■B 3411 A8 opy 1 Wo. 99 Health, Education, Recreation MEDICAL INSPECTION LEGIS- LATION Compiled by LEONARD P. AYRES, Ph.D. Department of Child Hygiene Russell Sage Foundation 400 Metropolitan Tower, New York City Price 20 Cents Contents PAGE Map •. 2 Medical Inspection Legislation in America 5 Principal Features of Laws 6 Abstract of Laws and Regulations 7 Provisions New Laws Should Include 1 1 California I2 Colorado 14 Connecticut 15 District of Columbia 17 Indiana 28 Louisiana 30 Maine 33 Massachusetts 35 Minnesota 40 New Jersey 42 New York 43 North Dakota 44 Ohio 44 Pennsylvania 45 Utah 48 Vermont 49 Virginia 49 Washington 50 West Virginia 50 Medical Inspection Legislation in America The first state law providing for the medical inspection of school children appears to have been passed by Connecticut in 1899. It did not provide for the complete sort of inspection now carried on in many cities and states, but only for the testing of eyesight by teachers every three years. Complete medical inspection with examinations for the detection of physical defects was first provided for by state enactment in the permissive law of New Jersey passed in 1903. This was followed by the mandatory law of Massachusetts in 1906, which has been several times amended, and which has served as the basis for a majority of the bills which have since been presented in other state legislatures. At the present time (May, 191 1), six states have mandatory laws, ten have permissive ones, and in two states and the District of Columbia medical inspection is carried on under regulations promulgated by the boards of health and having the force of law. The fact that the Massachusetts statute is the oldest of the laws now in force shows that the whole body of legislative enactments which crystallize the views, beliefs and results of experience of educators and physicians, is of distinctly recent origin. Nevertheless, the past five years have furnished a large body of experience under varying conditions and in widely separated localities, and the lessons of this experience can be read in the substantial agreement of a majority of the laws in several salient features. This is graphically shown by the tabular presentation of the principal features of the different laws and regulations printed on page 6. On four points there is substantial agreement. The first is that the administration of the provisions of the laws is placed in the hands of the school authorities. 'The second, third and fourth are respectively placing in the hands of school physicians the inspection for contagious diseases, the physical examin- ations, and the inspection of teachers, janitors and buildings. In six cases provision is made for testing of vision and hearing . by the teachers. A clear idea of the principal provisions of the different laws may be gained by reading the abstract beginning on page 7. 5 UOtJtpUOJ Kp3Ul3-g Of P3JJ34MOJ SJU3XVJ ■ X mirj fo UOlJDJOtyl JLOf lC}JVU3J ■.X s»sun{,^ fo ]U3tu -Koj4m^ Mf uotstaoij :X ■ si' ^ ■ ■ ■ ■ kA 3UUV9JJ puv ftfStS /O 'S}S3X "? P^utv^x - rS 1^ SJ1311JV3X l^<) S}S3X Suuvgfj puv }t{S}g • k> ■ ■ ►> • kvi S/l S/i ■ rS • rS • rS rS rS :X SM>poQ Kq sSuf -piftiff puv sxoffiivf 'SA3li0V3X fo U0tp34SUI suotjvutmvx^ ]V3tsKt(j . ?<; . ?s . ?N ?s ?<, /s . ?<, • 1^ ?s • • • ?N S3SV3S1(J snotSvfuoQ dof SMpoQ Kquotp3ifsui ' K/KA y^ • KJ \j* K/ kA *S/*^ 'K/* ' ^ ^ • rS rS rS • rS rS rS rS • . i^ i^ • rS • rS rS S3ijuomnv m'[V3fj M J00l{3g iCq psMistutuipY C/5 aHSaH^aH^a.^^SQH;xoH^^a.aHiiHS piiiopv nj>a On On t^ t^ >-i i-i On^ OOnO'-iCh-'-iOOOm-' 0000"«00'-OH--it-'i-i"H,h-0" O^O^O^O^G^O\C^O^O^G^O^CNCNO^O^G^G^O^O^ 2 IS a •XI o >- • CJ t/i w u rt y I— ci3 o o UUU ,:" c w c c > ^ t:.2 o' .s> ►-'