The San Francisco Call and Post from San Francisco, California • Page 11

ThQ San Francisco Sunday Call FIGHTING THE WHITE PLAGUE IN OAKLAND'S OPEN AIR SCHOOL The Corrective and Preventive Methods by Which It Is Hoped to Accomplish Vast Benefits Among the Less Robust Boys and Girls Ellis Wales BUILDERS erecting a building in Fruitvale thoughtfully and with intent neglected to put up the entire eastern walL Aad the structure is complete as complete as any one of the many contrivances in the campaign for public health, and particularly In regard to the great plague. In the recent past when eolemn doctors tapped a frightened patient on the chest and uttered the fateful words, he choked, turned pale and Immediately prepared to make his 1 will. Later came a time, v.h«?n the victim was told to turn himself adrift in the antipodes where It was "warm." Tseccssarily the larger number preferred dying at home, or perforce, had to die at home. Came the day. however, when arose the cry for air pure air, clean air, untainted and untouched by foulness, and plenty of It.

Mankind learned to breathe, and breathing, learned to live. But still the cry for air goes up and the bulldingr with one wall missing is the answer to the cry. It is the first open air. preventive school in the wast It Is In a spacious plat of ground surrounding Fruitvale school No. 2 and, in its way, the leader of the open air treatment for children.

It Is situated about 100 feet from the main building and fronts directly on the playground, the main entrance being on the east. The steps run up to the porch, which is merely an extension of the floor of the building the entire eastern wall, with the exception of the wainscotting. being left out of the building plans. Thus the when the bell rings, march directly into the schoolroom, unimpeded by swinging doors or doormuts. When they seat themselves at their lessons they breathe the same air and recognize the odors of meadow, sea and hillside and enjoy the same benefits as when at play outside.

As Professor Spencer, the principal of the school, said, "You can not keep the air out of this building." No, for the wall can not replace Itself and the shutters that ar3 built in the walls Just under the eaves are nailed so securely that the teacher can, not budge them, hence they are always open. Sometimes those great windows, which when swung out, open the entire southern wall, are closed to repel a bay breeze that is too but the slits In those shutters or ventilators, what you will, let in that wholesome air all the time. In case of extreme cold, why more clothes of course, and maybe, a hot brick to warm them. Yes, they just kefp the little bodies warm but don't kill the fresh air by heating it. The lungs will take care of, that cool fresh air by expanding and meeting it, extracting the nutrition in it and sending it.

a vitalizing fluid, into the blood. Mrs. L. M. Hollinsworth, one of the skilled nurses in the health department and first assistant to Dr.

K. JC Foster, has the. school hygiene directly in charge and she says she wishes it distinctly understood that this open' air school does not mean a "school for consumptives, or tuberculosis patients," but that its purpose is to cultivate resistance in the physique of- the child, that he or she may be toned up to the natural vibrations of health and thus resist or throw off germs of disease, particularly tuberculosis. Mrs. Hollinsworth admits that the school could be called a wherein children somewhat delicately constituted, or pupils suffering from diseased tonsils or other glands, may be made practically immune from the tubercular germ, which would sooner- or later, the old conditions, get the child in its clutches." As most children of delicate constitution are somewhat slow in their studies, owing to the extraordinary demand made upon their recuperative powers, in this school.

they have a splendid and practically an exclusive opportunity of securing individual Instruction and if they do not go ahead as rapidly as the normal child they at least escape that ridicule which is always cast by the quicker minded pupil. Mrs. Lulu G. Beeler, the teacher -of the mixed class In the "open air" school, has had considerable experience in such work in the eastern states and was placed in charge of these pupils because of her versatility, her ability to coach and teach individually, n. large class representing many grades.

In this class the children are gathered from five grades ranging from the third to the seventh, the accommodations at this time not being sufficient to care for the smaller youngsters. Mrs. Beeler says the pupils' minds seem to work better under the new arrangement, although at the start, August '1, tho novelty of thing was somewhat disturbing. While curiosity is responsible to a great extent for the interest shown In this unique school system, there are many parents who are sufficiently broad minded to cooperate with the health and, if they have children that are weak in some organs and broken in health, they are glad to place their offspring where there is at least an opportunity for their physical reorganization. Opposition there is in abundance.

There are many cases cited by Mrs. Hollinsworth which are the chief obstructions in the path of "reconstruct- OufTn I the yard. The seats' can be raised or lowered and to support per- ectly the back of thechad. Interior of fresh air school, showing desks' which can be removed -instantly for hygienic cleansing and fumigation. View shows entire eastern wall removed, with shade awning above.

Five grades are represented." lye and while she, nas. been unusually successful In surmounting these -difficulties, still there are: some who-will not; listen Ho 'reason even for the good of the child. is Just, such 'cases of -obstinacy which havo suggested to Doctor Foster and his assistants, who care backed up by necessity making; treatment com- is -vaccination. is; as declared: Doctor Foster, it to have the arm vaccine blood. hand the vac- cinatlon -Is; not whjle the removal adenoids, and other mushroomlike growths means; prevention 'disease developmentfand absolutely, restores? the shaky nerves, circulation and general'health not suchit treatment if.

Graceful bending of back (dorsal region) to strengthen weak back and develop lungs and chest and muscles. Posture does not affect lower lumbar region of spine, hence there is no strain on kidneys. "A child afflicted with a pitiful sight and, is often' an abused little "soul. Ho is backward his studies; he can not concentrate his nervous and ofttime3 irritable. and'if; allowed to.

into his teens 'attention certain to become deaf. and. be subject to "most any kind "of- disease. Adenoids -and diseased -tonsils inflame the eustachlan tube.VwhichVruns thus deafness and likewise: child appear; stupid. "This.

system, providing has proven successful lini eastern cities 'and will be ln-Callf ornla. It Ist the first; great blow at this method of "taking delicate;" children rom the regular classes, which will have to the" old' and placing' them where can every possible of pure air from This position brings about round shoulders, fiat chest, weak lungs and possible "rotation" of spine. Note raise of right shoulder from level. frequent Inspection by skilled nurses of tho department, will eventually reduce the number of tuberculosis patients amazingly. What we want is more co-operation of parents in this work.

Let them give us that and we will succeed, gaining results far beyond their In this war against the white plague and other diseases the school health department is obliged to take up tho cudgels' against vanity, ignorance and obstinacy. The desire to evade vaccination Is a fair indication of what the authorities are up As an instance, at the beginning of the school term among, the pupils in a certain class who handed in their certificates of vaccination- was a beautiful girl, plump and healthy, already on record as. having: a five inch chest expansion. She had a statement In her hand signed by; her family in which the declared "the girl's health would not permit of at this Who can this question propounded by the health officials: "What 'can. we do if parents can twist their 'family physicians' to serve their own pernicious The Oakland school health department has added three skilled nurses and these, with" the head" nurse, Mrs.

Hollinsworth. give Doct-Jr Foster four able assistants. The three extra nurses. Miss Jean Morken. Miss Helen Hughes and Miss Efhel.

Hartwi have prosided at 163 operations for adenoids, which have been performed at the Oakland medical college clinic durtngr tho last year merely for the cost of tho drugs used in treatment. During this year, out of 1.9P5 pupils examined. I.BBS were referred to parents as needing: aid. In this number the defects were as follows: In vision, 641: In teeth. 635: in nasal breathing.

369; tonsils, 359; slands. 327; adenoids. 290; hearins. 253; malnutrition. S7; skin, 20; nerres, 11; heart.

7: lungs. and palate. 4. Those with one defect. 711; with two.

739; with three. with four. 62; with five. 16; and with six. 3.

Those afflicted with malnutrition, in tho worse stages, are Inclined to tuberculosis and it is among these that the department Is choosing some of its pupils. causa of malnutrition is chiefly duo to under nourishment, want of food or too much poorly prepared foods, with the attendant lack of air in their bedrooms. Professor Pfund, superintendent of physical culture in the Oakland school department, is working hard for the open air school, and with Dr. Foster and others is trying to havo tho open wall feature adopted in tho plans for all the school buildings to be erected and Introduced into the old buildings by remodeling tho structures. Professor Pfund has this to say regarding; his breathing method, which -he has used so successfully in the Oakland schools for tho last two years: "We have some pupils who havo Increased their chest expansion in two years from two to seven and a half inches, and more than 100 who exceed inches, while tho majority have over four Inches.

"Some of these pupils can far exceed my own chest expansion. Tha theory the system is borno out in this statement, for we havo worked along the Idea that in order to produce chest expansion of an extraordinary degree the subject must bo taken when a child. "I was not. It Is all right to hava this work in high school and college, and I certainly advocate having tho work kept up in these Institutions, but to wait until that time to commence tho work is foolish. I start them when they begin tho fifth grade, tho result being that there aro now about pupils of the Oakland schools who are taking regular exercises A position often taken by pupils.

Ali the wdjjht is placed on left elbow, forcing left shoulier cf position, thus causing left 6: the spine. Pencil in right hand, tais writing arm has no support. dally. Tha effect of this training slnca 190S Is shown In tho actual measurements of the pupils. Now tho chest expansion in the Lincoln.

Garfield. Cole, Bay. Peralta. Grant. Durant.

Lafayette, etc. is 4.17. 4.0«, 3.93. 3.93, 4.09. 4.13, 4.15, 4.11 and 4.12 respectively, gaining thi3 from an expansion of about 3.60 Inches.

"I have found that In nearly every caso tho girls weaker in chest expansion than tho boys when tho work Is commenced, but at tho end of a term's treatment they commence to improve and later far outstrip tho boys. Tho reason, of course, 13 that the bonea of the girls are naturally softer and respond more readily to tho treatment than the more hardened Joints and muscles of the boys, whose muscles develop earlier. This is especially gratifying owing to the fact that tho women aro responsible to a greater extent for tho future of our race. One can hardly Imagine tho great help this new open air school system will lend to ourwork, for It is really a labor of love, this scheme of making pure, sturdy youngsters." Miss Ruth the 13 year old girl, who has posed for some of tho pictures on this page, is considered by Professor Pfund as being one of tho most perfect girls In tho Oakland schools; not only has she a chest expansion of Inches, but the report of her physical examination shows that she ha 3 a perfect working system of healthy glands, being pronounced "perfect" In hearing, sight, nerves, lungs, physical activity, mentality and proficiency. In view of the fact that is not a trained athlete and not having received constant attention physically, since babyhood, as some so called "physical marvels" have, she has a most legitimate claim to being a world prizo winner for 'physical excellence.

Professor Pfund frequently uses this handsome, girl for demonstration before classes and she is loudly acclaimed a favorite among a host of schoolgirl friends. She boasts of being a high diver and long, distance swimmer. Now air eyes are on the experimental open air school in Fruitvaler and as other Institutions of similar kind are successful in the east it is certain that her wonderful climate, will "show things" to her eastern sisters. The Installation of swimming tanks in all the schools, which is a certain outcome of this hysienlc.evolutlon. will; prove a further means of physical All these pleasant features, superintended as they are with science and common sense, are tho best forces In the -world against that ticular enemy, the.