The second International Congress on School Hygiene was opened on
Monday by Lord Crewe, Lord-President of the Council. Lord Crewe, who welcomed the delegates in the name of the King and on behalf of the Government, dealt with the wide scope of the discussions on which they would be engaged, the supreme importance of medical inspection of schools, and the fact that not only humanity but national ceonomy was involved in the right handling of the health of school children. Incidentally Lord Crewe observed that he was not one of those who believed that drill and military exercises would instil an undesirable warlike spirit in the infant mind. Sir Lauder Brunton in his Presidential address went even further. He pointed out how free the Americans, the Boers, and the Swiss were from the military spirit, and declared that shooting with rifles properly adapted to their size and strength was an exercise which not only tended to
bring out the best qualities of boys, but sometimes exerted a powerful moral effect for good on a household. Sir' Lauder Brunton further declared that it was of the utmost im- portance that boys and girls should be instructed in the laws of health. It was quite true that the proper carrying out of a system of school hygiene would involve expenditure, but this would be amply repaid in increased national efficiency. Proposals to pension the old had been laid before the country. Instead of doing this let us expend the money on the children, so that in their active lives they could make provision for themselves.
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