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Show '44e a spent ;n school by I Sending Sick Children a half-sick child may result ? f k 1 X m 3 WPe' B serious illness. 1 to school If a so often happengj the 2 Br Samuel c. dixon. M.D..Comi..io.,.f s,i!?ht indisposition proves Ho.lih of Penn.7iv.ni. to be the beginning of some WX--KXMW--M--:"MX-:4 communicable disease, the result is that oilier children in the school are exposed and those who are susceptible will follow in turn. School authorities are naturally anxious to secure regularity of attendance attend-ance on . tlie part of the students and many parents feel that they are simply doing their duty in forcing children to go to school who complain of not feeling well. It is much better for a child to lose an occasional day's schooling than to risk bringing on an illness and exposing others. Children's recuperative powers, generally speaking, are superior to those of older people. Proper rest and care will often ward off serious illness, but this requires care and insight on the part of the parents, as the children themselves are not apt to call attention to their condition until they become seriously ill. Loss of appetite, feverislmcss, lassitude, discoloration of the eyes, all are indications which should he watched as symptoms of indisposition. This work which children lose in the schools they can make up far more readiiy than that which they lose in health. Satisfactory mental progress cannot be made unless health is first considered and school authorities author-ities should realize that the total amount of time lost is far greater owing to the added possibility of spreading communicable disease when half flick children are permitted in school. When children are ill their playmates should not be permitted to go to see them until it is absolutely certain that they are not suffering from come communicable disease. Colds are communicable. Parents should see that their children do not visit other youngsters who are ill, and infants should never be taken into houses "where there is danger of their contracting contract-ing illness from children who are not well. |