Chap. 233.—An ACT to provide for public health nursing and medical inspec-
tion and health inspection of school children. [{H B 163]

Approved March 15, 1918.

Whereas, the number of physicians available for the care of
the sick is decreasing in proportion to the population, and

Whereas, sickness and disease may be decreased much by preven-
tive measures, and

Whereas, it is advisable that the children in the public schools
should be inspected and examined, and

Whereas, many homes in every community should be visited by
a public health nurse or physician,

Therefore, be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia:

1. That the boards of supervisors of every county be and are
hereby authorized to make direct appropriation out of the public
funds of the county from the levies raised in the county for county
purposes, to provide for the inspection of school children and the
employment of a school nurse to visit the schools and the homes,
in an effort to prevent the spread of disease and to provide for the
treatment of many ailments which, if allowed to continue, will result
disastrously to the pupils.

2. That all such money appropriated by the boards of super-
visors shall be placed to the credit of the county school board to
be spent in the employment of a nurse or physician; the said nurse
or physician shall not be employed or contracted with by the said
school board until the person or persons to be employed have been
approved by the health commissioner of the Commonwealth.

4. That the teachers of the Commonwealth shall be prepared
for public health work, every normal school of the State be and
is hereby required to give a course in preventive medicine, medical
inspection of school children, upon which course every person grad-
uating from a norma! school must have passed a satisfactory exam-
ination and every normal school certificate shall therefore have as a
prerequisite a knowledge of preventive medicine and medical in-
spection.

The said course shall conform to the standard and requirement
to be fixed by the State health commissioner and the superintendent
of public instruction.