Catawba County Scheduling Children's Health Clinic Visits, 1922

 “Many Children Take Health Clinic,” from the Hickory Daily Record, October 4, 1922

State Board of Health Tonsil and Adenoid Clinic for School Children October 10, 11, 12 and 13 at Newton

Through the bureau of medical inspection of schools it was arranged to have the school children of Catawba County have a thorough medical inspection which consisted of testing their vision, hearing, teeth, tonsils and adenoids. This inspection made known to the parents many of the remediable physical defects among their children. A total number of 700 children were found to be suffering from the effects of bad tonsils and adenoids. Through the county board of education and health it was arranged for the state board of health to do some follow up work for Catawba County school children, the state board of health now offers a plan by which school children suffering from adenoids and diseased tonsils may receive treatment, including operation by a good specialist, nursing care and accommodations in an emergency hospital in which the child remains overnight, all for the nominal cost of $12.50 and totally free in case of needy children. The above fee is charged to defray the actual cost of the clinic; no part goes to the nurses, who are paid entirely by the state board of health. This emergency hospital will be set up on the court house at Newton, one of the state’s most competent throat specialists will be sent here by the state board of health to re-examine any of the children who wish to be and only those found badly needing treatment for tonsils and adenoids will be advised to have an operation. After the specialist and family physician have decided that the child needs treatment, and the parent wishes to have this defect corrected, in order not to impair the child’s health in later life, then a thorough physical examination is made of the heart, lungs, kidneys, and temperature is taken to see if the child is in good condition to have this operation.

Every precaution is taken at these clinics. If the child is operated on, it is allowed to return home the following day, the parent being allowed to remain in the hospital all night with their children. This is a wonderful opportunity, by which the school children may receive attention in time to prevent any permanent defects in later life. Bad tonsils and adenoids will cause a great many noticeable defects, namely, weak eyes, earache, which may result in deafness, frequent sore throats, they will snore at night, breathe with their mouths open, be backward in their books at school, and as a usual thing they are not very playful, that is if it is a very bad case, and in later life it will bring on rheumatism, heart lesions, cause them to be nervous and underweight.

Now parents, will you willfully deny your child the right to develop into a healthy man or woman by neglecting the opportunity to have it examined by competent specialists, and if necessary have these remediable physical defects corrected before it has caused some incurable defect?

This opportunity of free examination for school children, and treatment if wanted and necessary is only offered by the State Board of Health once every three years. You must let Miss Ramie Williams, State Board of Health Nurse, Newton, N.C., know at once, in order to have a definite appointment. The clinic will be for four days—October 10, 11, 12 and 13. So send your names at once and you will be notified when to come for examination. Children who come to the clinic are not to have breakfast the morning they come.