measure is the 

 abolition of the public drinking cup. Massachusetts has passed 

 legislation prohibiting its use and the schools in that com- 

 monwealth are now provided with sanitary drinking fountains 

 or with individual drinking cups. The inquiry to which allu- 

 sion has been made and which brought replies from 1038 cities 

 revealed the fact that 785 have installed sanitary drinking foun- 

 tains, and 264 are furnishing individual cups. There are some 

 cities represented in the figures that are using both. All 

 duplicates considered, however, there are 875 cities employing 

 either one or both of these measures. 



The feather duster is being gradually driven from school 

 use. Over 60% of the 1038 cities from which reports were 

 received are now using moist cloths for dusting purposes, and 

 90% are using dust absorbing compounds for sweeping. At 

 the forefront are 87 cities that are cleaning their school rooms 

 by means of the vacuum cleaner. 



It is out of the question to safeguard the health of a child 

 by exercising the proper precautions in the school building, for 

 the child spends but a small portion of his time within the 

 walls of the school. The child needs instruction along the line 



