ve, and of health boards that are or have been inactive in
checking the white plague. Early examination may disclose the small
lump on the child's spine,--which one mother diagnosed as inherited
"round shoulders,"--and save a child from being a humpback for life.
Moreover, the examination of the crippled child's brothers and sisters
will often show the beginnings of pulmonary tuberculosis.

[Illustration: A GRIEVOUS PENALTY FOR NEGLECT BY ADULT
CONSUMPTIVES]

ENLARGED GLANDS--TUBERCULOSIS

In almost every class are one or more children who are proud of small
or big lumps under one or more jaws. Only physicians can find very
small lumps. Many family doctors will say, "Oh, he will outgrow those,"
or "Those lumps will be absorbed." Like most other evils that we
"outgrow" or that pass away, these lumps shriek not to be neglected.
They mean interference with nourishment and prevent proper action of
the lymphatic system, as adenoids prevent free breathing. Even when not
actually infected with tubercle bacilli, they are fertile soil for the
production of these germs. If detected early, they point to home
conditions and personal habits that can be easily corrected. In New
York one child in four has these enlarged glands. If the same
proportion prevails in other parts of the United States, there are
5,400,000 children whose strength is being needlessly drained, many of
whom, if neglected, will need repeated operations.

[Illustration: MODEL OF AMERICA'S FIRST HOSPITAL FOR SEASHORE
FRESH-AIR TREATMENT OF NONPULMONARY TUBERCULOSIS IN CHILDREN
To be erected at Rockaway Beach, New York City]

CHAPTER IX

DENTAL SANITATION

"Have their teeth attended to first, and many of the eye defects will
disappear." This was an unexpected contribution to the debate upon free
eyeglasses for the school children of New York City. So little do most
of us realize the importance of sound, clean teeth, and the
interrelation of stomach and sense nerves, that even the school
principals thought the eye specialist was exaggerating when he declared
that bad teeth cause indigestion and indigestion causes eye strain.

"Bad" teeth mean to most people dirty teeth and offensive odors, loose,
crooked, or isolated teeth, or black stumps. Even among dentists a
great many, probably the majority, do not appreciate that "bad" teeth
mean indigestion, lowered vitality, plague spots for contaminating
sound teeth and for breeding di