County 676 children were examined. The examination of this group was more thorough and covered chests as well. In Erie County the condition was as follows:

In Union County the same kind of examination showed defects of:

In Erie County the children all came from one-room rural schools, while in Union County two of the schools were large centralized schools and two others were in small towns. The children came from all of the eight grades. Among these children there was a striking lack of ordinary personal hygiene. There were almost no skin diseases in either group but very many of the children were terribly neglected and dirty. Upon being questioned as to the ordinary rules of hygiene, such as bathing, fresh air and ventilation, care of the teeth and like matters, these children showed an appalling lack of general information. In some of the schools one heard them mechanically reciting lessons in hygiene, which had evidently not made the least impression upon their living conditions. All this would indicate that a great deal of education along the lines of ordinary public health should be introduced into the rural schools along with regular medical supervision. The children may be taught much which they can take into the home and as a result of which important changes. may be introduced.

Medical supervision is not entirely beyond the reach of the school even in the isolated places. The medical profession is very generous in giving free service where such service cannot be paid for

*No digital examination was made for adenoids. These were all extreme cases which could be diagnosed upon sight,

by parents. The public health nurse is always ready to assist to her fullest capacity and can do a great deal of the routine work as well as the physician. The county commissioners and boards of education are permitted by law to employ public health nurses for tuberculosis work. No better piece of anti-tuberculosis work can be done by a county nurse than to do preventive work with children in the public schools. Last, but not least, we have been accustomed in the past to undervalue the abilities of the teachers in this campaign. An intelligent teacher may do a great deal single handed because of her influence with parents she may bring about correction of defects where both physician and nurse have failed. Careful instruction for teachers which would enable them to do all in their power to correct physical defect would make a great difference in our final analysis.

The year 1917-18 is going to be one of the most vital importance for our school children in Ohio. Home conditions are bound to be disturbed for many children. The head of the family will in many cases be away from home. There is an increasing tendency for women to go into industry. This is not yet necessary in Ohio and we hope never will be. Ohio has been wise enough not to shorten her school period, but despite all this we must carefully watch our children that they shall not be exploited. Every possible effort to raise their standards of health must be put forth. If we should do all within our power for ten years to overcome physical defect in the school children of this state, in the event of a general physical examination at the end of the period, such as has been undergone by the men in this state as a result of enlistment, we would have a very different reading from the standpoint of physical defect. The number of men who have been found to be physically unfit should furnish us with a most costly lesson, which should at the same time dispel any doubt in the minds of the public as to the value of physical examination and supervision throughout the school age. It is sincerely to be hoped that the amount of physical supervision now undertaken in our schools will be at least doubled in the next two years. The small city or town may begin at that point which the great city has reached after an infinite amount of labor and expenditure of time and money, and by so doing hasten results very materially.

REPORT ON TETANUS IN COURT-PLASTER.

In Public Health Reports of September 7, the United States Public Health Service published the report of the laboratory findings in the examination of specimens of court-plaster suspected of being contaminated with tetanus germs. The Director of the Hygienic Laboratories reports that out of 13 specimens examined, two were found to be contaminated with tetanus bacilli.

"There is no ground for believing that the contamination was an intentional one," says the report. "Whether contamination occurred during the process of manufacture through the use of infected ingredients, or subsequently by careless handling remains to be determined by further investigation."

WİLL STUDY SICKNESS INSURANCE AND OLD AGE

PENSIONS.

Progress in the matter of establishing in Ohio a system of health, sickness prevention and old age pensions was made when Governor James M. Cox, acting under the provisions of an act of the General Assembly last winter, named a state commission to inquire into and analyze conditions.

The finding and recommendations of this body are to be reported at the next General Assembly, together with a tentative bill.

The commission is to make inquiry into the subject of sickness, the loss to individuals and the public thereby; the adequacy of the present methods of the treatment and care and of meeting the losses caused by such sickness by existing insurance companies and associations, or otherwise, and the influence of working and living conditions upon the health of employed and unemployed persons and methods for the prevention of such sickness and other related subjects.

The subject of old age in its relation to industry and to the public interest is to be looked into as well as the adequacy of existing methods for caring for aged workers.

The members appointed are W. A. Julian, of Cincinnati, manufacturer, and D. R. R. Kennedy, of Youngstown, Welfare Superintendent of the Youngstown Sheet and Tube Company; T. J. Donnelly, Secretary of the Ohio Federation of Labor, and Representative O. B. Chapman, of Dayton, Dr. D. F. Garland, of Dayton, and Dr. Andrew Warner, the latter representing the medical profession, and Prof. M. B. Hammond, of the Ohio State University, one of the framers and administrators of the workmen's compensation act.

Prof. Hammond's work is in statistical preparation and analysis of social subjects. The commissioners will receive no salary, but $25,000 has been appropriated for their expenses in securing the data necessary for the inquiry.

The creative statute confers judicial power upon the body to summon witnesses and compel their attendance within the county of their residence.

It is likely the commission will have before it the bill prepared by the American Association for Labor Legislation for submission to the various Legislatures of the country. Its provisions are as ample as can be written, with a view of obtaining as much as possible through compromise.

The commission met in Columbus September 5 and organized by electing W. A. Julian, chairman; Professor Hammond, vice chairman, and T. J. Donnelly, temporary secretary. H. R. Mengert. Columbus newspaper correspondent, was later employed as permanent secretary.

DEPARTMENTAL REPORTS BY DIVISIONS

DIVISION OF COMMUNICABLE DISEASES.
Notifiable Diseases August, 1917.

Prevalence. The total of 3376 reported cases of notifiable diseases for August, 1917, as recorded to date of September 10th, is almost 1,000 cases lower than the total reported to date for July. 4301 cases, and is below the totals for August, 1916 and 1915. The eighty cities of the state reported 2588 cases, leaving only 790 cases recorded for the rest of the state. Reports have been submitted promptly which together with the low totals and a number of comments from health officers would indicate that the state suffered from less reportable sickness during August, 1917, than in August of previous years on record. Only 18 percent of all health officers have reported the presence of one or more cases of notifiable disease within their health districts during the month.

Whooping Cough. Attention was called to the facts that the July total for whooping cough was the highest of any of the notfiable diseases and that the greatest number of cases was recorded from a few city districts. The same statements are true for August. The total of 949 cases for July increased to 1168 for August. Cleveland recorded 295 cases in July, 608 in August and the health commissioner of the city states that all cases have not been reported. Toledo, reporting 208 cases in July, recorded 138 for August, and Springfield 34 in July and 48 in August. Cincinnati reported 46 for July and 78 for August. The four cities cited make up a total of 872 cases or 75 percent of all cases for the month. Outside of the city districts, the villages of Barnesville, Belmont county, reporting 17 cases and Milan, Erie county, reporting 10 cases, show the highest reported case incidence for the month.

Typhoid Fever. The satisfaction with which but 185 cases of typhoid fever were recorded for July has been effaced by the recording of 412 cases of August, although the total for the month this year is lower than for any previous August on record. The totals for 1915 and 1916 were 613 and 707, for 1913 and 1914, 1340 and 597 The cases are scattered, 40 percent of all districts reporting the prevalence of any notifiable disease, recording one or more cases of typhoid. The cases are almost equally divided between cities and the rest of the state, 203 cases having occured within and 209 outside cities. Cuyahoga Falls, Summit county, reported the highest case incidence for the month, 31 cases. Barnesville, mentioned as having a high case rate for whooping cough, has reported a high rate of typhoid, 24 cases. Allen county is suffering from an outbreak, 35 cases having occurred so far, practically all traceable to one well,

according to the report of a health officer concerned. The full extent and source of the outbreak is being investigated.

Poliomyelitis, Acute Infectious. (Infantile Paralysis). Reports for August total 78 cases, 20 more than reported during July, but less than half the number reported during August of last year. The reported cases occurred as follows by counties and districts: Ashland Co., Perrysville 1, Jackson Tp. 2; Belmont Co., Bellaire, 1, Martins Ferry 4, Colerain Tp. 3, Pultney Tp. 2, Wheeling Tp. 2; Cuyahoga Co., Cleveland 10; Darke Co., Wayne Tp. 1; Guernsey Co., Cambridge 2; Hamilton Co., Cincinnati 1; Lake Co., Painesville 2; Lorain Co., Lorain 1; Jefferson Co., Steubenville 2; Medina Co., Harrisville Tp. 2, Lafayette Tp. 1; Muskingum Co., Zanesville_1; Ottawa Co., Genoa, I; Paulding Co., Paulding Tp. 1; Summit Co., Akron 16; Cuyahoga Falls 4, Tallmadge Tp. 2; Trumbull Co., Bloomfield Tp. 1; Wayne Co., West Salem 4, Chippewa Tp. 2, Clinton Tp. 3, Plain Tp. 5, Wayne Tp. 1. The highest county total was recorded for Summit county, 22 cases, Wayne county following with 15 cases and Belmont county next with a total of 12 cases.

Meningitis, Epidemic Cerebrospinal. The August total of 22 cases is a reduction of 9 reported cases from the July total. The cases occurred as follows: Cuyahoga Co., Cleveland 10, Bedford_1; Franklin Co., Columbus 1; Hamilton Co., Cincinnati 1; Medina Co., Harrisville Tp. 3; Montgomery Co., Harrison Tp. 1; Muskingum Co., Zanesville 1; Summit Co., Akron 35, Cuyahoga Falls 1.

Smallpox. The August total of 97 cases is a marked reduction from previous months, totaling 70 percent lower than July cases. The reports for the year so far shows 2544 cases and have occurred by months as follows: January, 199; February, 213; March, 338; April, 430; May, 515; June, 438; July, 315, and August 97 cases.

Distribution of Diseases.

The following table shows the number of notifiable diseases reported for August, 1917, for cities and for villages and townships and gives comparative total figures for August, 1915-16: