Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 9.djvu/666

 642 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY

What was to become of the 13,000 children excluded during the first two weeks under the new methods was now the question.

Undoubtedly many of them sought medical advice, as they were told, and therefore remained away from school only a few days. But some also probably wandered the streets because they were afraid to go to the dispensary, or else played truant. The parents, too, did not yet appreciate the value of the new system and often did not understand why their children had been excluded. When the trouble is trachoma, a very contagious eye disease, and one that without treatment may result in blindness, the eye often appears normal to the inexperienced. One woman voiced the sentiment of many when in her wrath she said, point- ing to her son's eyes: "He no bad eyes; he good eyes." And so it often happened that the children returned on the day speci- fied on their cards in a worse state than they were when excluded. When asked for dispensary cards, those honest would say they had not been there ; those who wanted to avoid trouble would say the card was at home, or none had been given them.

To illustrate : Max was sent out of school with trachoma. At certain intervals he returned, only to be re-excluded. Upon investigation it was found he was not receiving treatment. His parents knew nothing of the matter. Twice a day for over a month he started out with his books, and spent the day on the street.

Harry also was sent home with sore eyes. He enjoyed neither school nor doctors. During the next three months he returned at rare intervals, only to be re-excluded.

Gussie was excluded on September 1 1 for pediculosis. She returned for examination three or four times during the next three months, but was not readmitted until the second week in December.

These are perhaps extreme cases, but it often happened that a child lost four or five weeks of schooling when it really ought to have been absent not more than that number of days. 1

In order to remedy these defects as far as possible, and pre- vent the children from remaining out of school longer than absolutely necessary, the Department of Health, with the co- operation of the Board of Education and Miss Lilian D. Wald,

'See an interesting article in Charities, April 25, 1903, entitled "What Medical Inspection Means in New York Schools," by LYDIA GARDNER CHACE, of the College Settlement Association.