Official proceedings of the annual meeting: 1923

46

HEALTH

that insure a healthful and vigorous start in life, so far as possible. Every child should
have the advantages of wholesome living conditions and of health supervision which
will maintain freedom from defects and facilitate a sturdy development. All boys and
girls should learn those habits and acquire those ideals and attitudes which will contribute most to the making of strong bodies and minds and the preparation for greatest
usefulness to their fellow-citizens and to their country. The committee believes that
every child should have health supervision from before birth until adult life, and that
every mother should have the best advice and guidance. Each stage of the child's
development has its especial needs. Any sound plan for the protection of children and
the promotion of their health must, of necessity, be closely woven into a complete plan
for the health of the entire community. To help bring this about in each demonstration community will be one of the aims of the committee.
As part of the program of child conservation, the committee will advise the establishment of certain definite services, as they may be required by each community.
Plans for these will be arranged and details carried out in co-operation with the local
agencies and in conformity with conditions in the individual community. A center is
planned for each of the demonstration communities, at which, with the co-operation
of the local physicians, pregnant mothers may receive advice and supervision together
with visiting-nurse service throughout the period of maternity. For children up to
two years of age, height and weight records, periodic examinations, instruction to their
mothers in care and feeding, and visiting-nurse service when required, will be available.
There will be similar supervision for little ones from two to six years of age, including
also thorough examination as a safeguard against defects and reference to the family
physician for correction.
School children.-A complete plan of health protection, education, and development for the school child is considered of great importance by the committee. Any
measures for the health supervision and education of the child in the schools involve
the complete co-operation of the physicians and nurses, sympathetic understanding
and appreciation by the teachers of the principles of health education, and co-operation
of the parents. The latter may be stimulated by group meetings and discussions on
the part of the parents, by home visiting, and general educational measures. Such
co-operation of parents and citizens is essential to the understanding and permanency
with which any measures are carried on by the community.
Financial responsibility.-The committee in charge of the Commonwealth Fund
demonstrations has been granted an appropriation estimated as sufficient to cover three
five-year demonstrations in three different communities of the United States. The
sum to be spent in each place is not a fixed one, but will depend almost entirely upon
the extent to which the community is prepared to carry on permanently work which
may be initiated by demonstration funds. The committee is willing to finance the
beginning of any type of work which is sound and definitely for the health of mothers
and of children of any age, provided this is considered as a first step toward the community's taking over a supervisory and financial responsibility for such work within
a fairly brief period. In addition, the committee will finance overhead expenditures
and research and experimental work, which should not be a permanent charge upon the
community, but which is necessary to proper guidance of the work as a national experiment and to a study and presentation of the results.
Supervisory responsibility.-A committee of representatives of the governmental
authorities of the community-the physicians, the educators, the business, labor, and