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The Central Western Mississippi Valley Region

Both Iowa and Nebraska have attempted to solve the problem of the crippled child by selecting state orthopedic centers. Southern South Dakota is dependent upon these two institutions for such services. In Iowa, children are committed by juvenile courts to the University Hospital at Iowa City. Educational facilities in both of these states are greatly needed. Interested parties in Iowa are reported to be agitating for a state school, but it is sincerely hoped that they will reconsider this intention and turn their efforts toward the enaction of legislation for a de-centralized plan. In Nebraska, the Omaha Rotary Club has expressed its intention of endeavoring to interest public sentiment in additional local facilities which will supplement the State Hospital at Lincoln.

The Western States of the South

Until recently, this tremendous area was provided with only one orthopedic center, namely Oklahoma City. Children at this city are cared for in general hospitals and educated at the only special day school for crippled children in the South (The Andrew Parsons School for Crippled Children). The Hella Temple of the Imperial Shrine opened an orthopedic hospital at Dallas in 1924, providing the first orthopedic center in Texas. The El Paso Rotary Club has become interested in the situation and will exert efforts to bring about the enaction of expedient legislation. The Homan Sanatorium, at El Paso, is constructing a new building which will provide heliotherapy for juvenile bone and joint tuberculosis. This region, representing a maximum direct traveling distance of 1310 miles, presents a tremendous and interesting problem, to which those agencies interested in the crippled children movement should give their attention.

The Southwestern Mississippi Valley Region

These two states slowly are awakening to the needs of the crippled child. Facilities in St. Louis are excellent. A Shriners' Hospital, The Children's Hospital, Washington University, Barnes Hospital, and a private sanitarium (practically all of which are provided with convalescent and educational facilities) are adequate to the needs of the city and surrounding counties. An act providing for local special classes has resulted in the establishment of these facilities in Kansas City and the formation of plans for special schools in St. Louis. Social co-operation should organize these groups elsewhere in the state. The Kansas Legislature (of 1923) defeated a similar bill-1-, but probably will be asked to reconsider this decision at a future meeting. At Topeka, the Capper Fund for Crippled Children has been active in making possible treatment for over one hundred children in various parts of the state.

-1-Recommended by the Children's Code Commission.

The Central States of the Mississippi Valley

The two states represented in this region are similar in that activities to aid crippled children in both of them are at the present time centralized, and different in that Indiana is directing its efforts toward further and more complete centralization, whereas Illinois is striving in the opposite direction. Indianapolis is the Indiana orthopedic center, and will be still more so when the new James Whitcomb Riley Hospital has been completed. Chicago has been the Illinois orthopedic center, and will continue to develop new facilities to solve its individual problem. But the efforts of the Illinois Society for Crippled Children have succeeded to the extent of recently bringing about the enaction of a de-centralized school law, and will eventually develop orthopedic services in local hospitals throughout the state. In the city of Chicago, in addition to the services provided by the various general institutions, the Home for Destitute Crippled Children is a special orthopedic hospital which employs convalescent facilities at Prince Crossing, Illinois. The Shriners are erecting a special institution at the outskirts of the city. The public school system is well equipped to provide elementary and high school education for cripple Social co-operation, rendered in Illinois by Rotarians, is provided in Indiana largely by Kiwanis Clubs.