BULLETIN OF THE American Academy of Medicine. VOLUME VII. JUNE, 1905 TO DECEMBER, 1906. EASTON, PA.: 1906. THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF MEDICINE is not responsible for the sentiments expressed in any paper or address published in the BULLETIN. REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE TEACHING OF HYGIENE IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS.1 PLAN OF WORK. To the American Academy of Medicine: Your committee to investigate the teaching of hygiene in public schools finds five chief methods-disassociated in the curriculum-by which public schools are directly teaching personal, domestic and public hygiene, including physiology and anatomy. The committee will not consider in detail the school environment and customs indirectly influencing pupils' standards of hygiene. The direct methods are: 1. "Domestic science," including cookery, foods and nutrition; sewing, materials, and dressing; care of the house and of the sick; emergencies. 2. Physical training, including gymnastics, play and athletics, and various physical habits. 3. Biology ("nature study") and "science teaching," showing conditions, phenomena, and processes of physical life. 4. Medical inspection, teaching prevention of ill-health, personal, domestic, public. 5. Physiology and hygiene, with special reference to the nature and effects of alcoholic drinks and narcotics upon the human system. 6. Several sporadic methods. With one exception this teaching is by the "laboratory method," 1 At the annual meeting, June, 1903, the following was voted: "Resolved, That the president appoint a committee of three to investigate the teaching of hygiene in our public schools, and to report to the Academy at its next meeting." The president, Dr. McIntire, appointed accordingly Dr. Helen C. Putnam, of Providence, Rhode Island, Dr. Edward Jackson, of Denver, Colorado, and Dr. George G. Groff, of Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. This first report was presented to the American Academy of Medicine at Atlantic City, June 6, 1904. |